I have a little boy who is 1 year old. I breastfed him exclusively for the first 6 months of his life. After 6 months I began to give him solids but I continued to breastfeed him. At this moment he eat breast milk 3 times a day, in the morning when he wakes up, at noon, after lunch and in the evening, before bed. Some people say me to stop because my milk doesn't have any value anymore, they say that my milk is just like the water. I want to continue to breastfeed him for a few months more. He loves those moments. And me too.
2006-07-20 01:47:44 · 26 answers · asked by Sonia V 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
That statement is ridiculous...it doesnt turn into water! It still carries antibodies and nutrients to your baby..although, your baby is at an age where he doesnt NEED breastmilk or a substitute (formula) to survive nutritionally, it doesnt mean that it stops being good for him. If you feel good about continuing, then do it! It IS BETTER for your baby to continue. Anyone who says otherwise just feels uncomfortable with breastfeeding because of our weird social/societal norms. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends b-feeding for ATLEAST 1 year and the World Health Org. for a MINIMUM of 2 years! Keep going momma! You are doing great!
2006-07-21 01:44:18 · answer #1 · answered by dixiechic 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Your body will continue to produce nutritious milk for as long as you choose to breastfeed. The baby's needs however do chance as he gets older. Does that mean that you should stop breastfeeding - no, however you should ensure that breastfeeding isn't interfering with your son's ability and desire to take in calories/nutrition from other sources. When I was trying to decide whether or not to wean my first son, I researched this topic thoroughly. I learned that some professionals actually recommend cutting down breast-milk after a year for many different reasons. I suggest you get some advice from reliable sources (Dr., Nurse, clinics, reliable Internet pages, etc.) In the end you will decide when you feel it's right to wean your child, or he may wean himself. One other thing to consider, if you don't brush/wipe your baby's teeth after each feeding, breast-milk over time can do a number on your baby's teeth. Obviously the older your child gets, the more teeth he has which makes this even more important.
2006-07-20 09:08:51 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Breast milk is still good as long as you keep feeding the baby from the breast. If you store and freeze breast milk than it is no good after 6 months. There has been a study that shows new antibodies kick in at 18 months. I know it is hard to keep breastfeeding in a world of people that are not really for it. YOu are doing the best thing for your baby . Wean when it is ocmfortable for the two of you
2006-07-20 08:53:33 · answer #3 · answered by kcbrown1979 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You do what feels right to you. Ignore what people say. I gotta tell you I breastfed my daughter for 16 months, and people criticized me because she was to big, so I became uncomfortable and decided to quit. How did I regret it after ward, because I wasn't ready yet. There's a bond there, there's quiet time, and all the nutrients and antibodies. About a month after I stopped she got sick in her stomach and she was ill for like 2 weeks and since then she's gotten sick like 3 other times (NOT that it could happen to you), and that's when I realized there's nothing more perfect than breast milk. Made especially for them! Hope this helps. Good luck, and remember you alone can make this decision.
2006-07-20 11:06:55 · answer #4 · answered by C a R L i T a 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course it still has value...as long as you are nursing you will both benefit from it! You can find great info at the links below. Know that the AAP recommends nursing *AT LEAST* 12 months and the WHO recommends nursing *AT LEAST* 2 years. Did you know that Michael Jordan was nursed until he was 3 years old? As long as you and your child are both happy, don't let ANYONE try to pressure you into weaning. Your milk is NOTHING like water. It still contains all the good stuff that it contained in the first year. It is actually in a higher concentration than it used to be so that, since he'll probably take less breastmilk, he still gets plenty of nutrients and immunities from you.
2006-07-20 10:58:26 · answer #5 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do not stop breastfeeding your little boy just because others think you should. You are his mother and decide what is best for him and for you. There is some evidence that breast milk actually contains more fat and energy after one year. It is common in some areas of the world to breast feed children until they are 2-3 years old. I have never heard of breast milk becoming like water after 1 year. I nursed my youngest until she was 14 months when she weaned herself.
2006-07-20 10:18:30 · answer #6 · answered by sevenofus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your breastmilk is still very nutritional for your son! The people who say it is like water are misinformed. You should breastfeed as long as you feel comfortable. I breastfed my daughter until she was 12 months. I am currently breastfeeding my son who is 9 months. It's a personal decision. If you are comfortable continuing breastfeeding your child, you should do it. There's no medical reason to stop before two. I stopped because I wanted to be able to go away overnight without my child. That was my personal decision. Do what is right for you and your child.
2006-07-20 10:07:56 · answer #7 · answered by Momof2 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
damn... ur baby needs whole milk now not brest milk. he needs the nutrients and all the fat that is in whole milk thats y u only give a baby formuly and stuff till thay are a year old get with the program and quit negleting that childs needs... and yes its true about the brest milk.. the nutrents and stuff in the brest milk after like 8-9 months start to go away so ur son is not getting the proper nutrients that he needs to help him grow up strong get ur head ut the clouds and buy him some whole milk like he needs... he needs 18 oz a day of whole milk.. well u know there are a million more things u can do with ur son to have momments like that other than him sucking on ur tit try rocking him to sleep for naps and stuff try playing with him or reading him a book or anything for that matter. but he does not need that brest milk any more he needs wholk milk and the brest milk u are giving him does not have enough fat and other things that his growing little body needs
2006-07-20 08:56:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It still has excellent nutritonal value that he needs. Breastmilk is a complicated substance because it contains complex proteins and nutrients that isn't found in cow's milk and in many formulas.
If you want to, I'd say still breastfeed if that's what you enjoy doing. But you should also supplement with cow's milk - whole milk. Whole milk has a lot of good fat that he needs. Then, eventually ween him off of your breast and onto cows milk. And if you haven't done so already, start trying to get him off the bottle and into sippy-cups.
Just my two cents!
2006-07-20 08:53:21 · answer #9 · answered by casey_leftwich 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your fresh breast milk is perfectly fine until you or your child is ready to wean. It depends on how the milk was stored in the freezer. People say things to try to discourage us from making the choices they don't agree with. There is still much stigma surrounding breastfeeding. For more information, there is a wonderful support group for mothers in all phases of nursing. All the best.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mobi/
Milk that has been pumped and stored in a freezer has a shelf life of about 3-6 months. Depending on the type of freezer and the location of the milk, though, it can be used for up to one year.
http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art12788.asp
2006-07-20 08:55:31 · answer #10 · answered by jd 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋