So, if it's good for breastfed babies to breastfeed indefinitely, can't a bottle fed kid do the same?

Question

Since some people advocate letting a child breastfeed up to age 7, (and I see nothing wrong with their personal choice) suppose a bottle fed child desires his or bottle that long as well? Shouldn't they have it? What do you think? I mean, it's the same thing , different delivery system. The sucking brings comfort, and it they need their "ba ba" past infancy, is this any different than breastfeeding past infancy?

Sourgirl and Mike D...Hey, I'm just trying to be diplomatic. I wouldn't breastfeed a kid past infancy, and I never have. The longest I gave breastmilk for is 13 months (I only pumped for 10 months), and the last three of those months was just surplus freezer stash I had and that went in my son's sippy cup. I just don't want anyone to get their knickers in wad, so I keep my personal opinions to myself.

Answer 1

Good point, I think that after a certain point there is no bottle, pacifier, or breastfeeding. I think that a child that is old enough to make their own bottle or that can prep their own breast feeding should not be doing it. I mean I give it up to 3 and that is pushing it. But at 4-7 you can more or less master pouring milk into a bottle and you can definitely master prepping mommy for breastfeeding. I mean most schools will not accept a child into Pre-K if they are not potty trained but they will allow you to bring in a bottle. Come on people cut the bull it just needs to stop at some point.

Answer 2

The ONLY problem I have with extended bottlefeeding is that it can cause dental issues, which extended breastfeeding does not do. Children who use a bottle too long may have problems with their teeth not coming in correctly or may have problems with cavities. The need to suck could very well be present up to age 7 since the natural age of human weaning is between 2.5 to 7 years of age. I would assume that an older child would probably only be doing it for comfort at nap time or bedtime, the same way an older nursing child would most likely be nursing. (I actually knew a young woman who said she sucked her thumb at times like these until she was a teenager!) I would also hope that an older child would be getting water instead of milk so that it didn't ruin their teeth. If the parent can accept the potential for dental issues, then I don't see the problem.

Answer 3

Breasts are natural. Bottles are man-made. That is a huge difference right there. Both my boys were off the bottle before a year old (oldest boy was off at 9 months) and I expect my little girl to do the same. Meanwhile my almost-stepson stayed on the bottle until 18 months, and now is in school and still has to have a sippy cup...I think clinginess to a feeding object is a bad habit to teach. Both my boys could drink out of a regular cup by age 2 without spilling. Not that they NEVER spilled but not often. A comfort object is a blanket- both my boys have 'ni-nis' made by me for them, so does my daughter- or a stuffed critter. I mean, think about it- what gives you comfort? Probably a quilt your grandmother made, or a picture of you and your dad, or your husbands old sweatshirts. How weird would it be if your comfort object was a spoon?

Answer 4

I think it's important for a child's development to graduate from a bottle or breastfeeding to proper foods, and not look back. If they think it's ok to still drink infants' milk when they're kids, they will feel like they're still babies and want other infancy comforts, like soothers or blankies.

Children who want comfort should have more mature comfort items than bottles and blankies; more appropriate comfort "blankets" could be stuffies, a good luck charm, a special purse, etc. Bottle feeding is also bad for their teeth; that's why you replace it with food when they start teething.

Answer 5

7 yrs old and still breast feeding ? thats a little over the top dont u think ?? and breastfeeding is about the closeness and comfort from mom to baby and better nutrients for the kid too. Doctors say no more breastfeeding after 2 it may damage the teeth, and no bottle feeding after 1 it may mess up the teeth too so its ur personal choice if u want ur kid to have messed up teeth

Answer 6

You might choose to do that, but then you'll have to bring your child to the dentist a whole lot more than someone who stops feeding bottles at an adequate age. If you don't want to damage your child's teeth, the bottle should be stopped preferably at 1 year old, 18 months stretching it.

Answer 7

from what i have read a baby will latch on to a breast differently than to a bottle nipple. that is why they say to take children off a bottle at 12 months. it is my *personal* belief that a 12 month old is still a baby and still needs little comfort items like a bottle. my baby is almost a year and 1/2 and he still gets a bottle at bed time and naptime. the bottle does not go to bed with him. we snuggle on teh couch or in my bed and he drinks his bottle and we give nite-nite kisses then he goes to his bed to sleep. this is what my mom did with me and i did not have bottle rot or crooked teeth. in fact, i did not have a cavity until i was almost 18. that's just my own opinion and why people say to get 12 month olds on a sippy cup only.

Answer 8

I bottlefed the two considered one of my toddlers. i attempted breastfeeding, yet i do no longer comprehend a thank you to describe it, some women basically are not stable at it. It actually lead me to place up partum melancholy via fact he does no longer take my breast. I knew that he could although, via fact my sister had basically had a splash one, and he latched directly to her as quickly as (i comprehend some people would think of it is gross, yet what do you think of moist nurses did hundreds of years in the past whilst the authentic mom could no longer produce milk?), yet i attempted for numerous months with out fulfillment. Anywho, I bottlefed the two considered one of my toddlers, and as a result have study up on the food in formulation as against the breast. Now, this is probably not pronounced for formulation some an prolonged time in the past, yet in recent times, formulation have maximum of food and supplements in them that they are equivalent to that of breastmilk. Breastmilk is greater useful besides the undeniable fact that for numerous motives... becasue of the antibodies that the mummy can furnish for the toddlers non-existant immune device interior the 1st few months of existence, and additionally epidermis on epidermis facilitates sell a toddlers progression. there are in all probability many different motives that i haven't reported, however the element that i'm attempting to make is that a bottlefed infant is getting a good number of supplements and food to boot, you basically could confirm you preserve it far off from any possible wellness damaging aspects as a newborn toddler, and additionally confirm you have a good number of epidermis on epidermis moments different then breastfeeding. For all you breastfeeding mothers available, shop on doing the main suitable situation! For all you bottlefeeding mothers available, your toddlers techniques isn't underdeveloped! by utilising the way, my son is now 3 grade stages above undemanding.

Answer 9

I support breastfeeding however to seven years old that is horrible. I think it is okay to breastfeed until 2 years old by then the child should be eating table food. If the child still wishes to pacify pass this time something is wrong.

I dont support bottlefeeding or breastfeeding after 2 years old of age.

Answer 10

Breastfeeding and bottle feeding should both stop before the kid starts school...that's my opinion.