my first daughter i breastfed for two years and plan to do the same for my second daughter. people always freak out like its something bad and i dont understand why
2007-03-16 06:34:23 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
wow, does this question seem to come up often... and with it? a whole lot of opposing opinions as to "why you should, why you should not"
most of the "shoulds" say for health... and it has been proven time and again; "the longer a baby is able to nurse, the healthier for them." and once in a while drs/articles state there are great benefits to mom
most of the "should nots" give reasons too.... "eewww, that's so gross", "oh I saw this woman and I just couldn't believe it", " oh, that just looked so wrong... doesn't she know we do not live in a third world country?!" wow....
there are some reasonable logical women who disagree for reasons other than that... baby can not digest (as three women have already stated) due to medical issue, they personally are uncomfortable but respectfully acknowledge that it is not their place to judge others... they have on occassion even gone so far as to tastefully give all the benefits of formula.... and there are quite a few, with more being developed daily....
so I am not saying they all jump up and sling shots, but you know what? from what I have seen up here, most do.... unfortunate, because it creates an illusion that there is a right and wrong "side" to be on... when there just plain is not!
to answer your question;
I have six children and nursed them each differently, to the child's needs/wants and dependent on other factors; ledest was till 11 months, that is what I was told was "acceptable" and being a new mommy? I listened to everyone except my daughter in that regards.... second till two months old.... reason is below.... third till 13 months... self weaned... fourth till 16 months, she self weaned... fifth, 27-28 months, reason below..... sixth is now 15 1/2 months old and is not ready to stop.... he nurses at night....
I hope your plans to be able to nurse your daughter till two work well for the two of you.... you should nurse as long as;
a) you are comfortable
b) baby is comfortable
c) possible within those perimeters
-- note no where is there a d) as long as other women agree or do not think it is "gross, nasty, wrong, wrong-looking" because it does pertain to them.. or me.... just you, your family the health of your child(ren)
the longest I have nursed is my fifth child.. my second youngest... I nursed him until HEchose to give it up.... he is three now.. he stopped at around 27 to 28 months? so he was just over two...
I would have gladly nursed him longer... because it as the only manner he was able to keep weight on.... he as born with a hole in his heart.. but, not of the overtly serious kind... the murmur is now almost gone... the problem? he was in a negative percentile... that little chart the pediatrician fills in with eight and growth? my son fell in -17% from around two months until one yr old.... at two months I had been nursing in part and bottle feeding... because I as working and I could not express due to the soreness.... anyway, he did not lose anything, he just slowed in growth <-- all the way around.... for him his pediatrician asked me to please continue nursing as long as possible... if I was uncomfortable with it as he grew older they would provide me with the support; counselor to LaLeche, pumps if I needed.... his dr. was adament that if at three, four or five he would nurse; I should.... for the nutrients, immunities, and because toddlers are pretty fussy.... he gained so well with the nursing they felt it was best.. (wow, experts felt this) but, he did not want to.... it is not like that one answerer, with no name... just below candy8 says.... "mommy's way of keeping them dependent" the audacity to determine the private reasoning of individuals that are not you?!
the health benefits are accurate but there is nothing "wrong" with bottle feeding.... the shortest I nursed was two months.. milk dried up (unusually) and you know what? she was also the only baby that had ear infections.... she had so many that she could not hear, had tubes in.. and until age eight had to have speech therapy all due to one difference... she was bottlefed not nursed..... she is healthy as an ox now though.... she is a "typhoid Mary" actually..... carries does not get ill....
emotionally, mentally... both nursing and bottles are shown to be nearly equal... I do see some things in my second eldest as far as "lacks" but these are balanced by other strong/good qualities, so I am fine <--she lacks some esteem... she feels she is never hugged, snuggled as much... confidence in relations I guess is what it is... but, she has a strong personality... she goes out and "does" what she wants.... and tries harder than I see others in the family doing...
for some other reasons people have given? no period for two years? no... that is not "all women" I am not sure if that is accurate for many/any... it has never once stopped mine.... and not much of a reason to nurse a baby...
one woman says she saw a three yr old who put his hand down his mother's shirt cause he "wanted to nurse" umm.... I have three sons... eight, three and one.. the three yr old has on occassion, when tired or very ill, upset... tried to stick his hand down not just my shirt? but my grandmother's, mother's and my eldest daughter's... whoever was holding him.... why? comfort... what was the first "thing" close to a baby... any? oh, mommy's breast... and the ones who nursed held onto it... squishing it at times even..... it is natural that it becomes, in the mind of the young, a source of comfort... it is up to the mother and other close women to teach the son/daughter of the society's views on acceptable behavior... that should not be the blame on a child nursing.... my one yr old puts his hand down my shirt... since i wanted to know why? I let him the once.... he just put it between my breasts and left it in there like it was a pocket.... nothing overt, weird or anything to do with wanting to nurse...
there was also another crack about a toddler being too big to be sucking.... that is like saying how wrong it is for teen girl to snuggle onto her father's lap and be comforted, snuggled and let daddy hug and hold her.... is it? is there an age or size when the comfort, the love is supposed to stop? am I now too big for a hug? oh, the difference is YOU accept it... nothing to do with the needs of the person or people involved other than YOU... wait? I do not remember anything in your answer about you being the one hanging or being hung from? uumm.... hmmm... "let he who has no sin cast the first stone", "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" ringing any bells?
why do people assume to judge what is "right and wrong" when it is clearly nothing to do with you.... "and so long as it harm none, so mote it be"
you realize, if I did not feel the need to "justify" each and every reasoning and back them how much shorter this could have been? but the bickering, the fighting... instead of open communications of pros and cons and respect on each side; has over the years taught me before the comments, cracks, needling, nasty/rude slanderous misconceptions begin you have to give your reasonings for "why" you went against the "norm"
you did pick a "hot" topic to inquire about though....lol.... a good one true.. one we need to not be quite so defensive, argumentative about, I personally think..... help each other thru with either choice.... but, hey.... old sayings really are in many ways valid and I will end this on the note of this last one; "opinions are like @$$-holes... everyone has one.. and they usually stink!"
thank you for taking the time to read this very, very long answer.... I am sorry if I have offended you or anyone... however, not sorry if you fell asleep.... mommies do not get enough of that....lol ;>
I hope this has been able to assist you in finding the info you needed
good luck
2007-03-19 05:28:41 · answer #1 · answered by elusive_001 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I use to work in a public kindergarten center. One teacher had a conference with a parent who is still breastfeeding her kindergartener (6) and her baby. That is some milk production, huh? That was the talk of the lounge for quite a while!!!
I'm not sure there needs to be a set time to stop feeding, I do feel it is important to teach children how to eat properly, and that isn't the best modeling for a 5 year old. Regardless of what some breastfeeding moms say, the benefits do go away after a while.
I am a huge supporter of continuing breastfeeding, and would never look down on anyone for there decision, regardless of the opinion America has. However, there is a point to where it is simply time to let them go.
Breastfeeding for 2 years is quite a commitment, and one to be admired. You will for sure be looked weirdly by some. But then many people are for many stupid reasons.
2007-03-19 11:52:49 · answer #2 · answered by sushishishi 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When you turn on the news and you listen to a story about an innocent household being attacked in their home, do you really feel safe? If this make you think after that you should pay a look here https://tr.im/mM8Qi , a website that will show you how to safeguard you and your household.
Patriot Self Defense system is successful for 2 primary factors. The initial is that it use straightforward actions incorporated from all the very best fighting styles out there. The second is that the makers of this program didn't quit there, they took these actions right into the lab and ran all type of scientific tests to accumulate as much data as feasible prior to setting to work to assess this information and assembled a clinical established self-defense system that fairly truthfully revolutionizes the market.
Feel risk-free with Patriot Self Defense
2016-04-12 18:30:09 · answer #3 · answered by vickey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Geez! Some of these people are way off! But for the most part, everyone here has the same idea that 2 years old is perfectly healthy to still be nursing your child. I agree with that. I am 24 y/o, and have four young sons. I breastfed the first two until 2 y/o, and could not nurse the third b/c he was lacking an enzyme to break up my breastmilk. I believe that is what another mommy about may have been referring to. I nursed my now 22 m/o until he was 12 mos. I would still be nursing him except I developed a tumor in my breast, and had to have surgery,after which it became severely painful to nurse. I now regret not sticking it out, atleast with my other breast, because my son has developed serious life-threatening allergies to numerous foods and beverages. Ofcourse, he may still have been allergic in the future, but he would have had another year to be nurished by my milk. So, it is solely the choice of your child and yourself. I personally could not nurse beyond age two, but by then, each of my children would rather experience what the rest of the world has to offer, rather than being nestled by mommy any longer. I commend you on your breastfeeding. If only every mother would realize the benefits of nursing their children- the world would be a healthier place. Dont forget about the health issues for yourself either. You are less likely to develop breast cancer the longer you breastfeed. Just remeber- he take you to preschool with him!
2007-03-16 07:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
My daughter is 2.5 years old, and has almost completely self-weaned. She's only nursing a couple of times a week, early in the morning if she wakes up. I'm sure she'd have nursed longer, but I'm pregnant and between my milk drying up and me having to start redirecting her sometimes because it was painful/irritating, she's pretty much walked away from it on her own. We got some looks when we went past a year, but after about 18 months it stopped coming up, and only close family knew. People didn't ask, so I didn't mention it. Nobody's business, in my opinion. But when it has come up, I just make it clear that it's working for us and it's not up for discussion. I'm sure people talk about how weird I am behind my back, but I've never heard any of it!
2016-03-16 21:34:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no matter what choices u make u will get criticized so my advice is to do what feels right for u.
i have never been around anyone who breastfed longer than 1 year.
at work i seen this woman with her 3 year old daughter and her kid had her hand down her mothers shirt. the woman stated her daughter wanted nurse. it did make me uncomfortable not because i thought it was sexual but only because i didn't know where to put my eyes. i had trouble pretending not to notice.
i can list 20 things that parents can do that is a million times worse than worrying about how they feed their kids.
2007-03-16 06:54:13 · answer #6 · answered by sheila, TTC 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe the World Health Organization recommends 2 years. And most people do not seem to realize that. It is not for people who can't afford formula, it's because it is very healthy for the baby. Join a La Leche group (if you haven't already) you'll find like-minded women. And don't worry what others think. If we raise our children with love and give them what we think is best. That is the most important thing.
2007-03-16 06:51:14 · answer #7 · answered by mademoisellecat 1 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Someone quoted the bible the other day. It was a verse talking about a child weaning at 10...
Other than that... Mommmmmmy- For next time, babies arent allergic to moms milk (unless they have PKU.. but thats a different thing altogether!) theyre allergic to something mom is injesting. Just in case you run into the same issue with your next.
2007-03-16 06:46:44 · answer #8 · answered by Mommy to David 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The worldwide AVERAGE (average meaning there are some people who do it even longer) is seven years. There are many places where food is very scarce making this necessary. I would say it's ok to nurse a 2-year old and you should let her wean when you or her or both of you are ready. People have a hard time thinking breastfeeding is not "sexual" - they need to get a grip on reality. It is not bad, and you are doing something very good for your daughter, trust me!! Good job, Mom!
2007-03-16 06:45:17 · answer #9 · answered by Angie 4 · 8⤊ 0⤋
I have a friend who *gasp* breastfeeds her almost 5 year old. Once or twice a day.
My only child is just 1 year, he still nurses every 1-2 hours, because he needs it that often. I get comments even from hubby about it. But deep down, no matter how much he knows about how great breastfeeding is he finds it gross. He probably will never be able to change that.
Just do what you want and is best for your child!
2007-03-16 06:46:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋
there is nothing wrong with breastfeeding at 2. but it can be painful when teeth are involved. I think it is healthy my mother breastfed each of us until atleast 2.
2007-03-16 06:43:00 · answer #11 · answered by pegasis 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋