Civil answers only: How long would you be comfortable nursing your child?

Question

(or having your child nursed if you are a man).

I stumbled upon this video and it was really interesting to me. I know I couldn't nurse that long, but I still was fascinated by the extended nursing. I don't think it's "wrong" to nurse until that age, but I was interested in seeing the cultural differences in the responses.

Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHRyRCHuQ7g&NR=1

Civil answers only please. Don't be a jerk in your response. Feel free to share your opinion either way, but be adult about it please.

1. I just wanted to say THANK YOU because so far, almost everyone has been civil and mature, no matter how you feel. Thanks for being adult about it.

2. My own personal feeling is that while I don't care how long other people nurse, my personal maximum comfort level would be between ages 2-3. I'd prefer my children self wean by age 2, because I'll be tired by then...but if it takes them a little longer, I wouldn't push them.

I might encourage a cup of expressed milk though after 2.5 or so.

My first son nursed for 15 months,when he self-weaned and we thought that was just fine.

Answer 1

Hi,
it depends on you and your baby. All babies are different! Some will self wean early on and do what you like you cannot force them to continue. I fed my first till he was about 16 month, when he didnt want it any more...
the second went on till after 2 but the third was difficult and I only made it to 6 months and that was with loads of trouble! From him not me! I wanted to!
I think it is a lovely comfort thing in older children, you can say end up giving one feed late at night or first thing in the morning in bed. No one outside needs to know. You will get funny looks after about 18 months if you do it when out! You shouldnt but you will! People are weird about it!
i have known someone who continued till the kid was 5 with the one feed at night every day. It was special mummy time...

good luck!

Answer 2

I breastfed my first child until he was 2, my second til he was 14 months and my 3rd was about 15 months. They all pretty much self weaned but i was also offering them a cup which they took to well and when they felt they no longer needed the breast, they stopped. I really missed it at first as it was my time with my babies! But I personally think that breast feeding a child of 3 and up is a bit much. At that age they are fully capable of holding and drinking out of a cup as well as getting all their dietary requirements from food. I know some mothers who used to go to school to feed their year 3 children and unfortunately kids being kids, these children were teased mercilessly. I am pregnant again now and will breastfeed this baby happily until it is ready to stop (as long as that time is NOT over the age of about 2 or 3 that is!) Hope I don't come off sounding like a hypocryte!

Answer 3

That was surprising to say the least. I think that is probably a t bit extreme for my taste, and I wonder how is the benficial to the child. Are there social reprecussions that those children have or will face?
My goal was to nurse each of my children for 1 year, but my daughter self weaned at 9.5 months. My son is 9 mos now, and I am starting to supplement with formula, since he does nto nurse during the day. I wonder how much longer he will be interested.

Answer 4

I think it is appropriate to breast feed for the first 2 years.

When my son was born I intended to breast feed for a minimum of 12 months. He had his first two teeth come in at 3 1/2 months!! He definitely drew blood on several occasions, but we worked through it and he quickly learned not to bite mommy! I started slowing introducing solids as "Dessert" when he was about 61/2 months old and he became an incredible little eating machine! When he was nine months old, he started to self-wean! I was worried that it was too early and tried to encourage him to continue nursing. For a month I really pushed him to nurse, and he wanted nothing to do with it! He would literally turn his face away and cry! So by ten months, he was weaned.

Personally I feel that a child is too old to nurse when they can walk up to their mother, lift her shirt, unclasp her bra and say "hey mom...I'm just gonna nurse here for a bit...okay??" :) I think it is the parent's right to decide how long they nurse their children, but at a certain age I start to question the mother's motives.

Answer 5

i only watched a few minutes of the video and turned it off. i have 3 kids and never breastfed but i don't have anything against it. however there is a certain age that it is not beneficial to he child or to the mother. for about a year breast milk has a lot of nutrients that can benefit the child(that keep the child healthier-kids who breastfeed dont seem to get sick as often and have more closeness to the mother) but if u don't breastfeed u can still hold and bond with your child. and it has benefits to moms too..it helps your stomach get back to normal size my using the muscles, and it helps your breasts not hurt so much from the milk glands swelling(it will still hurt some from the milk coming in, but not as much as if u didn't nurse at all and wanted the milk to dry up. I would feel comfortable to at least 1, but up to 2yrs old..after that the kid should be drinking from a cup no matter what it's drinking...

Answer 6

I nursed my first child for 11 months and my second for 2 years. I had milk still for another 2 years and still do once in awhile.

I did feel odd once the child could verbalize. My issue.

I strongly believe womans breasts are so overly sexualized on TV and in the media so nursing can seem odd. Some people were really weirded out at mine nursing at 6 months.

On the issue- I say to each their own. Just dont force opinions on me and I will grant you the same peace ;)

We know its good for the baby and frankly I would have nursed longer with my first as the bond is stronger with the 2nd child. Go figure.

And its sweeter than honeydew!

Answer 7

I nursed my daughter for 4 months then had to go on medication and stopped nursing. I was planning on nursing for at least the first year and beyond if it was working out well. I am pregnant with my second child due in may and i am planning on breast feeding him until we are both ready to stop. if that's at 10 months fine if that's at 2 year fine. The APA recommends nursing for the first 12 months of live and the world health organization recommends nursing for the first 2 years of life. the world average age for weaning is 4 years of age. Nurse for however long it is mutually desirable!

Answer 8

I watched the vidio and have mixed emotions on this one. I was too young to consider the benefits of breastfeeding with my first child. This time around i was a lot older and wanted to. However do to medications and my health was not able to. Try feeding a newborn a bottle when they can smell your milk! She screamed for a week until i dried up. I wanted to feed her but it wasn't safe and i feel in part like i missed out.
Yes i do feel that it's ok until whenever. However only offer the breast till about 2ish. Then pump it into a cup. I don't know about other cultures. I did notice the accent. I don't think these folks are from the USA therefore who are we to judge their beliefs, based on what we've been taught?

Answer 9

It is a personal decision. My ex-sister-in-law nursed all 3 of her children until they were 2. I wouldn't be comfortable with that. I nursed my oldest until he was about 9 months old (mostly expressing after he cut teeth), but my decision to stop was based on getting pregnant again. I had to stop nursing my second at 3 months and put her on soy formula due to severe sensitivities. I didn't nurse my youngest though I tried, he was a preemie and I had to try to get my milk to come in using a pump...never did work.

Answer 10

Wow, that was disturbing to me. For me personally, I could see 18 - 24 months as a limit, although that's not what I did. For me, the first was 11 months, the second, 9 months. Both of my kids had teeth well before they stopped nursing and that was not a problem. I don't believe it's up to children to decide when to quit; as parents WE have the responsibility to wean them from the breast, the bottle, and the pacifier. To leave it up to the child - ridiculous.