At how old should a baby stop being breast-fed?

Question

I'm asking because my significant other is pregnant with twins and I'm just gathering information.

Answer 1

i cannot believe some of the answers here!

teething has nothing to do with it!

the posters who replied with AT LEAST a year are correct

at least a year and then beyond that as desired by mother and child

i nursed past the age of 2 with my daughter and it was one of the best times in my life

good luck....and support your woman!...nursing twins is just as possible as nursing a singleton....she can do with your emotional and physical support

Answer 2

There really is no set answer. Everyone has a different opinion. I have 15 year old twins who were formula fed and a new baby ( almost 5 months) that I am breastfeeding. Most sources recommend breast feeding for 12 months and introducing solids by 5 to 6 months - but some say breast feed for as long as you can and some say even as few as 6 weeks are better than nothing. It was a little rough at first but everyone kept telling me to hang in there and it gets easier at about 6 weeks and they were right! I recently bought some formula to add to her cereal and for bottle emergencies while out and about and I found out how expensive formula is! My new baby is so happy and agreeable and we have virtually no colic and gas and I believe it's because of breast feeding. Good luck!

Answer 3

There really isn't a should/ or shouldn't answer here. It's about what works for mama and baby. Most peds. and American academy of peds say at least 6 mos but best 1 year. www.lalecheleague.org is a great resource...so's your hospital's lactation consultant. Teeth aren't an issue for me and most breastfeeding mamas I know...my 9 month old just had to be told no a couple of times and he doesn't ever bite...one must find the balance that works for them...I breast and bottle feed now but I only breastfed up till he was 6 months old...it's really one of my absolute favorite things about being my baby's mama. Often, your child will begin to wean themselves when they are ready.

Answer 4

Babies should be breastfed for a minimum of 12 months according to the AMA and a minimum of 24 months according to the WHO and both recommend breastfeeding beyond those time periods for as long as is mutually desirable.

World-wide it is normal and acceptable to nurse a child up to 4 or 5 years of age and has been for thousands of years. Americans are about the only culture in the entire world who views this as unacceptable and perverse. Both mother and child continue to receive health benefits from the breastfeeding relationship long past the 6 months or so that so many western minds have deemed acceptable. There is simply no evidence to support early weaning of our babies.

Answer 5

You should stop when you feel the most comfortable stopping or the baby would prefer a bottle or sippy. It is different for everyone. You will just have to wait until the babies are here and see how it goes for you. Congrats on the twins:)

Answer 6

Academy of American Pediatrics recommends "to breastfeed up to 12 months of age and anything beyond that is an added benefit to the child." I am breastfeeding my baby at LEAST until she is 12 months....I sued to think anything more than that is "not needed", but now it is such a sweet, and powerful bonding time I am leaning toward child led weaning.

Answer 7

You should plan on breastfeeding at least a year to give your baby the best start. Beyond that, it is up to you and your child/lifestyle. (I know some women who have continued to breastfeed beyond age two.) I think you need to make it a personal decision. If your child was bottle-fed, when would you want to stop giving them a bottle and start them using cups? Maybe use that answer to guide your decision on when to stop. Good luck!

Answer 8

Physicians recommend one year, though if that's not possible, any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all. There is no "should." It is based on the preferences of the parents and the child. Do not listen to anyone else who tells you what you "should" do or that the child is "too old."

Answer 9

I went 15 months and one 12 months

Answer 10

When the child no longer desires it and weans themselves. Generally between the ages of 2-4.

"If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned"
American Association of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/breastfeedingpositionpaper.html

Thereafter, children should continue to be breastfed, while receiving appropriate and adequate complementary foods, for up to two years of age or beyond. This child-feeding ideal is to be achieved by creating an appropriate environment of awareness and support so that women can breastfeed in this manner.
http://www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/innocenti.htm

"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond."
http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_exclusive.htm

Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
"Breastfeeding benefits toddlers and young children...
nutritionally, immunilogically and psychologically."
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Why Mothers Nurse Their Children into Toddlerhood
http://naturalchild.com/guest/norma_jane_bumgarner.html

Extended breastfeeding: Are there still health benefits?
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpweaning/0,,3x5j,00.html

Breastfeed a Toddler—Why on Earth?
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/21bf_toddler.html

Are You Still Doing That?
http://www.mothersover40.com/extendedbreastfeeding.html