Breast feeding benefits?

Question

i didnt know this in a book i read called milk money and madness all about breastfeeding issues and politics i learned that the mother has the bacteria and/or infection memorized in her digestive system that turns into plasma cells for the baby and it fights off infection which is very true any way my question is why does everyone think that after breastfeeding is done the benefits suddenly disappear? is this true? aside with healthy habits another important issue when is it a good age to stop when its really weird that people will look at me like im crazy? i want to stop at 2- 3 because i see all the benefits will i be a weird person if i do this? thank you and please only mature answers are appreciated!

what about the benefits disappearing after bf is that true? like protection etc?

Answer 1

How wonderful that you're thinking about breastfeeding as long as your child needs! Your baby is very lucky that you'll consider child led weaning, since our society isn't very supportive of breastfeeding, especially beyond the first few months.

The affects of breastfeeding feeding are life-long. The affects of breastfeeding are dose-dependent; in other words, the longer a child receives breast milk, the more benefits the child receives. There’s a lot of research on the effects of breastfeeding, and more research is looking at these effects in terms of exclusive and long-term breastfeeding. Babies who receive even a small amount of breastmilk for even a short term are less likely to have negative health consequences; the best outcomes are for those children who are exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months and continue to receive breastmilk for several years. Many of the health effects are most significant in the first few months of breastfeeding, although the child who continues to breastfeed for longer still benefits.

It's really not correct to say that a baby benefits from breastfeeding. Breast milk is the normal food for a human infant. The developmental and health changes that we see with formula feeding are actually a departure from the norm. Human babies are designed to eat human breast milk, not baby cow's milk, and there are health consequences from this which can be long-term. Formula is a wonderful thing to have in those cases where a baby cannot receive human milk, and we're lucky in this country that most people have access to medical care and clean water, so a baby fed formula is unlikely to experience significant immediate health consequences, but may have long-term consequences (like diabetes, asthma, obesity, etc.).

There are some affects of breastfeeding which do end once the child is weaned. You mentioned immune properties being passed through human milk. Not only will the child receive protection from previous infections that the baby's mother had, when mother and baby are exposed to a current infection, mom's body produces immune cells which are passed through her milk. Breastfed babies get sick less often and less severely because of this. Once the baby is weaned, of course, this protection is no longer available. Many mothers find this so helpful for nursing toddlers, who are more active, more likely to put dirty hands into their mouth, and more likely to be exposed to illness. The American Academy of Family Practitioners even states that the toddler who is weaned is at higher risk of illness.

You might want to connect with other mothers who have followed their children’s need to nurse beyond infancy. Your local La Leche League or Attachment Parenting group will probably have several mothers who have breastfed toddlers or preschoolers. And there are many on-line resources now for breastfeeding mothers. Don’t let other people’s prejudices and misperceptions keep you from giving your child what you know is best. And nursing a toddler or preschooler is much different than nursing an infant. You can set limits that allow you to feel comfortable. If you’re uncomfortable with others’ opinions, you can always choose to nurse only at home, or only at night, or whatever other pattern works for your and your child.

Answer 2

Great Question,

Once you stop breastfeeding, the baby will no longer recieve the added immunobenefits that your milk provides, But, that does not mean the baby will suddenly get sick, no, your milk has provided the babies immune system with a massive boost in protection, it will be much more able to fight off bacteria and virus's that try to make the child sick.

There is absolutely no need to stop at 2-3, you can continue on to 4 if you so wish, and for how ever long you wish, its your right, its not child abuse or anything like that, and while a group of ignorant, people, who likely don't have kids anyway, may have an issue with it, most people won't even worry.

Thankfully, the next generation, is more health conscious about child raising and the majority of the women i have spoken to will breastfeed for atleast a year and continue onwards as long as they feel comfortable with it.

its up to people, like us, to make them feel comfortable, and give them the courage to feed thier children

yes i've gone slightly off topic.

anyhow, the benefits of breastmilk do not suddenly disappear after 6 months, infact the immunobenefits are present in higher amounts if you extend breastfeeding into the second and third years of life and will provide the baby with the best possible start.

I salute and support your interest in this, and willingless to learn, as if we don't learn, then we are doomed to repeat the same foolishness that has caused the current day plague of health issues.

Good luck and happy breastfeeding.

Answer 3

It doesn't matter what other people think. You should nurse your children as long as you feel comfortable and they continue to want to nurse. Some babies will self-wean at a certain age and will no longer take the breast, often after the first year sometime. However, many babies will continue to nurse as long as mom allows them to. That's a decision that is between you and your child only :)

The benefits of breastfeeding are permanent, even if you only do it for six weeks. Breastfeeding provides antibodies and very important bonding time with mom.

Answer 4

The benefits from breastfeeding have been proven to last throughout your baby's life. Here's a list of studies on the subject: http://www.llli.org/cbi/bibbenefits.html

And breastfeeding also has many benefits for mom, especially the decreased risk of breast cancer.

Don't listen to those who think that breastfeeding a toddler is "gross" or "weird." The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until your child is 2: http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_exclusive.htm

In many, many cultures, and throughout history, children were breastfed into toddlerhood. The ability to "ask for it" doesn't automatically mean a child is too old for it. I think that's a silly idea ... is a child who talks at 10 months not OK to nurse, but a child who isn't talking at 2 years still OK to nurse? That would be ridiculous!

Answer 5

I nursed my first baby to 23 months, I plan on doing the same with my 2nd. Do what works best for your family, plain and simple. By the time he was 18 months or so he really only wanted to nurse when he was tired or hurt, so we rarely did it in public.

Answer 6

i did notice a drastic change in my son's health after i stoped breast feeding, he got sicker eaiser then before and stay sicker longer and kept getting it and still does. and same thing is happening to my friend to she just stoped and her kid is sick a lot more and its staying longer. If you can handle it continue to breastfeed till 2 or 3. i couldnt take it anymore so i stoped.and he wasnt sleeping good, without have a mid night snack.

Answer 7

The longest I nursed was my last one, who was 26 months when I weaned him.

My advice is, just see how it goes. Your baby may decide he doesn't want to nurse at some point. Or you may decide it. The time to wean is when one of you is ready to stop.

Answer 8

101 Reasons to Breastfeed (see link below, not enough room to put it all here). There are some really good reasons there, some obvious, some humerous, some serious but all very good and true.

Answer 9

Wow! You want to breast feed for 2 - 3 YEARS!? That seems like a long time, to me. I breastfed my boy for 13 months, and much of the end of that was only at bedtime and when he woke up at night. (That old "two o'clock feeding"). I thought that was enough. I have a daycare, and I have found that when a mother starts back to work when the baby is young, she often dries up before a year passes.

Still, the most common recommended time is, I think, about a year, if possible, and not to worry if it doesn't work out that way, but to try.

Personally, I think that when the child is old enough to say "Mommy, I want to nurse", that's when to just cut them off. Really, In some countries it's normal to continue until the child is 6 or even more, but in the US, and I'm sure most "industrialized countries", I think 3 years is about the oldest you should shoot for. There shouldn't be any harm in going that long, I just needed a little independence, and my son did, too.

Oh, and no. The health benefits of breastfeeding do NOT go away once you stop. That's kind of like an immunization. It stays with the baby. They say that if you can only do so for a few weeks, the baby still has fewer ear infections, etc. Again, personal experience, my son almost never gets anything that's "going around". And, come to think of it, I'm a pretty healthy specimen, and I was breastfed.

Answer 10

The benefits last a lifetime. Nursing for as long as you and your child want to nurse is just fine!

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBbenefits.html
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp