How long should I breastfeed?

Question

How old is too old?

Answer 1

It is recommended by most health organizations that you exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of your baby's life, and have your baby's main source of nutrition be breastmilk for the first year of their life. After one year, you can continue to breastfeed for as long as mutually desired between you and the child. But some health organizations recommend that you breastfeed for at least 2 years.

Anyways, you can breastfeed for as long as you and your child are both comfortable with it and want to.

Answer 2

I think it's important to breastfeed for at least a year. After that for as long as you like. I'm not sure if there is a 'too old' age. I had many people around me act like nursing a 9mth old was already too much... whatever. I breastfed until my girl was 13mths, which seemed a great time for us, but I regret to not have continued a bit longer. I gave in to peer pressure as it was really getting me down to constantly hear the comments. You'll miss it when it's over.

Answer 3

"A mother and her baby should breastfeed for as long as they wish to breastfeed. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently (2005) recommends: "Pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child." * As solids are introduced, usually around the middle of the first year, your baby will shift his primary source of nutrition from your milk to other foods.

All the benefits of human milk—including nutritional and health—continue for as long as your baby receives your milk. In fact, as your baby takes less human milk, these advantages are condensed into what milk is produced. Many of the health benefits of human milk are dose related, that is, the longer the baby receives human milk, the greater are the benefits. "

Answer 4

as long as you want to- when i first started nursing or got pregnant i only thoguht i would nurse for 6 montsh until someone asked me why only 6 mo? i said to myself yeah why that doesnt make sence? then i said til a year, now i say i might go longer. after all my son doesnt turn into a baby cow on his first birthday and breastmilk is much healthier than cows milk- even if i need to pump it. for me 4-5 years is too old but if it works for some else then i have no problem with it. i dont understand why people think human milk is gross but a dirty cow's breastmilk is not?

Answer 5

You should Breastfeed for at least 6 months, preferably the first year. And continue after that as long as you and baby want to.

Oh and I think any time after 3 is weird!! And I personally wouldn't BF after 2.

Answer 6

Until you want to stop. Forget what other people think your baby, your milk. You could also pump your milk so that the baby could have breast milk longer.

Answer 7

you or the baby? if the baby at least till 11/2 .if you at maybe 35.

Answer 8

The American Academy of Family Physicans, World Health Organization, Health Canada, etc, etc all say "at least TWO years and as long as is mutually desirable". And the American Academy of Family Physicians says there is no evidence of psychological harm from nursing past age 3. Your doc should belong to the AAP or AAFP if you live in the US.

Every year you breastfeed also reduces YOUR risk of reproductive and breast cancers.

I am nursing a 21 month old and a 1 month old -they will wean when THEY decide.



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

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496
There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detsleepthrough.html
Human children are also designed to have breast milk be a part of their diet for a minimum of 2.5 years, with many indicators pointing to 6-7 years as the true physiological duration of breastfeeding -- regardless of what your cultural beliefs may be.

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html
Some of the results are as follows:

1. In a group of 21 species of non-human primates (monkeys and apes) studied by Holly Smith, she found that the offspring were weaned at the same time they were getting their first permanent molars. In humans, that would be: 5.5-6.0 years.

2. It has been common for pediatricians to claim that length of gestation is approximately equal to length of nursing in many species, suggesting a weaning age of 9 months for humans. However, this relationship turns out to be affected by how large the adult animals are -- the larger the adults, the longer the length of breastfeeding relative to gestation. For chimpanzees and gorillas, the two primates closest in size to humans and also the most closely genetically related, the relationship is 6 to 1. That is to say, they nurse their offspring for SIX times the length of gestation (actually 6.1 for chimps and 6.4 for gorillas, with humans mid-way in size between these two). In humans, that would be: 4.5 years of nursing (six times the 9 months of gestation).

3. It has been common for pediatricians to claim that most mammals wean their offspring when they have tripled their birth weight, suggesting a weaning age of 1 year in humans. Again though, this is affected by body weight, with larger mammals nursing their offspring until they have quadrupled their birth weight. In humans, quadrupling of birth weight occurs between 2.5 and 3.5 years, usually.

4. One study of primates showed that the offspring were weaned when they had reached about 1/3 their adult weight. This happens in humans at about 5-7 years.

5. A comparison of weaning age and sexual maturity in non-human primates suggests a weaning age of 6-7 for humans (about half-way to reproductive maturity).

6. Studies have shown that a child's immune system doesn't completely mature until about 6 years of age, and it is well established that breast milk helps develop the immune system and augment it with maternal antibodies as long as breast milk is produced (up to two years, no studies have been done on breast milk composition after two years post partum).

And on and on. The minimum predicted age for a natural age of weaning in humans is 2.5 years, with a maximum of 7.0 years.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/prepare/bf-benefits.html#statements
American Dietetic Association Position Statement: Breaking the barriers to breastfeeding
"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that broad-based efforts are needed to break the barriers to breastfeeding initiation and duration. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and breastfeeding with complementary foods for at least 12 months is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Increases in initiation and duration are needed to realize the health, nutritional, immunological, psychological, economical, and environmental benefits of breastfeeding."

American College of Nurse-Midwives: Breastfeeding Position Statement

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). Position Statement on Breastfeeding (March 2001)

Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). Breastfeeding support: prenatal care through the first year. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Washington (DC): Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN); January 2000.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Breastfeeding: Maternal and Infant Aspects. ACOG educational bulletin Number 258, July 2000.

United States Breastfeeding Policy: US Department of Health & Human Services
The Blueprint for Action introduces an action plan for breastfeeding based on education, training, awareness, support and research that supports the Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding goals: to increase to 75% the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period, to increase to 50% the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies through 5 to 6 months of age, and for 25% of mothers to breastfeed their babies through the end of 1 year.

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
From the "Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia incorporating the
Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers" (10 April 2003): "In Australia, it is recommended that as many infants as possible be exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age. It is further recommended that mothers then continue breastfeeding until 12 months of age—and beyond if both mother and infant wish." "In many societies breastfeeding continues well beyond the age of 12 months, with benefit to both infant and mother."

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: Breastfeeding Position Statement
(endorsed on 9–10 December 2000 and formally published on 7 February 2001)
"GPs encourage exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and then gradual introduction of suitable foods. Breastfeeding may continue as long as the mother and child wish to continue, and weaning should be gradual."

2004 Health Canada Recommendation on Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration
"Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life for healthy term infants, as breast milk is the best food for optimal growth. Infants should be introduced to nutrient-rich, solid foods with particular attention to iron at six months with continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond."

Breastfeeding Committee for Canada: Breastfeeding Position Statement
"Breastfeeding exclusively to the age of about six months then continuing breastfeeding and complementary foods for up to two years of age or beyond is the optimal method for feeding infants and young children."

The World Health Organization (WHO)
"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. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production."

UNICEF
"The aim is to create an environment globally that empowers women to begin skin-to-skin with her baby and breastfeed after birth, to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and to continue to breastfeed for two years or more with age appropriate, responsive complementary feeding."

Address of Pope John Paul II on Breastfeeding. Given on Friday, May 12, 1995 to the the participants in a study session on breast-feeding, science and society organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society [of Great Britain].

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