why extended breastfeeding?

Question

I am aware that many moms here are proponents of extended breastfeeding, and I was wondering why. I'm not challenging or criticizing or anything, I'm just wondering about personal experience and beliefs. Do you breastfeed longer because of health benefits, because it is what the child wants, because it is what you want, because your child isn't eating enough in other areas, etc.

I'm excited to see your answers so that I can better understand this.

Also, how do you define 'extended'? At what point does just plain 'breastfeeding' become 'extended'?

Answer 1

I breastfead all of my three children for 16 months. I did it because I know for a fact that no baby formula has the exact ingrediants that breast milk has. The benefits of breast milk exceeds the man made formula. Why pay for the milk when you can produce it for free. It's not only good for the baby but also beneficial for the mom as well. In the sense that breastfeeding moms have a lower risk for getting breast cancer. On top of this when a mommy is breast feeding her baby the body produces some kind of hormone that relaxes and puts the mommy in a happy well being state of mind. Not only is it convinient and encouraging the bond between mommy and baby but also gives baby less gases and spit ups. I EXTENDED breastfeeding up to 16 months because cows milk is not allowed under the age of 12 months (alergy reasons). I could have stopped at 12 months but I really enjoyed feeding my baby and cuddling with him. I never hurt or had problems. I enjoyed connecting with my babies eyes and watching him fall asleep in my arms. As my babies got older feedings never took longer than 5 to ten minutes to empty both breast. They fell asleep fast and all I did was rest laying down on couch relaxing as both hands were free to read or watch tv. I also loved the fact that My babies hardly got sick because of my imunities. And if they did, I was content that my babies were getting hydrated with my milk which they never spit up unless they had the stomach flue. If they had a fever they never stopped drinking my milk.

Answer 2

Extended breastfeeding is considered anything beyond 1 yr old in American society, anyway. Moms do it for a variety of reasons, mainly because of the health benefits, both to mother and baby. Breastmilk doesn't just magically lose its nutritional value the minute the baby turns a year old....(or starts talking, or gets teeth, or the multitude of other reasons people give for thinking that babies should be weaned.....) Breastmilk actually changes in composition to meet the nutritional needs of the child. That means that YOUR breastmilk is different when YOUR baby is a newborn than it is when YOUR baby is a toddler.

Here's a great link with info on extended nursing.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Answer 3

extended breastfeeding..i don't think that's really a good way of putting it. in other countries there are 7 year old who are still breastfed. it's an excellant source of food and a great way to bond.
my son is 16 months old and still breastfeeds a couple times a day. he loves it, i love it, we're all happy and i'm not going to force him to wean even though we are trying to get pregnant. He's never been sick a day in his life and it's really a great way for me to take some time out to lay down and get some rest so I can recharge for the rest of the day!
It's all been a great experience for us so I say whatever the mother and baby is happy and comfortable with is the way it should be done!

Answer 4

I'm for extended breastfeeding for a lot of reasons. First and foremost it is the best nutrition that I can give my son. The rest are really superficial, he's happy and I'm happy. Plus it's a food that's always available, which is nice.
I think "extended" breastfeeding is anything past a year, but I'm not sure.

Answer 5

I agree that it probably shouldn't be called 'extended' breastfeeding - that implies it is something other than normal. I simply nursed my daughter until she no longer needed to nurse. There are health and nutritional benefits to breastfeeding, and those benefits are dose-related, meaning the longer the child receives breast milk, the better. Babies and children also nurse for comfort and closeness. It's been my experience that an upset child who is allowed the comfort of the breast recovers quicker and is generally more resilient.

Answer 6

Well, with my sis, she breastfeeds her 1 year old twins still, not just because it's good for building up immunities but also because the twins demand it sometimes. they like it and she enjoys the bonding as well. She said she will keep breastfeeding until they can fall asleep without it.

Breastfeeding is considered extended if you do it for more than a year.

Answer 7

There are many reasons why I am still breastfeeding my 14 month old daughter. She LOVES it, for one thing. Talk about comfort food!! To those who would say it's weird that she likes it, wouldn't you? Who would choose a cold hard bottle over soft, warm flesh? It's like telling a man to have sex with a blow-up doll instead of a living woman.
She is way healthy too. She didn't get sick until she was 9 months, and has only been ill twice in total.
She also eats plenty of solid foods; in fact there's not really anything she turns down! Her nursing has tapered accordingly; it's not like she's nursing as much as when she was a few months old.
I enjoy bonding with her when we nurse. It's our quiet time and it brings tears to my eyes when she pats me and says Mama. We are so attached. But not in an unhealthy, co-dependent way. She runs around at church with all the kids, and doesn't even cry when we leave. She also reaches out to almost anyone to hold her! She is also secure enough not to be nursed to sleep. I am so proud of her!
Breastmilk is so miraculous. It has been proven to change in composition as your baby grows, providing their new nutritional needs perfectly.
It's our culture that labels nursing past 6 months or a year "extended." The worldwide norm for weaning is 2-3 years old. Most kids quit when they've had enough anyway.

Answer 8

Extended beyond what? Longer than what?

Breastfeeding varies among different societies, work situations and individuals. It is healthy and enjoyable and safe and free. There comes a point in time when either mom or baby decides its time to wean, and then weaning happens. Sometimes this is determined by societal expectations, and sometimes it isn't.

Answer 9

Why not?

"Extended" nursing is generally referred to as nursing beyond the first year. I think that's a pretty arbirtrary guideline. At a year old nursing was still working well for us, and I saw no reason to quit. We'll nurse until it doesn't work for our family anymore, or when my son decides he's done.

Answer 10

With my daughter I breastfeed until she was 3 years old. It was comforting to her, a time to bond with me and there are certainly health benefits for breastfeeding. I did make a mistake though and would breastfeed her until she fell asleep. It did make it harder for her to learn how to fall asleep on her own.I am now pregnant with my son but do not have a "plan" on how long to breastfeed. When we are both ready to stop, we will. And I will stop our breastfeeding sessions BEFORE he falls asleep :P