Breast feeding until 3 years old?

Question

my step sister breast fed until she was 3 years old. her father is my step dad and i have never even met her mother. i am pregnant with my first baby and i asked him how long my step sister breast fed for and he said until she was 3 years old! i thought this was discusting... no offence.

he said that she mostly did it before bed to put her to sleep or when she was upset....

how common is this????

Answer 1

Only in the US would people think it was disgusting.  In many cultures it is normal to breastfeed until almost 3-4 yrs of age.  We(I am an American also) Americans are such prudes.  If breastfeeding until 3 is ok with mom, kid and doctor then where are we to say other wise.  Some Americans think that breastfeeding past the first birthday is wrong or even past the 6 month mark.  I say breastfeed until the mom, the kid, and the doctor say to.

Answer 2

I've heard of it occasionally, but not often.. I personally think that it is way too long.. I believe that a child should be weaned off of a bottle or the breast at 1 or at the latest 2 and should then be introduced to cows/goat milk or what ever your preference is in milk choices.. My opinion, I hope it helps.. Congrats!

Answer 3

Nursing past the age of 2 is much more common then most people would guess.  My children were all weened just before or right at 2 but I was willing to nurse till they were done.  Extended nursing has many benefits for both the mother and the child.

Answer 4

Although to some people this may sound a little odd, I have definitely heard of this happening.  I have even heard of one woman breast feeding her daughter until she was 7 years old... That, in my personal opinion, is a little extreme, but, to each their own.  I do know that some of the breast feeding classes encourage you to nurse until at least 1 year if not 2 (at least in my area).  I suppose to each it is a personal choice... hope this helps some!

Answer 5

what do u think women do when they cant go to the store and get milk or the cow they do own has a calf of its own to milk. we were made to feed out kids just like a cow feeds its. cows milk that kind u get from the store god didnt make it for us it was made for cows any way u look at it.a two week old calf can weigh in the 100s of pounds. i see a two month old calf and it weighted close to 300 pounds. that is from all that milk mom is making. i know alot of places that dont care how long their kids nurse they think we are weird for paying for milk when they can lift up their shirt and get it for free and hey they get to lose weight while they nurse too. i breast feed my son for seven and half months. i think it is pretty bad when people think of something so natural as wrong. did u know that when a baby if first born if laid on mom naked  both of them the baby will try to find your breast and start eating. i know also when u sleep with a breast feed baby i know most women sleep top less so baby can eat without waking mom. if u think about it it is easyer. i slept with my son for a while i would of gone top less but i was living back home with family and it was winter not fun so i got woken up alot till we got him a passy to suck on. but i am proud of my self for lasting that long most only last about a week. i had to do just breast milk or just formula he wouldnt take mix some babies will. if u do breast feed make sure u drink alot of water about the same if not more then what u are now. take your body weight and divied that by two and that is how many oz u should have for me i need 67 oz i am 134 pounds that is not pg or breast feeding so u might want to doa little more cause your body is working harder. that is why alot of women who breast feed look so good after ward cause their body is doing so much that is not seen but u do have to eat a little more to make up for your body. also the best tip i can give u is when u have the baby and do breast feed when she or he lackes on starts and it hurts then she or he is not on all the way. i think it hurt me once but that was cause i was so dried out from him nurseing so much the first two days. i had a good nurse when i had my son. she didnt care she would just do it for u if u didnt know. it freaked my husband out but i didnt know how or what to do and it was a great help to me. i was 20 when i had my son he is now a year old this friday. well good luck and breast feed as long as u can.  

Answer 6

breast feeding until 3 is a little crazy now days.  

Answer 7

I stopped nursing my son at a year and half. This was due to the fact that i was pregnant agian, and didn't want to tandum nurse. The longer you nurse, the better it is for the child. There are health bennifits to it, as it increases the immune system. It is common in other parts of the    world to nurse until about age five.  Some Children wont drink cows milk or are allergic to it. This is a better alternative than cows milk as cows milk is not made for human consumption (its made for cows) Human milk on the other hand IS made for human consupmtion.

Personally I would not nurse that long. My son is just two, and i feel that he is old enough to remember things now, and that when he is older, if he can remember sucking on his moms teat, that it might cause some mental issues for him.

Answer 8

The World Health Organization and the Australian Breastfeeding Association both recommend breastfeeding until at least two years of age.  I am still breastfeeding my 14 month old son and he loves the "booby" more than anything in the world! How can something that gives him so much comfort and nutrients be bad for him? I will not be feeding him past 3 years of age but if he still wants a night time feed after he turns 2 then that is his right!

Answer 9

This lady on youtube breastfeeds and her daughter is EIGHT! 8888888888888888!!!! EIGHT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxv6R9fUO...

So i suppose compared to that 3 yrs old isnt bad...lol

Answer 10

It is not that common, but not unheard of.  At that point it is more for the bonding of mother and child because the child no longer needs breastmilk for nutrition.  I personally think that by that time the bonding should progress to another level and that there is no need to breastfeed.

Answer 11

Woah, a little on the strange side but I suppose it's actually better for the kid. Breast milk is so good for children. The powered stuff doesn't even come close to all the nutrients packed in breast milk. But still... three years???  

Answer 12

not     very   common   alot of    women   stop  after six months or  until  the   baby  gets  his\her   1st  tooth

Answer 13

Actually, breastfeeding toddlers is becoming much more common as research is showing us the extended benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfed toddlers have fewer allergies and are sick less often than toddlers who are not breastfed.

Breastfeeding toddlers does NOT mean they they are not drinking cows milk or that they are not eating as much solid food. Most toddlers go to sleep nursing, calm down faster from one of those "terrible two's" tempers  or simply take comfort in the close bond they have with their mothers.

In many countries, breast milk is the main nutritional element in toddler's diets - just because we have other ways of giving them essential vitamins here in the U.S. does not mean that there is anything gross about using the method that has been used for thousands of years. Actually, when you look at it, it is amazing how many more nutrients are packed into breast milk compared to cows milk. And the great thing - breast milk changes as your child gets older to provide optimal nutrition for your growing child.

BTW - I will contend than over 4 years is unnaturally extending a process and I can't stomach reading about those poor children who are 8 and still nursing - that is a problem. But 3 is actually the natural age of weaning.

Not saying that everyone should breastfeed toddlers, but don't judge them on it - it's a great option if you can do it.