Breastfeeding Older Children?

Question

Some people breastfeed their kids until their 3 or older. Why is this? Are there benefits to it? How do people feel about breastfeeding older children?

Answer 1

by cousin was breast fed till 4 years now he has 2 masters in engineering. he is very well adjusted also.  

Answer 2

my opinion would be older kids shouldn't be breastfeed. i didn't breastfeed but my son was off the bottle and formula by 12 months so i would think you would wean a breastfed baby around that same time. Plus by the time they are that old they are supposed to be taking in less milk and more adult foods anyway.

Answer 3

Breastfeeding older children is only beneficial for bonding and nurturing. By 1 year, children get most nutrition through other sources. I am nursing my child-8m. While it is great, by one or so, I will choose another way to bond with her and let her become less dependent on me in that area.

Answer 4

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies be breast fed for the first year of life, better still for the first two years, and extended nursing is also encouraged.

Breast milk is exactly right for human babies, formula doesn't even come close.

Breast milk also contains anti-bodies for diseases and illnesses that the mother has ever had and these are passed on to protect her child as long as she is breast-feeding - that is why breast-fed babies are treated at the doctors and hospitals far less that their bottle fed friends.

What benefit does extended breast feeding have?  Well, it promotes closeness between mother and child and provides the best nutrition and protection from colds, flu, measles, chicken pox, german measles etc, so pick which benifit you like - there are so many of them.

EDIT: Why thumbs down - is this all news to you people?

Answer 5

I'm a huge fan of breast feeding, but i think there is NO reason to nurse an older child (3 +) unless you live in an impoverished country and have no access to food & clean water.  It's not good for them physically, emotionally or mentally.  

Answer 6

OMFGZZZZZZZ THAT IS JUST REVOLTING

HOW COULD SOMEONE BREASTFEED A CHILD WHO IS ALMOST IN SCHOOL??? LORDY...ILL PRAY FOR THEM...I PROMISE LORD

Answer 7

I think its weird and kinda gross.

Answer 8

Actually that is natural, and many people from different parts of the world do it. I'l give you some links wait up.

look at this video from youtube (breast feeding toddlers), there is a TON of information on this on the side information thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHgZn8OXA...

and its not like they only breast feed, they eat normal food but the breast milk is just supplement.

--------------------------------------...

COPIED AND PASTED INFORMATION FROM THE SIDE INFORMATION FROM THE YOUTUBE VIDEO, If you dont want to watch.

Added: January 29, 2008 (Less info)

Babies breastfeed, and if they are very lucky, in the West, they are allowed to follow their biological norm and breastfeed into toddlerhood.

There is no 'natural' time to fully wean an infant, and thus refuse it your breast. All infants give up breastfeeding themselves, when they have finished with it, and move on. This usually occurs sometime between their 3rd and 4th birthday, but many leave the breast earlier, some leave the breast later.

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean...

Culture, and how we live our lives, usually interferes with the infant's decision, and imposes a 'set' time on the activity. This can be from as early as 6 weeks!

Jesus, as part of his own culture, was probably breastfeeding until he was 3 years old, and then there would have been a weaning party, for everyone in the community to celebrate his growing into another phase of his life.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t026...

3 years is a common 'set time' for many cultures, as it appears to give the child as much support and comfort and brain building milk as it needs, and then returns the mother to fertility for another child once those needs have been met.

The Koran asks that every mother allow their baby to breastfeed for at least 2 years.

The West (where sexual ownership of the female's body has deemed that b*****s are first and foremost sexual, as opposed to how you feed babies) is the most severe in repressing breastfeeding toddlers. Such is the confusion and anxiety about b*****s, there are ingrained attitudes that even newborn babies breastfeeding is actually an imposition on the sexual nature of the breast! Some areas of countries such as the USA, demands that male babies are weaned from the breast faster than female ones, as the sexual nature of the breast somehow threatens the father, the mother, and the baby.

This flies in the face of all the scientific, and social, research into the issue. Time and again, the benefits of normal term nursing - allowing the baby to continue to breastfeed as it chooses to - are shown in study after study. With a safe and secure, comforting and loving physical environment from which to view the painful and confusing world that is toddlerhood, the toddler still having access to the breast is more secure, more resilient, more confident and more independent than those forcibly weaned before their time. And still benefittng greatly from the unique nutrition that builds their brains and bones and blood perfectly.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended...

Mothers benefit too, with protection from breast cancer etc, lost to the mother who has weaned, increasing her risk of such illness. Oxytocin from the breastfeeding biology, floods both mother and child with contentment, and helps both overcome the stresses of toddlerhood.

Therefore, the children least likely to benefit from the astounding brain building abilities of human milk, and the ones most in need of developing emotional resilience, are the 'most privileged' on the face of the planet. The cultures with so much, often give their infants too little.

The joy you can see on this 2 year old's face, says it all, really. Her world is overflowing with the milk of human kindness.

http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/...

The World Health Organisation recommends that all babies are allowed to receive only breastmilk for the first six months of their lives, and then to be allowed to breastfeed for a minimum of two years. Thereafter, breastfeeding should continue for as long as mother and child mutually desire.

http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-h...

The contradictions and confusions in the West are so extreme, that a mother allowing her toddler to breastfeed, can be viewed as abnormal, when she lives in a culture that uses images of b*****s, to sell cars. Go figure.

http://one-of-those-women.blogspot.co...

Few mothers start their journey with their breastfeeding babies, with the intent to keep going past 2 years of age. Most fall into just putting off the decision on giving up on something so worthwhile, and so important to their child. Pressure from others can be unbearable and some mothers wean to stop the criticism...

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/criticism....

http://touchinglynaive.wordpress.com/...

... but mostly, the attitude normal term nursing mothers take is.. if it ain't broke, it don't need fixed.

http://www.babble.com/content/article...

You can post photos of your own breastfeeding toddler, at

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...

and there is a wonderful compilation video of breastfeeding children on:

Answer 9

Why do people breastfeed older children?

Breastfeeding an "older" child is normal and natural.  The anthropological age of weaning is between 2.5-7 years, with the average being about 4 years.

Benefits:  

Antibodies.  Breastmilk is a living substance, containing antibodies that help to fight off infection and disease.  The mother continually produces them in response the pathogens she's exposed to, and they pass through her milk.  In fact, the concentration of some antibodies INCREASES the longer nursing lasts.  Children weaned before the age of two are at a significant increased risk of illness.  The immunity system of a child does not resemble that of an adult until around the age of 5/6 years.

Long-term breastfeeding helps to prevent allergies and asthma by helping the gut to fully mature, and providing anti-inflammatories.

The longer a child is breastfed, the greater the cognitive gains.  (ie.  The longer a child has been breastfed, the higher their IQs).

Extended nursers are BETTER adjusted socially:

"Studies that dealt specifically with babies nursed longer than a year showed a significant link between the duration of nursing and mothers' and teachers' ratings of social adjustment in six- to eight-year-old children (Ferguson et al, 1987). In the words of the researchers, 'There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.'"  Many posit that this is because they knew their needs would be met, and they weren't unnaturally pushed to "grow up",  and this confidence allowed them to achieve social maturity and independence.

Breastfeeding may help PREVENT cavities - breastmilk contains lactoferrin, which kills strep mutans (the bacteria that causes tooth decay).

It also benefits the mom:

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancer - the longer one breastfeeds, the lesser the risk.

Breastfeeding helps prevent osteoporosis.  Again, the longer you breastfeed, the lesser the risk.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and decreases insulin requirements in diabetic mothers.

I've got no problem with people breastfeeding their older children.  Kudos to them.  Why would I want someone to compromise their child's physical and emotional health because some people can't get beyond, "OMG!! That's a BREAST!  Being used for its NATURAL purpose!!  They can't be FUNCTIONAL!!!  b*****s are only for men to play with!!!"

BTW, in most parts of the world, no one bats an eye at a breastfeeding toddler or pre-schooler, even in *gasp* public.

ETA:  I love how FACTS get the thumbs down when they override the Western world's infantile objectification of b*****s.  A woman can walk around in a bikini or a little tank top that hides absolutely nothing, but God forbid a woman actually feed her child with those same b*****s.  Oh, the horror!

Answer 10

I think its ridiculous and its unnecessary. A mother who breastfeeds a 2 or 3 year old is just asking for that child to have mental/separation issues. They are not doing their child any favors when they breastfeed them that long.  

Answer 11

Breastfeed your 18 year old kid and ask the benefits.