This is a pretty weird question, I am breastfeeding my newborn and my two year old wants mommys milk too.?

Question

My 23 month old,(be two in 2 weeks) sucks the milk droplets off of the breast pump after I get done pumping. I know this sounds really strange...is it safe to pump and give him some in a cup...I know I can't believe I am even considering this. I know breast milk is awesome, but should he just be drinking cows milk. Oh, he stopped getting breastfed at 10 months of age.

Answer 1

Totally normal for toddlers to be interested in what the baby is eating.  My daughter also has tried out the booby after my son was eating.  It certainly can't hurt.  In most countries children are breastfed for 3-4 years average, so having breastmilk at 2 is no problem at all.  Some people even continue nursing a toddler after a new baby is born.  She is just doing it out of curiosity, eventually the interest will fade and she'll have moved on to something else  :)

Answer 2

No he should be drinking human milk, cow's milk is for cows.  The natural age of weaning for a human is between age 2-4 years.  Please try to overcome your cultural conditioning and look at this logically instead -how can your own milk be good for your baby and bad for your toddler?

Breastmilk is also being used to treat many adult health problems.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/new...

What if your older child asks to nurse?

It's pretty common for a toddler, or even an older child, to ask to nurse at some point after the new baby arrives. Many just want to know whether mom will say yes - they may also want to be held like a baby or "babied" in other ways. If given the opportunity to nurse, most children will simply touch or kiss the breast, giggle, and go play. Some moms prefer not to offer, but might offer breastmilk in a cup to taste, or simply distract the child with another activity. See What if a "weaned" child asks to nurse again? for more on the subject.

http://www.kellymom.com/pantley/pantley1...

If you are breastfeeding and your older child has been weaned, she may express fascination with your breast milk. Consider letting her have a taste of your milk (on a spoon or in a cup, if you’re more comfortable with that) so she doesn’t feel excluded from some mysterious ritual or culinary treat. It certainly won’t hurt her, and one taste will be enough to convince her that she much prefers her ‘big girl’ glass of chocolate milk.

http://www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/excer...

What if a "weaned" child asks to nurse again?

"Mommy, can I have some num-num?" These unexpected overtures can happen weeks or months after the child weaned; classic triggers are the return of milk in late pregnancy or the birth of the baby-but requests can come months down the line. This renewed interest can mean many things: perhaps a breastfeeding problem has been resolved and so the nursing strike is over, perhaps the child is having second thoughts about weaning, or perhaps the child is just curious ("What does it taste like?" or "Will mama say yes?"). Mothers wonder whether giving a positive response will result in just a taste - or un-weaning.

Sometimes children forget how to latch on and actually get milk. The longer it's been since the child nursed, the more likely this is, but be aware that some children can go several months without nursing and get it right the first time, and others rediscover how to suck after several practice sessions.

Sometimes a child not only gets milk, but enjoys the experience, and prepares to move right back in. Sometimes even after a happy nursing hiatus of weeks or months, if you refuse your child's requests to nurse, you may be surprised to find that your child reacts as if you are initiating weaning cold turkey. Now what? Of course, requests to renew nursing tend to come as a surprise; so you may have to scramble to come up with any response at all. When possible, it's worth considering how you feel about the prospect of renewed nursing in advance. Some mothers are happy for the return to breastfeeding the older child.

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

In societies where children are allowed to nurse "as long as they want" they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between 3 and 4 years of age. This interest also stemmed from the realization that other animals have "natural" ages of weaning, around 8 weeks for dogs, 8-12 months for horses, etc. Presumably these animals don't have cultural beliefs about when it would be appropriate.

American Academy of Family Physicians

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/polic...

If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help to provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.61

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

Nursing a toddler is NORMAL

    * The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... 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." (AAP 2005)

    *  A US Surgeon General has stated that it is a lucky baby who continues to nurse until age two. (Novello 1990)

    * The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of nursing up to two years of age or beyond (WHO 1992, WHO 2002).

    * Scientific research by Katherine A. Dettwyler, PhD shows that 2.5 to 7.0 years of nursing is what our children have been designed to expect (Dettwyler 1995).

Milk therapy: breast-milk compounds could be a tonic for adult ills

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1...

Answer 3

Momma's milk is good for babies of any age. Your milk is good for little humans, cows milk is good for little cows. I say go for it.

Answer 4

Yes!  I did it with my 2 year old.  He LOVES breastmilk.  Whenever he sees me pumping, he brings a cup over for me to fill up for him.  Do it!  It's not weird at all :)

Answer 5

Yes!  If you don't want it to be an everyday occurence, I'd only give it to him once in a while. I know how kids at his age can be, and if you give it to him once without conditions ("just this one time" or "only if there's extra"), he'll want it every time!

As for safety, many mothers in countries around the world breastfeed their kids for years. It's safer than anything else you could give him, and healthier, too!

Answer 6

There's nothing weird about that at all.  My two year old plans to start nursing again after the baby is born.  Why should your son need cow's milk?  He's not a calf, so he's perfectly fine without it.  As a baby human, he needs human milk, but we substitute cow's milk because our culture frowns upon nursing toddlers.  For the record, most of the world thinks that's really cruel, but it won't change in a day.

Pump and give your milk to your toddler in a cup, or let him nurse directly at the breast.  He won't remember what to do, and he probably won't ask again, but just do what you're comfortable with.  There are more women out there nursing two kids at once than you know.  Most of us just don't talk about it.

Answer 7

It's fine to give him some breast milk *if* you feel okay with it. It's still good for him. But if you don't want to, then explain to him that it's for the baby. A poster said to set boundaries, but those boundaries are up to *you* and in this case either choice is okay.  

Answer 8

i think its perfectly normal and cows milk is so full of antibiotics and pestecides or something like that so i think its actually great!! give him breastmilk in the cup and as much as he wants,hes probably feeling a little left out aswell!! so its only normal and he could be wanting something alot worse lol!! good luck! my friend was breastfed til he was 4 and he was feeding at the same time as his new baby brother,not weird at all,i think its so cute!

Answer 9

you should pump some into a carton and and refrigerate it. my husband loves it in his cereal!!!

Answer 10

Your milk is a whole lot better for him then cow's milk, why not give him some?

It's the best thing for him and the longer he gets it, the more benefits he gets from it.

Answer 11

I had 2 kids 1 year apart. I stopped breast feeding them each at 2 years. I had both of them latched on to each t*t. lol. I don't think its a big deal. I think kids know when they are ready to give it up. My kids are pretty healthy.

Answer 12

To me, it's funny that you are talking of giving him another specie's milk being the right way to go, but finding it weird to give him his own specie's milk. Not badgering you, but complaining about how society is and the fact that it has made you feel weird to do such a natural act, when breastfeeding should continue for at least 2 years (according to the WHO), but even longer according to nature's plan (as found by research http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.ht... As for it being weird....never! Human milk tastes ten times better than cow's milk, not to mention when a new baby is drinking it and the child not remembering because they weaned so young, of course they will be curious! My daughter did the same thing, except she asked for some in a cup (she also weaned at 10 months because we had many issues). As long as I could pump extra, my daughter got some, which made me feel better since I felt guilty of not still breastfeeding her and giving her c**p formula! As of right now, my son is very attached to me, and though he is nursing, but slowly weaning due to pregnancy, I can see him re-latching once baby comes, because he will be both annoyed by baby's presence as well as find the milk tastes good again. I will not deny him as it will still hold nutritional value and be good for keeping sibling rivalry at bay as best I can! There's no problem with your son drinking momma's milk, so let him, and don't worry about what others say!

Answer 13

Its definitely not a weird question!

Children are naturally designed to drink breastmilk until about age 5-6, whenever the lose their 'milk teeth' and begin to grow in their adult set of teeth.

The only reason you (or any other mother) would feel strange is because of this society's unnatural fixation on sexuality and perversion. Somehow many people in our culture are so hung up on breastfeeding and tend to see it in a perverse way, instead of nature's perfect food and nourishment for our children.

Mothers who breastfeed nearly NEVER see breastfeeding in such a twisted way. Instead, most of us find such comfort and confidence in being so close to our babies and watching them grow from OUR efforts alone -- and NOT some artificial source like formula or cow's milk.

Its beautiful and COMPLETELY legal to breastfeed our children as long as we and they so like. All children will eventually grow beyond the desire to feed on our b*****s, but while they need our nourishment (or request it, as your oldest child did) then its perfectly fine and healthy to feed them!

Don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise! Be strong and follow nature.. if you are personally comfortable with the idea then forget what other people may say against it,

Answer 14

Just say NO!  Explain that it is just for new babies & he is a big boy, now.  Of course it is safe.  Just remember that you are the parent & they are the children.  You are in charge of them, not the other way around.  It is natural for kids to be curious, but they have to have set boundaries.  It would be very hard on you to breast feed 2 of them!  

Good luck - you are a good Mom!

Answer 15

Its not strange at all but perfectly fine and natural and if anything its better for him than cows milk and a lot of the juices you can get are so full of sugar. He knows what is good for him, bless. I am still feeding my 2 year old and I will carry on for a little while yet.

Answer 16

It's not weird at all!  As others said, it's a very normal reaction to seeing his sibling nursing.  My daughter is 22 months and breastfeeds.  :)

Human milk always trumps cow's milk, so go for it!!