Breastfeeding School Age Children..

[Creative]

I know I'll take flak for this, but I think a lot of moms nowadays are a little too obsessed for some reason. It's not healthy. My mom never breastfed at all and I grew up with a super high IQ, athletic talent, I'm attractive, healthy.... I mean, it's not a magic elixir?

 

Ok - attack me....

 

I'll take a shot at this.

 

Who the hell calls themselves super intelligent super attractive super healthy???? I think there's a term for that. Narcissism?

 

But if given the chance, I'd promote breastfeeding. It's healthy for both the mother and the infant. Surprisingly, breastfeeding decrease chances of diabetes in infant as compared to bottlefed. Who wouldn't want to decrease their child's chance of developing diabetes??

[annie24]

PS - my cousin's 10 month old just tried to nurse off the mannequin at a clothing store at the mall. my cousin was mortified. LOL.

[sharsachan]

Wow. Beyond the psychological stuff and the being treated radically different from other children their age, wouldn't it just be painful? I mean once a baby's teeth start coming in isn't that usually a sign that it's time to wean them?

 

teeth have nothing to do with weaning!! some babies get teeth at 3 months old. or some are late, like my son, he is 8 months old and does not have a single tooth.

 

does that mean it's better for him to have breast milk but not a 3 month old? no, not at all.

 

they recommend that until 1 year old, babies' main source of nourishment be either formula or breast milk. many babies themselves chose to wean before a year old and often the parents give them bottles of formula which they take just fine.

 

after a year old, it's not so necessary or needed.

 

and certainly when they are 5 or 6, i think it is odd. i have never seen anyone over two nursing.

[lady00]

teeth have nothing to do with weaning!! some babies get teeth at 3 months old. or some are late, like my son, he is 8 months old and does not have a single tooth.

 

does that mean it's better for him to have breast milk but not a 3 month old? no, not at all.

 

they recommend that until 1 year old, babies' main source of nourishment be either formula or breast milk. many babies themselves chose to wean before a year old and often the parents give them bottles of formula which they take just fine.

 

after a year old, it's not so necessary or needed.

 

and certainly when they are 5 or 6, i think it is odd. i have never seen anyone over two nursing.

 

I was just going off the info that I got after doing a bit of research which is that many women stop breastfeeding around 4-6 months, which is around the time that most babies get their teeth. Maybe this is not ideal timeframe as far as what doctors recommend, but part of this info is according to a news article I found discussing breastfeeding in the UK. "Wean" is probably the wrong word...I meant stop breastfeeding (I would assume then there would be a switch to formula until the child was ready to eat solid food). I can't imagine breastfeeding a child with a full set or even some teeth. From what I've read and from what I can imagine it sounds quite painful.

[Cadence_oO]

I'll take a shot at this.

 

Who the hell calls themselves super intelligent super attractive super healthy???? I think there's a term for that. Narcissism?

 

But if given the chance, I'd promote breastfeeding. It's healthy for both the mother and the infant. Surprisingly, breastfeeding decrease chances of diabetes in infant as compared to bottlefed. Who wouldn't want to decrease their child's chance of developing diabetes??

 

Breastfeeding was really really uncomfortable for me. I don't know if you have children but the first few weeks are so emotional and difficult as much as wonderful.

Problems with breastfeeding or uncomfort while doing it can add so much stress on the mother and I believe even affect the bond between a mother and her child.

 

If I had been forced to breastfeed despite my personal feelings it would make me dread every next feed and I'd be miserable and stressed and my baby would feel it.Our first weeks together wouldn't have been special and peaceful as they were with me bottle feeding and I wouldn't have bonded so wonderfully with my daughter.

 

I am not in any way against breastfeeding,it's a great thing when a mother enjoys it and has no problems but I felt a need to reply to your slightly judgmental tone towards bottle feeding as a choice.

 

Also my weight went down with the snap of finger.

[jcrisph]

I saw a videp of a woman breastfeeding her 8 year old daughter! I find it really strange and have an uneasy feeling about it.

 

The kids don't need the nutritiens from it anymore as they can eat, so I don't see the point. I too think its' more for the mother at this age than for the child.

someone posted the video on another forum..all the girl cried about all day was breast milk and she drew pictures of her moms breasts and how her mom said that her daughters didnt want her wearing a bra because they didn't have like instant access to the breast or something weird like that. i was like you have to be kidding me.

[Hope75]

Color me ignorant, but I wasn't even aware that women could produce enough milk some 3+ years after giving birth.

 

Breast milk is produced on a supply and demand basis. So, once you give birth the hormones necessary to let down the milk are released, and as long as you continue to nurse, your body will continue to produce milk.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it is a bit strange.

[tmp0620]

That's not right. It's not super wrong, biologically, but sociologically it won't work out for the children and it could even be harmful.

[Hope75]

Oh and please keep this about your thoughts or feelings on breastfeeding school age children, it's not a breastfeeding debate.

 

Thanks.

[spinstermanquee]

I never breast fed a child (which is reputed to be great for them) so I'm really not qualified to judge anyone. However, as most folks here I'll give my "opinion" anyway!!

 

I have personally known folks who fed school-aged children breast milk. Although I thought it was a bit odd, they way they approached it seemed balanced. They homeschooled their children. thereforee, they were not thrusting their personal beliefs upon the rest of the system or interfering with their kids' education in any way.

 

If someone wants to avail themselves of the public school system, then it is no longer appropriate to breast feed children, it's time to wean them off and send them out "into the world."

 

Afterthought: If it was an economically-based decision, that would be very weird. Yecch.

[lady00]

I am still having trouble understanding why anyone would do this. Isn't it easier and more straightforward to have school-aged children eating solid food? Not to mention more convenient?

[Hope75]

I am still having trouble understanding why anyone would do this. Isn't it easier and more straightforward to have school-aged children eating solid food? Not to mention more convenient?

 

 

That's what I would think too. I have heard the concept of 'self weaning' but at a certain point I think it's on the mother to wean, and if they don't I can't help but wonder if it's a psychological issue the mother has with letting go of the infancy stage. I mean, you aren't going to leave your child in diapers until they are in 2nd grade, or allow them a bottle when they are 7 years old, so what's the difference?

[BeStrongBeHappy]

I think just about any child psychologist would say this extensively long breast feeding is not healthy for the child, and either a misguided or problematic mother.

 

I had a roommate once who was a schoolteacher, and there was quite a hubbub at her school related to discovering a boy who had all kinds of behavioral problems turned out to be distressed because his mother still expected him to breastfeed at 13 years old! He was acting out, and eventually this was uncovered and the child of course removed from the mother who tried to argue that it was 'natural' for a mother to breastfeed her child, even though the boy was deeply scarred emotionally by the mother's dependence on him and insisting on the breastfeeding when he was beginning to have sexual thoughts.

 

So apparently there are more mothers than people realize who have trouble accepting their child is no longer an infant, and they breastfeed too long for the sake of their own emotional needs, not the child's welfare.

 

there is really no argument for breastfeeding past infancy, as any animal usually rejects their offspring from nursing once the offspring is old enough to eat for itself. So for people to continue to feed their children to advanced ages, i think it is women who too much buy into the 'cult of motherhood' and go overboard in terms of ignoring what is natural and healthy for the child, or they become dependent on the emotional closeness.

 

A child past a couple years old is developing their own sense of autonomy (and should be), and it is a natural time for the child to move off the breast and onto eating like everyone else in the family.

 

My attitude is that if a child is old enough to talk back to you, it is too old to still be on the breast! Its nutritional needs can be met elsewhere, and it needs to learn how to comfort itself in ways other than nursing.

[Hope75]

Mod note:

 

Please stay on topic, this is not a breast vs. bottle debate.

[Amasa]

... So, they just had a whole segment on 20/20 about people breastfeeding all the way up to 8. I guess there was some lady who had CPS investigating her for doing it.

 

Here is the important stuff they said.

That the parents do it as a soothing, calming mechanism for the kids, and of course for bonding. Then there was a psychologist who said that his biggest problem with it was that the children weren't learning how to self sooth.

 

But most interesting to me was they said the Average age that children are weaned world wide is 4. WOW!!!!

[happyforyou]

Breast feeding a school aged child is disgusting and psychologically deranged. If I saw this I would call child services immediately and report it to any and all authorities possible. The fact this is even a discussion is appalling! Children are innocents. This is abuse.

[sidehop]

It's odd indeed yet there are many studies that suggest there's a relationship between higher IQ & children who are breastfed longer than the average babies. W.H.O. even recommends minimum two years for breastfeeding.

 

I watched this video of a UK family whose mother breastfeeds her eight year old daughter. It was odd indeed but hey, it's their life and the mother loves this child right? Who's to say what long term harm could be caused...whether it's emotional, psychological or even social...we can all assume because it's abnormal in most people's eyes but it's intriguing to say the least. I'm sure there are many benefits, not that I would ever push my g/f into doing such thing.

[Cadence_oO]

Breast feeding a school aged child is disgusting and psychologically deranged. If I saw this I would call child services immediately and report it to any and all authorities possible. The fact this is even a discussion is appalling! Children are innocents. This is abuse.

 

This is an over-reaction.

I mean, I find it rather strange but in no way does it constitute as child abuse!