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foreversomeday

catkins wrote: »

Do they really think it is ok for a 3 year old to breastfeed at all let alone every 3 hours? What would happen when she started school? Again just laziness.

It might surprise you to learn that "extended breastfeeding" isn't actually harmful at all - it's if the relationship between mother and child becomes a power struggle that it can cause a problem, I think the media just like portraying unusual lifestyles as a freak show. I do however think every 3 hours might not be the best way to do it, as you say it would be difficult shen she started school to suddenly stop. I didn't see the programme though.

If you're interested here are some links with more information.

Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Breastfeed a Toddler... Why on Earth?
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/21bf_toddler.html

I can't find the WHO information but I know that they recommend breastfeeding exclusively for at least 6 months and they recommend breast milk be fed in addition to other foods for at least 2 years. The biological age when most children would stop breastfeeding completely is around 7 years when the jaw changes shape to make way for adult teeth.

mrcow

foreversomeday wrote: »

I think the media just like portraying unusual lifestyles as a freak show.

In fairness though, a mother who slaps her 5 year old and a 5 year old who retaliates by saying "I wish you were effing dead" is pretty much a freak show by most normal people's standards. The barrel that the three year old had her mother over with the breastfeeding was just garnish.

sooz

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

One caution - my 3 year old says a couple of things which make old ladies drop their shopping.

Firstly, we are working hard on manners, and he always says please / thank you as appropriate, now.

But he has a lot of trouble saying "th", so "thank you" unfortunately sounds a dead ringer for an invitation to go forth and multiply.

His other one is "clock". He misses out the "l" when saying it. OH got dressed in an incredible hurry when we went swimming last week, and Isaac pointed at a wall timepiece in the men's changing room and yelled "Look! !!!!!"

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Mine used to say exactly the same things at 3 years old. We'd practice the letter L over and over at home, as I was SO embarrassed

He'd mastered both by the time he started school.

foreversomeday

mrcow wrote: »

In fairness though, a mother who slaps her 5 year old and a 5 year old who retaliates by saying "I wish you were effing dead" is pretty much a freak show by most normal people's standards. The barrel that the three year old had her mother over with the breastfeeding was just garnish.

To be fair the family did sound as though they had problems, I just think it's a bit of a typical media attitude to lump a 3 year old who is still bfeeding in as one of those problems as in some other households, it's not a problem at all.

Becles

It wasn't the fact that the little one was breastfeeding. It was the fact that the little girl was using the breastfeeding as a power hold over the mother.

The girl was feeding up to 10 times a day or every 2-3 hours, even during the night. Mam was knackered as she's never had a full nights sleep for three years. Dad was knackered as Mam and the girl slept in the double bed due to the breast feeding and he was sleeping on the floor in the boys bedroom.

The girl was very dependant on the mother and the mother couldn't go anywhere without her. Breaking the breast feeding cycle saw her develop a much closer relationship with her Dad and he seemed to love it when she played with him more and asked his help with things once she stopped the feeding.

The girl also used the feeding when she didn't want to do things - like she demanded a breast feed when she didn't want to go in the car, didn't want to go to bed etc. In those situations, she was just using it to get out of doing the stuff she didn't want to do as she knew her mother gave in as soon as she asked for the breast.

neverdespairgirl

catkins wrote: »

Do they really think it is ok for a 3 year old to breastfeed at all let alone every 3 hours? What would happen when she started school? Again just laziness.

Nothing wrong with extended breastfeeding per se - in this case, it sounds extreme, but in and of itself, it's very good for a toddler.