When does extended breastfeeding become weird....

rachbc

ikati5 wrote: »

I agree, you could express milk until the end of time I would imagine, send them to work with a flask but to actually latch a toddler on is in my opinion wrong. We have moved on in society in recent years..

Not having a go but genuinely wondered 'wrong' in what way.

I can understand comments about it not being 'neccessary' or whatever but 'wrong'?

Lotus-eater

Mojisola wrote: »

Got to agree with this - the two things aren't mutually exclusive.

They're not, but you have to remember a few things.

Leakage, tenderness, soreness, all things that hinders sexiness while the lady is BF.
Now obviously there is a fetish for this stuff, but most men aren't into it.

rachbc

Lotus-eater wrote: »

They're not, but you have to remember a few things.

Leakage, tenderness, soreness, all things that hinders sexiness while the lady is BF.
Now obviously there is a fetish for this stuff, but most men aren't into it.

yeah but once yo get past the first few weeks you don't get that anyway. When I was just doing a morning and eve my boobs look and felt (from both sides as it were) 'normal'

ikati5

In my opinion, which I accept is not the one shared by the majority of posters is, that it is 'wrong' or perhaps better put, unacceptable and certainly unnecessary to latch a walking talking child to your breast in the name of 'nutrition'. If it is absolutely the only way, then put it in bottle and no one know what they are drinking.

AimeesMum_2

The comments came from a few work colleagues when I had a leaking episode in work - eeeeek! And my uncle when I was over visiting and they had no blue milk so I said I would just nip up to the spare room and feed him myself (much to his horror - "feed him what?!"

I must admit that I couldn't for a second imagine breastfeeding my 3yr old still but my son seems to take a lot of comfort from the breast and I do co-sleep with him from when he wakes during the night - I know this is a routine I'm going to need to knock in the head soon but as a working Mum I am constantly exhausted and I'd do anything for some extra ZzZs at the moment.

Lol @ Playthings though! why can't they be used to provide your child with the best start in life and for your pleasure x

BitterAndTwisted

I'll tell you when I think it becomes weird. When a four year-old child is out playing with their little chums in the garden and rushes back into the house to undo his mother's shirt and suckle in front of house-guest. I nearly fainted

JC9297

AimeesMum wrote: »

The comments came from a few work colleagues when I had a leaking episode in work - eeeeek! And my uncle when I was over visiting and they had no blue milk so I said I would just nip up to the spare room and feed him myself (much to his horror - "feed him what?!"

I must admit that I couldn't for a second imagine breastfeeding my 3yr old still but my son seems to take a lot of comfort from the breast and I do co-sleep with him from when he wakes during the night - I know this is a routine I'm going to need to knock in the head soon but as a working Mum I am constantly exhausted and I'd do anything for some extra ZzZs at the moment.

Lol @ Playthings though! why can't they be used to provide your child with the best start in life and for your pleasure x

What you're doing sounds very similar to me, my boys both dropped down to one feed which became shorter until they eventually petered out.
With my oldest his last feed was at bedtime, he was playing more than feeding and kept biting so I decided not to offer any more and he was fine. My youngest got into bed with us for a morning feed but by about 16 months he weaned himself.

ikati5

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I'll tell you when I think it becomes weird. When a four year-old child is out playing with their little chums in the garden and rushes back into the house to undo his mother's shirt and suckle in front of house-guest. I nearly fainted

My point exactly!!!:eek::eek::eek:

Mia_B_2

In response the original question, "What are your opinions on extended breastfeeding?" I'd say that whatever you and your child feel is right is a good guide. I feel that people should make informed choices in their child's best interests. Do be prepared for society's reaction that - rightly or wrongly - some people do feel uncomfortable when a child (rather than a baby) is breast fed in public. (We'll ignore those who're uncomfortable with a baby being breast fed as the question relates to extended breast feeding :-) )

I'd assume most people feel there must be some limit, unless people genuinely feel that Little Britain's 'Bitty' is actually ok, or didn't bat an eyelid at the linked article of the woman breast feeding her father!

For me, (I breast fed two of my children), I felt that weaning off the breast was appropriate for my babies when weaning onto solids around four months and this was done gradually. At that stage I only breast fed when my babies needed a milk only feed - not mixed with solids. I didn't relish the challenge of breastfeeding alongside mashed carrot ;-) and felt that moving towards a 'meal' was, and should be, different from a 'feed'. I would not have liked to feed them when they began teething either - that's just a personal preference though.

To be honest, I'd start to become uncomfortable with breast feeding past around a year to 18 months. I feel that feeding a baby is very different from feeding a walking, talking toddler and nutritionally it's no longer required.

Please note that these are my opinions for me - as requested - I'm not seeking to be convinced otherwise and I feel that every baby and mum are different, and I respect people's choices. Breast over bottle was more common in my peer group and I did feel pressure to breast feed from the midwives. I happily did things my own way though, and both my babies had a bottle at night from day one to give me a break, allow my husband some time with them and get them used to the different sucking motion required for a bottle so that I was not bound to them, and also had the freedom to continue breast feeding without worrying about having to wean completely should I be away for any period longer than a few hours.

I hope it's useful for you to have other people's opinions :-)

MB

skintchick

Lotus-eater wrote: »

They're not, but you have to remember a few things.

Leakage, tenderness, soreness, all things that hinders sexiness while the lady is BF.
Now obviously there is a fetish for this stuff, but most men aren't into it.

As someone has already said, that's only in the first few weeks/months. Once breastfeeding is established and the milk supply has settled down, there is no leakage, and there shouldn;t be tenderness or soreness anyway, if breastfeeding is going well.

Mia_B wrote: »

I'd assume most people feel there must be some limit, unless people genuinely feel that Little Britain's 'Bitty' is actually ok, or didn't bat an eyelid at the linked article of the woman breast feeding her father!

Obviously Bfing your dad is wrong! VERY wrong. He had a terrible latch too But breastfeeding children (not necessarily your own, it's possible to relactate in order to breastfeed adopted children) is perfectly normal and natural and indeed desirable.

As for 'Bitty', children left to their own devices will naturally wean well before their teens, usually by age 7, often earlier, so there is no need to concern yourself with such ridiculous scenarios. Anyone with any knowledge of natural term breastfeeding knows 'Bitty' is a ludicrous concept dreamt up by a society petrified of the real purpose of breasts and determined to contain women in the role of sex object. I am beginning to think that breastfeeding is a feminist issue...:cool: