When does extended breastfeeding become weird....

shirlgirl2004

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Because we were asked our opinion...... maybe?


OMG, I'm just thinking about my OH BF our 2 yr old DS now. Sends me into shivers. That's not right. (imho)

But you don't mind putting the breast milk of a cow on your cereal or in your tea?

How sad that as humans we are detaching ourselves from what nature intended.

Gillyx

I don't think you can compare adults and children with milk. If I was putting my mums breast milk into my tea or cereal at the age I am now, I think there would be some questions asked.

RubySewSew

It seems pertinent to remind people to speak with kindness for none of us are in a position to judge somebody else. We can all agree that the decision to breastfeed is personal as is the decision to stop. What we each find acceptable is opinion and nothing more and should be offered up with kindness and love or not offered at all. If we want to be helpful perhaps we should keep the discussion factual and ensure that we have researched and referenced our information. Mis-information is so harmful to what is already a delicate relationship.

To clarify, both the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health recommend that breastmilk should be included in a child's diet for a minimum of 2 years. This is to ensure maximum health benefit to mother and child (as I detailed previously). There is no upper age limit at which it stops being beneficial but the child will naturally wean by 8 at the very latest (although this is unusual in our country) due to physiological changes. As only 1% of babies reach even the 6 month target I think we should be applauding all mother's who breastfeed their babies whatever the age and be grateful for the strain that they are taking off the NHS both now and in the future. We should also concentrate on giving our support to ALL mothers irrespective of feeding method as they do the most difficult job in the world and they are all under rated.

A fantastic quote displayed in my GP's surgery 'Be kinder than necessary because we do not know the battles that someone else may face'.

shirlgirl2004

Gillyx wrote: »

I don't think you can compare adults and children with milk. If I was putting my mums breast milk into my tea or cereal at the age I am now, I think there would be some questions asked.

Breast milk has benefits for all age groups but I agree I wouldn't want it on my cereal either. Ok the PP has a 2 year old that probably drinks the breast milk of another species. How can that be normal except in the warped society we live in?

RubySewSew

Oh, and sorry, completely geeking out here, but asking for the breast is the very 1st thing a baby will ask for and that will be within moments of birth. They are powerful biological and social little creatures!

Lotus-eater

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

But you don't mind putting the breast milk of a cow on your cereal or in your tea?

How sad that as humans we are detaching ourselves from what nature intended.

I'm a pretty back to nature guy

But it's just what you are used to, isn't it? We're used to cows milk and not used to seeing toddlers hanging off women's teats.

Men are often strange about it anyway. I felt undeniably jealous that my play things were being used for my kids, when they were breast fed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.

Gillyx

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

Breast milk has benefits for all age groups but I agree I wouldn't want it on my cereal either. Ok the PP has a 2 year old that probably drinks the breast milk of another species. How can that be normal except in the warped society we live in?

I've already had my 2 pence worth in this thread, I really don't care what people do in the privacy of there own home, and I intend to breast feed my baby for as long as possible when he arrives, but I don't think sitting in a restaurant and watching say a 5 year old (who could quite comfortably order off the menu and choose what he wants to eat) breast feed is normal. I understand if it's for "comfort" etc and that's fine, but is there a need for it in public at dinner time?

shirlgirl2004

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I'm a pretty back to nature guy

But it's just what you are used to, isn't it? We're used to cows milk and not used to seeing toddlers hanging off women's teats.

Men are often strange about it anyway. I felt undeniably jealous that my play things were being used for my kids, when they were breast fed. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.

I agree it is about what we are used to seeing. I guess I'm just trying to get people to think of the logic of what they are saying. I too drink the breast milk of cows with my cereal but I'm not so detached from nature that I think breastfeeding a child is abnormal. People telling mothers that they are weird for feeding their toddlers exacerbates an already poor situation.

Lotus-eater

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

but I'm not so detached from nature that I think breastfeeding a child is abnormal. People telling mothers that they are weird for feeding their toddlers exacerbates an already poor situation.

Now you're just making things up!

And you seem to want an argument for some reason, over peoples opinions.

shirlgirl2004

Gillyx wrote: »

I've already had my 2 pence worth in this thread, I really don't care what people do in the privacy of there own home, and I intend to breast feed my baby for as long as possible when he arrives, but I don't think sitting in a restaurant and watching say a 5 year old (who could quite comfortably order off the menu and choose what he wants to eat) breast feed is normal. I understand if it's for "comfort" etc and that's fine, but is there a need for it in public at dinner time?

Just because it isn't the norm in our society doesn't make it wrong. As I've tried to highlight as a society we have have skewed ideas of what is normal.