Attachment Parenting & Extended Breastfeeding (pregnant, toy, girls, travel)

[ADVentive]

Originally Posted by Colddiamond102

Then, second question.

I was fed formula as a baby. I refused repeatedly ( makes me sick thinking of this..'cause well..its my mom! ) my mother's breast as an infant. She tried her best but I wouldnt have any of it.
I am now 21 and am as usually as healthy as a horse ( minus the occasional cold or something common of that sort).
So what gives? The only childhood malady I suffered from was ear infections.
Do those statistics apply for every child, or am I just a freak of nature? lol

Please forgive my ignorance...I know absolutely nothing about kids except that they're expensive, and that they poop/scream alot.

Yes, this is a common misunderstanding of statistics and risk assessment. Please see my post above for more explanation on this topic.

[ADVentive]

Originally Posted by jimboburnsy

So your position is that a child can form a sentence at one year?

I didn't know "ask for it" implied sentences. But my daughter could certainly ask for milk at 12 months, both by signing MILK and by saying the word. It was one of her first 5 words. I'd say that by 18 months she could say "want milk", and by two years she could say "I want milk".

Breastfeeding creates "communication" between the immune system of the mother and child and links their metabolisms. Once the child is mature enough to eat solid foods and fight infections on his/her own, the child is beyond the natural breastfeeding window. It could be considered that the maturation of the organs of speech are somewhat concurrent with the maturation of other organ systems, hence "I wanna nurse" is sufficient to conclude that the child no longer needs to. It isn't worthless, just unneccessary.

I am well aware of the immune connection with breastfeeding. I am also aware that a child's immune system is not fully mature until they are 5-6 years old, and certainly not at a year. A child most certainly does benefit from his mother's immunities well into toddlerhood. I don't know of any connection between the development of speech and the development of the immune system. In case you are wondering, I am an immunologist, my graduate degree is in immunology, and I work in a research lab on antibodies, so I have some experience in this topic.

[EJRuek]

++1 ADVentive.

[Taboo2]

I didnt watch the movies so i am going stricly from experience on both sides of this issue.

Well i was very very very close to my motherALL my life and i can clearly recall being 4 yrs old and i think i would be humiliated for any of my friends to know that i was still suckin on her at that age. I was in kindergarden for godsakes for 6.5 hrs each day.

There are PLENTY of other ways to be and stay close to your mommy than that. I believe we breast feed for nutrition as as our children grow they don't need it. I think by age 2 they should be completely weened. You can have special times with your children but i honestly don't think it is helping them by trying to keep them babies.

How can they get a sense of self and become independent little people when they are attached to mom at the boob? I personally wouldn't encourage it in my child after age 2, if you don't need a bottle (they recommend you have your kids give that up by age 2) then they don't need to nurse.

Originally Posted by AsymptoticFaery

I must say firstly that these videos aren't pornographic as they are supposed to be in the context of nurturing. They are also YouTube video sources, so they have been approved for a general audience there given their strict policies against users posting very graphic videos.

These two videos showcase some families who practice a parenting style called Attachment or Attached Parenting, which can involve breastfeeding a child well into the age range of 4-7 and even up to the age of 9 in some cases.


Link 1 - Part One

Link 2 - Part Two

I don't know how typical the parenting habits of these families are of most parents who participate in and practice Attachment Parenting but they are considered part of the "movement" or philosophy.

Advocates of Attachment Parenting claim that this lifestyle will raise children into highly functional, empathic, nurturing, and loving individuals who, contrary to belief, grow up to be independent thinkers. There are many people who criticize and state the opposite, that this lifestyle raises a child to be very dependent on one's parents or people in general, especially regarding the implementation of extended breastfeeding, if it's practiced, and that the children grow up with a sense of entitlement and egotism due to excessive focus on the child and lacking the proper amount of discipline since many advocates do not believe in disciplining their children.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel this type of lifestyle is beneficial or harmful to the development of children?

Would or do you raise your children this way?

What do you think about extended breastfeeding?

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by ADVentive

I didn't know "ask for it" implied sentences. But my daughter could certainly ask for milk at 12 months, both by signing MILK and by saying the word. It was one of her first 5 words. I'd say that by 18 months she could say "want milk", and by two years she could say "I want milk".

I'm really not sure what you've been offended by. I grant that I did not specify what constitutes a verbal request, but we should probably tone this back a tad because I'm not attacking you or anyone else. My post about "Old enough to ask is old enough to wean" was intended to be a very colloquial, non-controversial recitation of an adage from a more practical time that basically means "wean at about 2 years". Hopefully this should eliminate further misunderstanding.

Originally Posted by ADVentive

I am well aware of the immune connection with breastfeeding. I am also aware that a child's immune system is not fully mature until they are 5-6 years old, and certainly not at a year. A child most certainly does benefit from his mother's immunities well into toddlerhood. I don't know of any connection between the development of speech and the development of the immune system. In case you are wondering, I am an immunologist, my graduate degree is in immunology, and I work in a research lab on antibodies, so I have some experience in this topic.

"Once the child is mature enough to eat solid foods and fight infections on his/her own, the child is beyond the natural breastfeeding window."

This is the operational portion of my earlier response. Think of the rest as supporting cast. If you re-read my post, you will see that I made no explicit connection between speech development and immune development. That shouldn't be a stretch for an objective, scientific minded research professional who has doubtless spent countless hours on the minutia of a thesis at some point.

Were you studying chinch bugs? Nitrogen? That kind of thing? <==Reps if anyone spots the allusion

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by 2girlsand2boys

It is obviously a matter of preference, but I think that most of the time when parents choose not to breastfeed they have no knowledge of just how bad formula is for a growing child. Here is a link to the ingredient lists of popular formulas: Baby Formula label, want a scare?
.

That is hilarious that you linked a website that tells the story of a couple from my hometown. Yeah and their baby was 5 months old of course it is normal to be breastfeeding at that age. I think the issue is when the kid can ask to "snack" on yr boob is when it gets ridiculous. I think our children NEED to grow up to become INDEPENDENT of us as parents, not encourage baby behavior when you want them to be potty trained and eat at the big table etc. I Think it is passage into childhood and leaving babyhood behind. 1-2 yrs is the appropriate time for these things.

I understand it is a comfort thing for the kid but once you hit 1 -2 yrs the nutritional factor is losing it's usefulness. I did it for 6 months and then off to formula we went. My kid never was sick, once in awhile she would get a very very minor cold but she has not had one of those childhood sicknesses they speak of RSV, and whatever else there is. If it was easier i would have done it the full year but it was pretty dificult and for my sanity and hers we quit.

IT is up to each parent, but i really think after 2 you shoud reconsider the pros and cons of it.

Jennifer Stolpa knows the miracle of breastfeeding. Stranded for 8 days in Nevada by a winter storm that buried the region, Jennifer's son Clayton is a thriving child today only because she chose to breastfeed. After spending five nights in their snow-bound truck, James left his wife and five month old son in a cave while he sought help. Jennifer melted show in her mouth, held Clayton snugly, and nursed him throughout the ordeal. The family survived with little more than frostbite and weight loss. Experts agree that breastfeeding saved Clayton's life.

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by ADVentive

Actually, this isn't true. A child drinking pumped milk in a cup does not receive all the benefits of it. When a nursing child is exposed to some germs, those germs are transferred to the mother during nursing via specialized glands. Those glands make immunities directed specifically toward the germs that the child was exposed to, and the next time the child nurses, the mother passes the immunities to the child to help fight the specific germs that the child was exposed to. If there is not physical contact at the breast, then these specific immunities are not generated in this way, and therefore the child is NOT receiving all the benefits of breastmilk. Yes, the child does receive many benefits through drinking breastmilk in a cup, but not all, and not the ones that I personally think are most important (being that I'm an immunologist)..

Wow how elitist. Way to go. Thanks for making all of us who ended up pumping part of the time feel like losers and not want to pump for their new baby. Yes kids you heard right, i have another one on the way.

I have never heard that pumping and putting it in a bottle is INFERIOR to those of who who have the ability to nurse naturally.

Please post a link to a valid site that speak of this so i can research further.

[ButterflyUK]

Originally Posted by Colddiamond102

Im going to ask this question out of sheer curiosity.

What if the mother doesnt breastfeed at all, but goes straight to formula instead?

I couldnt breastfeed as I had surgery on my breasts. So DS was bottle fed. He is fine, healthy, good weight, very very smart, adventurous. I do think breast is best but I dont think it will make a child that much more better. I fed him on demand. If he didnt finish a bottle that was fine. He never was over or under wieght. He is a fantastic kid.

I will say this, formula, especially in the US is very expensive. It cost me around £7 ($14) a can and that lasted less then a week. When we came back to the US to visit its was around $22. I was floored. Usually if its £7 in the UK its $7 in the US. I dont know how mothers can afford that.

[ADVentive]

Originally Posted by jimboburnsy

I'm really not sure what you've been offended by. I grant that I did not specify what constitutes a verbal request, but we should probably tone this back a tad because I'm not attacking you or anyone else. My post about "Old enough to ask is old enough to wean" was intended to be a very colloquial, non-controversial recitation of an adage from a more practical time that basically means "wean at about 2 years". Hopefully this should eliminate further misunderstanding.

It just seemed that you went from "ask for it" to "sentences" without explanation. I'm really not offended, sorry if it seems that way. I was really just curious about your position being that you seemed to side with one side in one post and the other side in another.

"Once the child is mature enough to eat solid foods and fight infections on his/her own, the child is beyond the natural breastfeeding window."

This is the operational portion of my earlier response. Think of the rest as supporting cast. If you re-read my post, you will see that I made no explicit connection between speech development and immune development. That shouldn't be a stretch for an objective, scientific minded research professional who has doubtless spent countless hours on the minutia of a thesis at some point.

I was mostly responding to the speculation that "maturation of the organs of speech are somewhat concurrent with the maturation of other organ systems" and assuming that by other systems you meant the immune system given that your previous sentence was about it. I was also still going on the assumption that "ask for it" implied about 12 months, as had been discussed previously in the thread. As for your quoted "operational portion" above, I think I would basically agree with you. Perhaps the question is just when that actually happens.

Were you studying chinch bugs? Nitrogen? That kind of thing? <==Reps if anyone spots the allusion

Sorry, no idea. My thesis was on somatic mutation analysis in immunoglobulin (antibody) heavy and light chain genes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

[sbd78]

I think I'm a relatively open minded and non-judgemental person but I have to say, the idea of a 7-year-old breastfeeding is, well, odd IMO. From what I understand, not much research has been done on the benefits of breastfeeding past 2-years-old, and I question why this is if it is so beneficial to breastfeed until a child is 5, 6, and 7 years old. To each there own I guess, but I agree with the other posters that this would encourage baby-like behavior from a child who should be learning to read, write, and should have been potty trained for quite some time.