Breastfeeding Older Children (bullying, normal, New York, milk)

[ADVentive]

Originally Posted by cherry251

I don't know. I just think a 6 year old should learn to drink from a cup...heck a 3 year old should drink from a cup!

You seem to be under the impression that a 3 or 6 or even 1 year old who is still breastfeeding would not also know how to drink from a cup. The only reason I can think of that you could possibly have that impression is because you have never known a child who has nursed beyond infancy. It's like saying that a child who takes a bottle and is 9 months old can't possibly also eat baby food. They are not mutually exclusive. A nursing 5 year old certainly knows how to drink from a cup and eat regular meals at the table just like any other 5 year old. They probably only nurse once a day before bed, if that.

[miasmommy]

Originally Posted by ADVentive

You seem to be under the impression that a 3 or 6 or even 1 year old who is still breastfeeding would not also know how to drink from a cup. The only reason I can think of that you could possibly have that impression is because you have never known a child who has nursed beyond infancy. It's like saying that a child who takes a bottle and is 9 months old can't possibly also eat baby food. They are not mutually exclusive. A nursing 5 year old certainly knows how to drink from a cup and eat regular meals at the table just like any other 5 year old. They probably only nurse once a day before bed, if that.

My 1 year old is still nursing. Plan on nursing at least until she is 2 (based on personal preference/beliefs AND prof rec). My daughter never took a bottle. She eats everthing we do (veggies, whole grains, pasta, fruit and so on). She also has been able to drink from a sippy cup for months now. She can almost drink from a regular cup and a straw.

I agree with your post that some people just don't understand because they are not informed or haven't gone through it or know someone who has.

[running_snail]

Originally Posted by MistyVT

Doubt it..you said nothing wrong.
Go for it! Those nine month old baby hands should be grabbing at your breasts and being nousished whereever you choose. But those same hands, once they are old enough to meet her own needs, should be using a fork, spoon, and cup to receive her food intake. Once a child gets to school age, it looks more "incestuous" to me! I know this comment will get some attention! However, what woman wants a child sucking on their breast? One that has some issues with raising her child to become independent. Breasts are for infants and toddlers, not older children.

hmm well might i ask what brings you to automatically go to "incestuous" when you see such an image? i would question more what type of person you are to go to such a twisted and perverted stance as that....to wonder what type of childhood you had and what behaviors and patterns you were taught.
after all we do learn alot from our parents...so i can safely say these beliefs stem for your own upbringing and perhaps you are so internally upset from lacking the type of close bonded relationship with your mother that these children do, that the idea of others haing such a connection brings such confrontation, you've created the manifestation of revolting yourself at the mere notion of such an action.

your 'reasonings' are why so many mothers feel "weird" if they breastfeed over 2yrs. and it's suprising that such comments come from a senior member of such an establishment...i gues i thought people were more accepting.

we all have the right to our opinion eh?

travel well

[running_snail]

Originally Posted by ADVentive

I agree with you to a point. But I disagree on some of your boundaries, specifically in #2 above. I want to point out that just because cow's milk can be tolerated by most babies at one year does not make it any kind cut-off for nutrition from nursing. It has already been well-established in this thread that many medical organizations, including the World Health Organization, recommend continued nursing (with complementary foods of course) until at least 2 years. (If you believe that a child needs milk nutritionally, then you must see that cow's milk is a substitute for breast milk rather than the preferred nutritional source.) For my own child, it was somewhere between age 24-27 months when she was able to comprehend waiting to nurse until we got to a more appropriate location. Before that, she just didn't have that ability and yes, I nursed her in public when she needed it. I think that it is perfectly reasonable for a mother to nurse her child in public until such age as that child is able to both physically and emotionally stand waiting, and I think that is probably between 2-3 years for most kids.

I also would hesitate to say that a mother should cover up if politely asked. I think that there are many differences in situations such as if the person asking is a random passer-by, or a fellow patron of a restaurant, or a server in the restaurant, or a flight attendant, etc. I think there are many situations where it is not appropriate for anyone to say anything to a nursing mother. And from my own experience, I know that a mother can be completely covered up by her clothing and the baby, and some people will still not be happy with that. A mother can also be covered with a whole blanket and there will still be people who are unhappy because they know she is nursing at all. Different people have different perceptions of discretion and modesty, and that's why it's so hard to make that kind of statement. I think that you just have to say that a woman should nurse to her own level of comfort or discretion, and if others don't like it, they can turn away. There are always going to be people doing things in public that others are uncomfortable with, and you just can't go around worrying about everyone else all the time. Maybe they won't like the way the teenager is dressed. Maybe they won't like to see the gay couple holding hands. Maybe they don't want to see the breastfeeding mother. IMO, the nursing mother is doing nothing wrong, and she should not need to modify her behavior based on the comfort of others any more than the gay couple holding hands.

As for the law? I don't think there needs to be any law restricting the way a mother nurses her child, with respect to nursing in public or past any certain age. I think that is the mother's (and child's) choice.

well said!

[running_snail]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

REALLY? Regardless of age??
As i have already posted the laws of my state, it can be indecent to breastfeed.

taboo
i failed to get through the first line of your post because of this one thing:

Cal. Civil Code § 43.3 (1997) allows a mother to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, except the private home or residence of another, where the mother and the child are otherwise authorized to be present. (AB 157)

if you are the type of person to call in a report if you see a mother breastfeeding an older child then i would very likely say to you that perhaps you are the one with the 'indecent' motives...if your mind goes to twisted and 'lewd' actions then it is your mind which goes to those places and lets those thoughts take hold.

if anyone goes to those places it is actually more a reflection of that person rather than the mother feeding her child. perhaps they have conflicting reasons because of their own childhood. perhaps they wish they could have breastfeed longer... perhaps their mothers weren't as open and flexible in that degree.

whatever the case may be. get more comfortable with your body. cuz when ya do you'll be more accepting of seeing breasts...

travel well

[running_snail]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

But i would HOPE if someone wondered what was going on and i knew it was innocuous as i was breastfeeding him, that i would WANT them to question me and get proof. Because what if it WASN'T ME? what if it IS someone sexually abusing my child?

are you serious? i would more likely think it was a sexual offence against the women for cryin out loud! if you really are thinking about most of the population, then that is the take they will be revealing in. not to mention the fact that if this were actually the case and a 12 yr old was breastfeeeing in public covered/non i really think that the mere idea that you can force someone to breastfeed is possible...

you breastfeed. so can you honestly say that you think a stranger could get them to breastfeed from their boob? really? children know their mothers teat like the back of their hand. even in the dark i bet you could put two differnt boobs up to a child and they'd pick their own...

come on give the kids some credit. i guess more people have been induced to a sick and twisted mind frame that an act such as breastfeeding has gained such a mentality. that the exceptions garner so much debate.

it's as though we take these rare instances across the globe and supersize them into an epidemic that's going to come knockin on your door before you even get done reading the post...

one last question, has any of these 'older kids' 5-12 ever been found to kill, murder, mame, horrify or be traumatized by the event which took place in their childhood?

travel well

[running_snail]

okay so i've hit you back a few times... so this is not your 'personal' opinion. however, the stance you've been taking, i feel, is not very accurate.

i mean how do you perpose that a mother who chooses this path "prove" she's the mother of said 12yr old? i mean even if one were to pull out a birth certificate and the child has a id card that matches with the mother... that can all be faked. if you want to take a real nasty slant then no matter what things can be falsified and the only 'proof' one could truly provide was to go immediately down to a hospital get put thorugh utter hell for your beliefs and get your dna drawn... wait, while you child then is questioned by social services, most likely by themself, and then wait until the results come back. if they take longer than the day, then your child gets to spend the night away from you in a strangers home not knowing why...

this is what would happen if more people were rallied by the things you say... i mean then it opens up the whole can of the social service system and how twisted and corrupt they are.. would you be willing to take a chance and completly ruin the lives of good people because you're (society) are so immediate to go into the gutter...

i mean is this what our society has degraded to? a horrible education system, a devastating social service system, a judicial system that spends millions on arresting pot smokers but leaving the meth heads on the street, yeah this place is really mucked up... but i guess i'm of the few who still believe in the light of people. and that

what it comes down to is if the 12yr old was in a 'lewd' act as in a sexual manner.... one would look at the face of the women. is she enjoying this too much for her to be breastfeading or is this something else?

why have we been jumping to conclusions and making assumptions? i mean if a 12yr old is really breastfeeding then so be it... but look first then maybe perhaps get up into their space... if it's something not kosher then ANYONE would know... most people are unable to play off the
'fake mommy' deal... and really, how many people think 12yrs olds are molested that way?

[running_snail]

and that's it, you're right...it's people like you who pass along to thier children that someone who breastfeeds at 5 is 'weird'... haven't we grasped that children mimic adults in their immediate surroundings?

of course your child is going to think the other child is 'different' because you speak of the other child as 'differnt' if more people were accepting of differences then our kids would be as they are meant to be... open loving warm spirited giving happy light hearted friendly and able to get along with anybody....
if they were free from influences such as yours, what they likely would do is communicate and ask the other child what it was like and why they were still doing it... and i'm fairly sure the other child could express accurately enough for theirselves why. would that cause harm? no. that would cause your child to come home and ask questions to you about something. currently this something is a thing you have great negativity towards and perhaps feel less than able to communicate openly with you child about such things as breasts, penises, vaginas and the like. or how some may continue to use them in a normal fashion while others have stopped. how all are on one spectrum and because of the awesome differences we are us.

at least that's how i hope to raise my kids

[calahaynes]

I would like to hear some opinions from moms who have children who used the pacifier only at night for and extended amount of time. I have a 4 yr. old who has not had the pacifier for a yr. and still asks for it. He is an extremely emotional child and very nervous. So I definitely think the pacifier provides somekind of emotional/stress relief. Can someone out there let me know it is not gonna warp my kid to let him have the pacifier when he goes to sleep. thanks diane

[kek1993]

Breast feeding an eight year old. Hmmm...at what age should Breast feeding stop? Does it make a difference if the child is male or female? Well, I think that breast feeding to age eight is definitely on the continuum, towards the outer limits of the bell curve, extreme. I would not breast feed that age of child.