Breastfeeding Older Children (healthy, properly, deal, method)

[BrittC.]

I breast fed my daughter till she was 9 and my son till he was 7. My mom breast fed me till I was 10. I see nothing wrong as to the age off the child, my daughter just one day decided not to feed anymore and was the same with my son.

[zonababe]

Originally Posted by BrittC.

I breast fed my daughter till she was 9 and my son till he was 7. My mom breast fed me till I was 10. I see nothing wrong as to the age off the child, my daughter just one day decided not to feed anymore and was the same with my son.

Was there a time and a place for it, or did they just "free feed?"

[suedonym]

once they have teeth, its no more boob.

jmo...

[mom2justynsarah]

I look at my six year old daughter and shudder at the thought of her breastfeeding!!! OMG..NO WAY!!!!

[chicagojlo]

I don't want to criticize anyone's parenting choices because I know I don't appreciate people criticizing mine, but I have to say that I strongly doubt that past the age of 2 breastfeeding is about anything other than the mother's needs. I do wonder about the effects on the child as they become adults, especially considering my own traumatic experience of seeing my mother breastfeed a sibling when I was 12 and how it put me off breastfeeding my own children.

I have a 7 year old who has a stuffed animal she has had since birth. She only really wants him now when she's sad or scared, occasionnally at bedtime. The descriptions of how some of the children mentioned in this thread view their extended breastfeeding sound exactly like the way she views this toy - she isn't too bothered about him on a daily basis but if you suggested taking him away she'd be heartbroken.

[ADVentive]

It's kinda funny to look back on this thread over the years. I think my 4.5 year old is weaned now, maybe. She hasn't nursed in 8 weeks, which is by far the longest she's gone before. I've been sure she was weaned more than once though, so I'm reluctant to call her done quite yet. This is what child-led weaning looks like.

If you ask her though, she will tell you that she is NOT weaned and she doesn't want to talk about it! haha She tells me that she will be weaned when she is 5 though.

[sbd78]

Originally Posted by BrittC.

I breast fed my daughter till she was 9 and my son till he was 7. My mom breast fed me till I was 10. I see nothing wrong as to the age off the child, my daughter just one day decided not to feed anymore and was the same with my son.

I have to suspect this post was just intending to stir the pot. I mean really, you were still breastfeeding in 5th grade???

[aidxen]

Originally Posted by BrittC.

I breast fed my daughter till she was 9 and my son till he was 7. My mom breast fed me till I was 10. I see nothing wrong as to the age off the child, my daughter just one day decided not to feed anymore and was the same with my son.

BrittC's First post I note

[ohiogirl22]

I really hope that was a joke. At 10 years old you could be starting your period. Should you really be breastfeeding and having a period? Shouldn't those two things never happen at the same time.

[AnonChick]

Well, child-led weaning dictates that the child is ready to wean, when the child says he's ready to wean. If the child still wants treats at 10, then he should still have treats at 10. If he still wants mama's breast past puberty, then mama best just pull up the shirt. I can't imagine any mentally healthy 10-year-old WANTING to breastfeed - or any mentally healthy mother allowing her child to breastfeed at 10..

But that's my bias, and my bias is clearly contrary to the bias of child-led weaning.