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Of course anecdote != data, but in our case, both of my children night-weaned between 2-2.5 years old. Both continued to nurse until 4.5-5 years old. At current ages, 5 and 8, neither has had any carries or other problems with their teeth.
I have several friends online who are BF 3 year olds and they all nurse through the night. I really do think it's more common than we realize. I have nothing against extended nursing, but nursing all night does present a risk for caries (I know someone, personally, whose kid had over a dozen teeth pulled. It was definitely the nursing that did it, because her 3 other kids were bottlefed and none had this problem.)
As an experienced nursing Mother....There is absolutely no reason a 3 year old....or any age after infancy...needs to be nursing consistently thru the night.
At that point the child is simply using his mom as a pacifier.....Your milk is not going to be letting down all night long....seriously.
Apart from the immunity benefit that you keep discounting for some reason. And supposedly the benefits to the mother's health increase as well.
Actually....unless a mother continues to eat and take prenatal vitamins and maintain pregnancy health....breastfeed simply strips her body of nutrients, fat and calcium. I'm not convinced normal folks can maintain that kind of healthy diet for more than a couple years....
The benefits that come for the mother, the shrinking of the uterus, losing the baby fat etc....take place within the first several weeks to months.
The longest I nursed was 2+ yrs....and actually it was tandum nursing.....I quit because I became pregnant.
I personally thought nearly 3 years was a long time....I cannot imagine 5, 6 or 7 years of nursing. And I see no benefit to the child or the mother....But, to each his own imo
Last edited by JanND; 01-13-2015 at 03:40 PM..
Reason: edit spacing
I have several friends online who are BF 3 year olds and they all nurse through the night. I really do think it's more common than we realize. I have nothing against extended nursing, but nursing all night does present a risk for caries (I know someone, personally, whose kid had over a dozen teeth pulled. It was definitely the nursing that did it, because her 3 other kids were bottlefed and none had this problem.)
How do you know what your friends do? It is really unlikely that these children are nursing all through the night. Three year olds don't need that much after they are eating solids. Your friends children are undoubtedly eating other food.
Also, btw, susceptibility to cavities is partly genetic and having teeth pulled *may* have nothing to do with cavities at all. My granddaughter has had teeth pulled because she has a small mouth and large teeth like her dad did. He also had to have teeth pulled to make room in his mouth.
Breastfeed your child until 7...let him sleep in your bed until 12...have him on your insurance until 26...let him live in your house/basement until he's 35+...I don't know, am I seeing a trend here?
Seriously, I think it's nobody's business if the mother and child want to do it privately until the kid's ready for college, but to do it publicly and go on national media is going to do needless damage... causing the child to be bullied, teased, and spend hours/years in psychotherapy. And for the record, I was one of those "horrible" mothers who didn't breastfeed. My adult children (23 and almost 30) have had healthy lives and were hardly ever sick as kids. Feel free to go ahead and scold me...it's a bit late, though.
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 01-14-2015 at 03:26 AM..
Breastfeed your child until 7...let him sleep in your bed until 12...have him on your insurance until 26...let him live in your house/basement until he's 35+...I don't know, am I seeing a trend here?
Seriously, I think it's nobody's business if the mother and child want to do it privately until the kid's ready for college, but to do it publicly and go on national media is going to do needless damage... causing the child to be bullied, teased, and spend hours/years in psychotherapy. And for the record, I was one of those "horrible" mothers who didn't breastfeed. My adult children (23 and almost 30) have had healthy lives and were hardly ever sick as kids. Feel free to go ahead and scold me...it's a bit late, though.
You seem pretty normal to me. We'll just not mention that little problem with your big toe sticking our of your left hip. It shall be our secret and we shall never mention it again
How do you know what your friends do? It is really unlikely that these children are nursing all through the night. Three year olds don't need that much after they are eating solids. Your friends children are undoubtedly eating other food.
Also, btw, susceptibility to cavities is partly genetic and having teeth pulled *may* have nothing to do with cavities at all. My granddaughter has had teeth pulled because she has a small mouth and large teeth like her dad did. He also had to have teeth pulled to make room in his mouth.
Perhaps, but generally having a lot of teeth pulled at age 2-3 is because of cavities.
As recommended by the World Health Organization, breastfeeding ideally should continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and availability of a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer. Mothers who have immigrated from cultures in which breastfeeding beyond infancy is routine should be encouraged to continue this tradition. There is no evidence that extended breastfeeding is harmful to mother or child. Emerging research on nutrient content of human milk into the second year of lactation suggests that breast milk continues to offer significant nutritional and immunological benefits. Breastfeeding during a subsequent pregnancy is not unusual. If the pregnancy is normal and the mother is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is the woman’s personal decision. If the child is younger than two years, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child during pregnancy and after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.
As recommended by the World Health Organization, breastfeeding ideally should continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and availability of a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer. Mothers who have immigrated from cultures in which breastfeeding beyond infancy is routine should be encouraged to continue this tradition. There is no evidence that extended breastfeeding is harmful to mother or child. Emerging research on nutrient content of human milk into the second year of lactation suggests that breast milk continues to offer significant nutritional and immunological benefits. Breastfeeding during a subsequent pregnancy is not unusual. If the pregnancy is normal and the mother is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is the woman’s personal decision. If the child is younger than two years, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child during pregnancy and after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.
Yes, but....the "two to seven years" given for "natural weaning" was as a result of Dettwyler's studies of human behavior over 10s of thousands of years from an anthropological not a medical perspective.
Yes, but....the "two to seven years" given for "natural weaning" was as a result of Dettwyler's studies of human behavior over 10s of thousands of years from an anthropological not a medical perspective.
While Dettwyler's studies are anthropological, the AAFP, a medical organization, is still the one citing this and advising doctors to support and encourage extended breastfeeding, while also stating that continued breastfeeding still has health benefits to both mother (decreased risk of breast cancer) and child (milk continues to have nutritional and immunological benefits). I think that the cited passage clearly demonstrates AAFP's support, as a medical organization, of extended breastfeeding.
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