What age to stop breastfeeding?

Kimia

I know that there was a recent breastfeeding thread where someone was bashed because they didn't like seeing a mother breastfeed her child in a restaurant. I am indifferent to that and couldn't give a flying if someone wanted to feed her baby around me.

However I feel a little different if the child in question is like 5 or 6 years old. I remember reading about a couple of women who insisted that breastfeeding until the child grew 'milk teeth' was completely normal but I can't imagine doing that! At what stage do you get your body back ffs!

Plus surely the child will turn out weird and too attached to mammy. I can only imagine what the kids in my school would have said if any of us were still being breastfeed up to 8-9 years old. Very odd imo.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

stop breastfeeding?

The Internet Explorer

About three fiddy.

Dudess

Once they've teeth I guess. Not past baby stage all right IMO.

humberklog

There's something visually disturbing about seeing a kid standing while suckling.

If they can stand then move them on.

starbelgrade

Depends how hot your mum is.

holystungun9

When you can tuck your boobs into your socks.

galwayrush

Giving or taking?

TeddyTedson

it's child abuse

humberklog

TeddyTedson wrote: »

it's child abuse

It's the child that abusing:pac:.

eth0

You don't stop so much but there is a short dry period between when you move out of your mother's place and when your gf has her first child

IM0

when they start enjoying it too much

hairyprincess

A child can physically breast feed until their adult teeth come in

amacachi

If they're old enough to ask for it they're too old.

Dudess

Watched a programme about late breastfeeding - the kids were aged up to 10 and obsessed with tits.

amacachi

Dudess wrote: »

Watched a programme about late breastfeeding - the kids were aged up to 10 and obsessed with tits.

That's not exactly a groundbreaking observation :pac:

tonycascarino

Never. I want Bitty!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyHm8oqkOB0&feature=related

micropig

Never. I love breastfeeding, so does my OH:D

Dudess

amacachi wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

Watched a programme about late breastfeeding - the kids were aged up to 10 and obsessed with tits.

That's not exactly a groundbreaking observation :pac:

The girls too though.

Nyan Cat

It seems silly once they're on solids and running around too! Freaky to see a child make grabby hands at a pair of boobs across a the room. Lol

amacachi

Dudess wrote: »

The girls too though.

Might be a generational thing, lot of girls around my age are always on about boobs, how great they are etc.

IM0

when they get a hard on while doing it

Dudess

amacachi wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

The girls too though.

Might be a generational thing, lot of girls around my age are always on about boobs, how great they are etc.

I agree boobs are great, but in this programme the girl was talking about how she couldn't wait to have boobs so she could breastfeed herself... :pac:

micropig

IM0 wrote: »

when they get a hard on while doing it

Thats the best part:rolleyes::D

iCosmopolis

Dudess wrote: »

Watched a programme about late breastfeeding - the kids were aged up to 10 and obsessed with tits.

Think I seen that one, with the plummy sounding hippyish mother & two girls "mummys boobs are long and pretty" , older one was wistful about not being able to latch anymore :pac:

Coming myself from a hippyish family, my aunt breast fed her second until she was nearly four - she stopped as she decided it was embarrasing that she was too big & trying to lift her top in public. Also laments that she has to roll up her boobs now to get them into her bra

amacachi

Dudess wrote: »

I agree boobs are great, but in this programme the girl was talking about how she couldn't wait to have boobs so she could breastfeed herself... :pac:

How long ago was that made? I might've seen a this-is-them-years-later edition the other night online :pac:

Dudess

amacachi wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

I agree boobs are great, but in this programme the girl was talking about how she couldn't wait to have boobs so she could breastfeed herself... :pac:

How long ago was that made? I might've seen a this-is-them-years-later edition the other night online :pac:

Would have been shown I'd say seven or eight years ago. On Channel 4 of course.

TeddyTedson

If your grand parents were to read this in heaven :eek:

Kimia

I can't remember if I've seen that or not but I do remember reading about these moms and one of them was saying that her child (of well over 6) would 'twiddle' her nipple when she wanted to feed, like turning a button. Yuuuk!

GarIT

Before they start college has to be the absolute limit.

Dudess

GarIT wrote: »

Before they start college has to be the absolute limit.

What if they're mature students?

liliq

Meh, hopefully before school :rolleyes:

lynski

Dudess wrote: »

I agree boobs are great, but in this programme the girl was talking about how she couldn't wait to have boobs so she could breastfeed herself... :pac:

ah my 3 yr old says that all the time - she wants big fat boobs like mommy to make yummy milk - and she weaned at 6mths, but she feds her dolls bottles, go figure.

my 13mth old has 'asked for it' since birth with signs and motions, and he sometimes feeds standing up- kinda if he is messing in bed - and we have no intention stopping for awhile.
whenever suits the family is the right answer, but the AH answer is more like when the boobs hit your bellybutton?

Just imagine if you're a male that was breastfed into your late teens, reading playboy or any other such magazine would just make you feel thirsty!

The sexual connection simply wouldn't be there.

starbelgrade

Deleted User wrote: »

Just imagine if you're a male that was breastfed into your late teens, reading playboy or any other such magazine would just make you feel thirsty!

The sexual connection simply wouldn't be there.

Again, that depends how hot your mum is.

GarIT

Just to be a bit controversial as I like to be...

Before you get to the restaurant.

iCosmopolis

Sort of related, my husband told me a relative of his gave him a couple of taka to relieve her of some breast milk when he was about 7 as her baby wasn't latching and she was engorged!:eek:

Truley

What's known as 'extended breastfeeding' nowadays would be considered a normal breastfeeding relationship in most other cultures as well as our own culture in the past. All the well documented and acknowledged benefits of breastfeeding don't just stop at a cut off point, the immunological and psychological benefits of breast milk have been proven to continue well into the toddler years and beyond. In fact even the WHO recommends feeding to at least the age of two.

I've never witnessed a child over the age of one being breastfed but from my experience working with young children I honestly wouldn't see a problem with children being fed until around three, at least. At that age children still connect with their parents in a very physical way, cuddling, carrying, bathing, changing etc We just find it 'weird' now because we're not used to seeing it done and I don't see attitudes changing any time soon. Maybe when we learn to get over our hangups with infant feeding things will change.

Immaculate Pasta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7t9iR3Bq9U

:cool:

im invisible

Dudess wrote: »

Watched a programme about late breastfeeding - the kids were aged up to 10 and obsessed with tits.

amacachi wrote: »

How long ago was that made? I might've seen a this-is-them-years-later edition the other night online

Would have been shown I'd say seven or eight years ago. On Channel 4 of course.

10 years old, plus 7 or 8 years...


seems legit

AboutTwoFiddy

Breastfeeding is completely natural, I think it's up to the mother and kids to decide when they want to stop, who are we to dictate to them.

Sunnyisland

TeddyTedson wrote: »

If your grand parents were to read this in heaven :eek:

Dident know you could read in heaven :eek: Wonder what sort of books they have.......................

Mr.Biscuits

When they start doing this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMQ7V_Rnvq4

Temptamperu

If its good enough for Rob Aryen its good enough for me.

By the way, you call those cheap implants boobs?

iguana

My own rule of thumb is that when the child reaches an age where it can form clear memories that it will carry into adulthood you should have stopped. Yes the primary function of breasts is to feed children, but like most body parts they also have secondary and tertiary functions. And those functions are sexual attraction and sexual pleasure, both of which are healthy, enjoyable aspects of adulthood. I could be completely wrong but I suspect being able to recall feeding at your mother's breast may have a negative impact on how you relate to breasts sexually.

In my own case I have a number of extremely strong memories from around the time of my first birthday onwards. (Luckily as my mother's rule of thumb was to stop breastfeeding once our teeth came in and we got too bitey, none of those memories are of suckling at her breast.) So I would like to have my babies weaned from the breast by 9-11 months though ideally I will keep feeding them breast milk that I have expressed until they are about 2 years. Once we were on solids my mother used to do things like mix our Rusks/Liga with breast milk, so we were still getting the health benefits and I'd prefer to do that as opposed to breast feed at a later age but I guess it will depend on my milk supply as milk supply is stronger when the baby sucks than when you pump or hand express.

MoonDancer

Well I breastfed both of my kids until the oldest reached 13 months and the 2nd reached 12 months.
I wasn't really feeding them much once they started solids and then over 10 months it was only a morning feed and night feed. But once they were old enough to go onto cows milk at 1 year old, I stopped.

Jesus it's so much handier and cheaper then bottle feeding, once you get over the tricky few weeks starting out.

up for anything

I don't see why people get their knickers in a twist over other people's breastfeeding habits. I fed mine up until they were about two and half to three. As for the memories, none of them remember a thing and all of them cringe 'healthily' when reminded that they used to feed that way. None of them ended up with a nasty thing for mummy's boobies!

Snowie

I'm not the only one who's utterly grossed out bye this thread am I ?

iguana

up for anything wrote: »

I don't see why people get their knickers in a twist over other people's breastfeeding habits. I fed mine up until they were about two and half to three. As for the memories, none of them remember a thing and all of them cringe 'healthily' when reminded that they used to feed that way.

That's fine your children don't but as I can remember an awful lot from my early toddlerhood, full emotional memories completely in context, there is a pretty good chance that my children will have similar abilities. And maybe it doesn't matter, maybe if I'd been fed that long I'd remember it without it having an effect on my sexual relationship with breasts but then again maybe it would.

up for anything wrote:

None of them ended up with a nasty thing for mummy's boobies!

Now absolutely nobody suggested that so there is no need to be facetious about it. The problem isn't one of developing sexual feelings for your mother's breasts. It's one of the memory of breastfeeding interfering with your ability to enjoy a normal sexual feeling for breasts later in life. Most women enjoy having their breasts and nipples kissed and sucked on as part of sexual play, most men seem to enjoy doing it. But if a guy is happily sucking on his girlfriend's breasts and he gets a flashback to feeling upset and hungry and then sucking on his mother's for food and comfort I can see that ruining the mood.

up for anything

iguana wrote: »

But if a guy is happily sucking on his girlfriend's breasts and he gets a flashback to feeling upset and hungry and then sucking on his mother's for food and comfort I can see that ruining the mood.

I think you're stretching the realms of possibility with that! Seriously.