Questions for those who breastfeed past 1 year

[MyFriendEeyoreUK]

My 2 both breastfed well past 1 - one loved cows milk and one doesn't. Neither of them particularly needed it but it's useful for them to drink something other than breastmilk. Neither of mine would ever take a bottle with formula or expressed milk so cow's milk meant someone else was able to feed them!

I wouldn't worry about the quantity consumed. One of the benefits of breastfeeding for me was that ****s don't come with a gauge on so you don't obsess about quantities. If they're hungry, they feed until they're full. If you supplement breastmilk with other dairy (milk on cereal, sesame seeds, green leafy veg, yogurt, cheese, fromage frais etc) they'll do OK. Frozen yogurt on a stick is particularly good! I always let mine feed themselved just before bath time - don't have to worry about the mess so much then and they soon get the hang of it!

Good luck. Bottom line in our house is if they're healthy and happy then whatever you're doing works!

 

[Mama Who]

There seems to be a good many of us.

So, do your toddlers drink cow's milk as well as nurse? My DS just turned one and is nursing several times a day. My pediatrician mentioned that he should be drinking 24 oz. a day of cow's milk. I have two older DD who also nursed to 2+ years, and neither of them really likes cow milk (I don't either, expect in lattes--yum!).

I wonder if this is normal for babies who are nursed? Most (well, all really) FF babies I know took to cow's milk just fine. I offer it to my DS every day, serve it with meals to him, etc., but he won't take it. It seems like it would be a great source of protein, calcium, etc. I know there's arguments against cow's milk, but I'd still like DS to take it on a more regular basis.

My nursling (hopefully weaning will take soon) drinks cow milk without a problem. If he's reluctant, you might try warming it a little. Breast milk is warm and comforting. The chill may be putting him off. I'd try a bottle or sippy of warm milk while cuddling and see if that helps him transition.

 

[laceemouse]

However, all other creatures who relied on their mother's milk as babies are no longer nursing after a year. Once mammals can eat solid food, they no longer nurse, right? To me, extended nursing seems unnatural, if other food is available.

You can't compare humans with other mammals. Cats, dogs, etc. are FULL GROWN before they reach a year old. Humans are not full grown until puberty or later. Of course a full grown cat or dog would not still be nursing!

I do have to say, I was always told that when you DO add cow's milk it needs to be whole milk until the child is 2 because they need the fat.

It is also very easy to find organic, no hormone added milk in the stores. And it tastes better too

 

[laceemouse]

Thanks for the replies. DS does still nurse quite a bit, so I'll just continue on. He does eat a bit of cheese and does like yogurt (but he doesn't like being spoon fed any more, so that's out until he can feed it to himself w/o wearing most of it).

Try the custard style yogurt. It is super thick and sticks to the spoon when the tot puts the spoon in the container, and it doesn't fall off when the spoon is turned upside down.

 

[bringerofdreams]

There is more calcium in cows milk than in spinich. I do agree, there are ways to get the nutrients that cows milk provides in other foods. However, all other creatures who relied on their mother's milk as babies are no longer nursing after a year. Once mammals can eat solid food, they no longer nurse, right? To me, extended nursing seems unnatural, if other food is available.

Agree. It always made me a bit uncomfortable to see a child who can walk and talk and eat solid food nursing. I don't know why.

 

[nu2dvc]

Agree. It always made me a bit uncomfortable to see a child who can walk and talk and eat solid food nursing. I don't know why.

I'm fairly certain the reason why is because you aren't educated on the benefits of extended nursing, and since it is not the norm in this society, you are not used to seeing it & therefore aren't comfortable with it. Most people are just followers and will do whatever they see others do. I'm sorry but I feel bad for your child(ren).

 

[Suzanne74]

Agree. It always made me a bit uncomfortable to see a child who can walk and talk and eat solid food nursing. I don't know why.

I feel sorry for you if a mom nursing a baby at 9+ months makes you uncomfortable. I think it is beautiful and natural.

 

[Camno's Mama]

OP-do whatever works for you. Honestly, both ways are just fine. My boys all nursed until they were almost two, and drank cow's milk. They liked it, and we buy steroid, hormone and antibiotic free milk, so I don't feel bad about it at all.

All of my kids like milk...I think it's like anything else. Some people like it, some people don't. I'm not sure that it matters whether you're bf or ff. Just my opinion, I could be totally wrong.

And for the posters that said that it's unnatural to nurse once the kids are older...shame on you. I knew that people like you existed, but I guess I hoped we were evolving past that point. EBF is a loving and beautiful thing...studies have proven that it is, in fact, very beneficial to your child's health to continue to nurse after the first year. You can choose what you choose, but to come here on a thread where she is asking for supportive suggestions/answers about breastfeeding past the first year is sad and narrow minded. You knew what it was about before you opened it...if it bothers you, then don't open it.

I hope that you never find yourself being openly judged for making a loving and healthy choice for your child. It is an enormous commitment to nurse for such a long time, and people like you are the reason that so many people are afraid to keep doing it, even when they feel like it's the best thing for their child.

 

[Suzanne74]

I hope that you never find yourself being openly judged for making a loving and healthy choice for your child. It is an enormous commitment to nurse for such a long time, and people like you are the reason that so many people are afraid to keep doing it, even when they feel like it's the best thing for their child.

Very well said.

 

[crystaldawn]

I'm very lucky to have a supportive pedi. I'm still nursing my 34 mo old (along with my 12 mo old) when she was a year I was newly preggers with her younger brother. My pedi simply asked if I was offering liquids in a cup and if she was eating a varied diet. She never pressured me for the amts.

Honestly my dd was never was a big milk drinker but always liked cheeses and yogurt. That said, when I was at work I opted to stop pumping after a year and she got cows milk when I was gone one or two days a week... what seemed to work for her was a straw. We used the sippy straw cups and she took it fine (never a ton but a few ounces here and there).

And I know it's OT but to the mamas that find it unnatural to nurse a child beyond infancy. I never thought I'd be where we are today... but fortunately for me I didn't just start nursing an almost 3 yr old. She started nursing as a sweet little 6.5 lb newborn, every day she was a little bigger and one day older, we have done what works for us... and I could not be happier than I am with how this story has unfolded

 

[chekhovgirl]

If your child is breastfeeding enough, then they don't need cow milk, but if you want to start them on milk to gradually wean (which is what we did, my kids weaned around 18 months) then you could also try goat's milk. It's expensive, but it's what we did with my first, who I was pumping for while I was working and it made it easier for me to nurse him when he was home and have other milk while he was at school after he turned one. Eventually he just started drinking cow milk and now his favorite is almond milk

 

[bringerofdreams]

I'm fairly certain the reason why is because you aren't educated on the benefits of extended nursing, and since it is not the norm in this society, you are not used to seeing it & therefore aren't comfortable with it. Most people are just followers and will do whatever they see others do. I'm sorry but I feel bad for your child(ren).

Wow. I feel bad for YOURS if you are this judgmental. LOL. If you feel the need to be this defensive, then deep down you have a neurosis about this as well. Just saying.

I COULD NOT breast feed. My first child I almost died and he went home 2 weeks before me. With my second child I had a c-section where I developed a blood infection, and my third child WOULD NOT breast feed. Even the nurse said it was hopeless. So, my "education" was not a necessity.

I am sorry, but I don't feel it is natural to see 3 and 4 year olds breast feeding. I think it's more of a need of the mother than it is a need of the child. I feel the same way about seeing children 2, 3 and 4 years olds with pacifiers shoved in their mouth. None of mine ever used one, or breast fed until they started kindergarten and they are all happy, healthy, well adjusted children.

 

[twinboysmom]

I'm fairly certain the reason why is because you aren't educated on the benefits of extended nursing, and since it is not the norm in this society, you are not used to seeing it & therefore aren't comfortable with it. Most people are just followers and will do whatever they see others do. I'm sorry but I feel bad for your child(ren).

I am curious as to why you felt the need to state that "you feel bad for her children". This is a very judgmental comment and was unnecessary. If you would like to educate the benefits of extended nursing then please do so but leave her children out of it.

 

[bringerofdreams]

I am curious as to why you felt the need to state that "you feel bad for her children". This is a very judgmental comment and was unnecessary. If you would like to educate the benefits of extended nursing then please do so but leave her children out of it.

I want to say thank you for this. It was always a sore spot that I could not breast feed when I really wanted to be able to do so. I also would not have continued it after probably 18 months but that's just me. I reall can't say for sure as I have never been there.

On the flip side, I do not think my children were deprived of any love or attention by being bottle fed. They were all off the bottle before they were 18 months and using a sippy cup and potty trained at two years old. And they are all healthy. Well, my son has Lyme Disease but that really has nothing to do with being bottle fed.

 

[twinboysmom]

I want to say thank you for this. It was always a sore spot that I could not breast feed when I really wanted to be able to do so. I also would not have continued it after probably 18 months but that's just me. I reall can't say for sure as I have never been there.

On the flip side, I do not think my children were deprived of any love or attention by being bottle fed. They were all off the bottle before they were 18 months and using a sippy cup and potty trained at two years old. And they are all healthy. Well, my son has Lyme Disease but that really has nothing to do with being bottle fed.

You are most welcome. I am a little sensitive about the topic as well. I had an emergency delivery for my twins and received medications during delivery that my doctor and the lactation consultants believe possibly interferred with my milk production. Who knows for sure but after nursing exclusively for 5 days I ended up with 2 dehydrated babies so formula it was. I tried for 5 months to get my supply up and it never happened and the boys just weren't interested and I was ready to call it quits. I had some not so nice comments made to me and it was hurtful. I just don't get the mommy wars. Babies bond no matter what type of feeding they receive. If you want to nurse your child til they're 12 then so be it. If others are uncomfortable by extended breast feeding, that is ok too. Just don't look. Both sides can keep their comments to themselves.

To the OP, my boys pediatrician told me no more than 15-18 ounces of milk when they were 12 months, no fruit juices, and as much water as they would drink. I think your pediatricians recommendation might be a bit high.

 

[rillsung]

I think at about a year I started doing sippy cups of milk but only at meals. I know she didn't start drinking 24oz till after we quit nursing at about 18mo. She never really took to the sippy cups either but did OK with the nuby straw cups for a while and then we just do the take and toss straw cups now (she's 2 now). She loves milk now but has discovered her big sis gets some chocolate syrup in hers (big sis essentially had vanilla pediasure till age 2 and would not drink regular plain milk). Since my 2yr old is in the 3rd percentile for weight, I started adding in Carnation Instant Breakfast when she asks for chocolate lol.

 

[darkpixie08]

Once Again, I think that's enough of the Mommy Wars. I can guarantee you that a child will grow up just fine regardless of whether they they have formula from day 1 or are nursed. I'm all for extended breastfeeding, , but making women feel guilty about their parenting choices is just plain wrong. Nursing won't be good for your baby if it causes you to be upset and stressed all the time. Children deserve healthy and happy parents. That trumps breastfeeding any day.