Are you breastfeeding a toddler?

[toesmom]

I think this thread is for moms who are choosing to nurse toddlers and the experiences and knowledge they have about it. Simple as that.

I personally wouldn't join a thread which talks about bottle feeding because it's not familiar to me.

If you really want more information about these benefits, Dr. Jack Newman wrote an excellent book about breast-feeding. I personally did a lot of research when I had my first child. I knew for a fact that my choice to nurse my child was best for my child (breast milk is a made up of living cells with many antibodies that benefit a growing baby and toddler). And if you want to confirm my information, many books about breast-feeding and human milk components are available.

I'm glad that your kids are healthy and have lots of friends, but the point of this thread is about moms who nurse their toddlers. I actually joined LLL with my first child (don't have time now with 2 kids) and found a wonderful community of moms who understood my choices about bf. I hope this thread provides some support to moms who follow their toddlers' needs and breastfeed as long as baby wants.

The benefits I posted about can be verified if you really want to find the information.

Breast-feeding alone provides these benefits to toddlers, other factors will come into play, but they all start with breast-feeding as a basis. That's the point.

I think a bottle-feeding support thread should be started.

 

[DianeV]

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[toesmom]

Believe me, I have no reason to be defensive about BF, in fact I read your posts to be more defensive about your choice to bottle-feed and how your kids are well-adjusted, smart and healthy (I don't care which method of feeding you choose, honestly).

This thread is for moms who nurse toddlers past 1 year, and posting information about benefits is a great idea to encourage and support those who sometimes question their decision. Especially, when most of north america looks at breast-feeding as some sort of crazy thing to do when you can just bottle feed.

In the last 8 years, I've seen maybe 7-8 moms who are nursing toddlers out in public, so it's good for moms to have a place to get the support and know they are not alone.

I know there are plenty of moms who bottle-feed and don't particularly need a viewpoint from someone who is not familiar with toddler breast-feeding. This thread is meant to encourage and support those moms who make the choice to nurse long-term. And I'm sorry if you take offense to some of the posts; I know this is a sensitive subject for moms who don't breast-feed. Moms who breast-feed don't seem to be defensive about their choice (my experience). Moms who bottle-feed seem to be defensive. Of course, bf is not always an option unfortunately for everyone.

And once again, there are actual studies about benefits of breast-feeding. Two kids in one family does not actually count as a study sorry.

 

[hannahsmomma]

Nothing wrong with supporting each other..but cant you support each other without putting down those who dont do it? I can assure you that there are alot more mothers out there besides myself and the other who had the guts to post that didnt nurse and their kids have exactly the same results as yours. That is why we dont 'buy' the studies ok?

This subject is controversial because of the attitude nursers seem to put out and I am glad you are happy with what you are doing but why does it have to also come across that if we dont do the same thing then we are not doing what is best? I have my own personal 'study' that shows my kids have the exact same results as yours and I know others as well...I think its great if you want to do it and can do it but like I said sometimes I think you need to step back and see how you are coming across to others is all

If you feel the need to be so defensive and post studies and try to back up what you do with 'facts' - well I am at a loss about that

Like I said everyone needs to do what works for them but trying to make others who dont do it feel bad isnt helping your 'cause'

That is how I feel - and I wasnt even going to post until I got tired of feeling put down even though I wasnt even personally involved in the thread..

What do you mean not personally involved in the thread? You have more post on here than some of the nursing moms do. Not one person has attacked anyone for choosing not to nurse. Someone came on to our thread of support and attacked us, so we defended our decisions with facts, that is what people do. If you feel guilty for your decisions and feel the need to attack us, then we our giong to defend our decisions! If you are not nursing a toddler, than why are you even here?

 

[DianeV]

Have a good day

 

[chobie]

I am sorry people feel attacked by scientific research but really this is a support thread for people nursing toddlers (or who have or who plan to) - not a debate thread

I agree. The ones who are getting defensive are the non -nursing mothers. I have seen that time and time again. They feel guilty, or inferior, or whatever so they try to make nursing moms into freaks or zealots. I have often seen the term "nazi" to describe nursing moms on many threads here on the Dis. But we're the ones with the "attitude."

 

[labdogs42]

To get back on topic, my DS will be two on Saturday and he's still nursing. We're headed to Disney in May and if he is still nursing, we will nurse there again (took him at 15 and 18 months and nursed all over the parks). Maybe I'll see another DIS-Mommy nursing her toddler on a bench or in the baby care centers (yes, I like to BF in air conditioning sometimes!)!

 

[grlpwrd]

My son stopped at 16mo and he's 3.5yo now.

My 18mo dd is still nursing and I plan to bf her for as long as possible.

 

[kanga24roos]

I nursed all 4 of my ds's. They each stopped themselves between 12 and 18 months they went straight from breast to a cup no bottles. They never used a "binky" "blankey" or any other security device. My 3rd son was born with a congenital heart defect and the doctors were shocked and pleased by his ability to nurse and gain weight which helped with the open heart surgery he needed at 4 mths and speeded his post op recovery. I am truly hurt by the people coming onto a thread titled nursing a toddler and feeling like they are being attacked. I cannot say how many times I tried nursing my infants and had dirty looks even from my husbands family (proud believers in the bottle). I'm deeply sorry for the women who CANNOT nurse and despartately want to, not so sorry for the women who say the want to but it's too hard to pump while at work. I worked and pumped. But the women to strongly believe there is no difference between breast milk and formula shouldn't be posting on a nursing support thread.
JMHO

 

[hannahsmomma]

To get back on topic, my DS will be two on Saturday and he's still nursing. We're headed to Disney in May and if he is still nursing, we will nurse there again (took him at 15 and 18 months and nursed all over the parks). Maybe I'll see another DIS-Mommy nursing her toddler on a bench or in the baby care centers (yes, I like to BF in air conditioning sometimes!)!

My DS turned 2 last month and we went to DW when he was 15 months and we are heading back in May, we will be there 5th-12th. When will you be there? I would love to see another BFing toddler while we are there. You should have seen some of the looks we got last year when I had to nurse him on the bus.

 

[Juliet25]

That would be like me coming on the "childless and happy thread" and commenting how it makes me, a mother feel, they are happy to be childless. Or the thread about support for C-sections and me saying how happy I am not to have needed one. It would be out of place and uncalled for. Why do people feel the need every time someone supports breast feeding to chime in "But if you don't that is ok too." When it comes down to it this discussion on Dis isn't about those who don't, it is about those who do.

AMEN! I don't know why these kinds of threads bring out the "I-couldn't-breastfeed-don't-you-dare-judge-me" posts. Sheesh! If you're happy with your decision to bottlefeed and your child is healthy, smart and well-adjusted, that's all that matters!

To those who see a BF support thread as an affront to their parenting choices, here's some advice: It's not always about you.

And to the other EN on the board, keep on doing what you're doing. It's healthy for baby and you!

 

[AngieWin]

When we are at the World in July, I will make sure I have my lime green mickeys visible in the nursing stations! If you see me nursing my 2 year old please say hi!!!

 

[chobie]

AMEN! I don't know why these kinds of threads bring out the "I-couldn't-breastfeed-don't-you-dare-judge-me" posts. Sheesh! If you're happy with your decision to bottlefeed and your child is healthy, smart and well-adjusted, that's all that matters!

To those who see a BF support thread as an affront to their parenting choices, here's some advice: It's not always about you.

And to the other EN on the board, keep on doing what you're doing. It's healthy for baby and you!

Good question, why would a mom who bottlefed even read this thread? It's almost as if they were looking for comments where we put down bottle feeders so they could say "AHA!" But even though that did NOT happen, the thread was still crashed by bottle feeding moms who thought we were implying that we were better simply for talking about BF. But we're the ones who are defensive?

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Good question, why would a mom who bottlefed even read this thread? It's almost as if they were looking for comments where we put down bottle feeders so they could say "AHA!" But even though that did NOT happen, the thread was still crashed by bottle feeding moms who thought we were implying that we were better simply for talking about BF. But we're the ones who are defensive?

OP here. Wow, didn't think this thread would still be going!

Regarding those who question the health benefits of extended breastfeeding, I have one pronouncement: IGNORANCE. No one here CARES whether you breastfed your children. Maybe your formula-fed babies were perfectly smart and/or healthy. *I was partially formula-fed, and I am quite healthy and intelligent, thankyouverymuch. HOWEVER, as I stated in my OP, the research is CRYSTAL clear: breastfeeding is best. Period. To state otherwise is just stupid. Yes, some women have valid reasons they cannot breastfeed. Some women don't try hard enough, or don't have enough support--which is a flippin' shame. Some just plain choose not to. Whatever the reason, most babies in the US get some formula. That has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the fact that extended breastfeeding IS THE OPTIMAL FORM OF INFANT/TODDLER NUTRITION. Get over the guilt, educate yourselves, and leave those of us who are only trying to do the best we can for OUR kids alone! We aren't harassing you about your choice, although I'm quite certain most of us have strong opinions about THAT (based in fact).

 

[TinkerbellMama]

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Guess I missed it!

That's probably a good thing!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

I don't disagree AT ALL with the things you state and that 'the studies' show these things...but I'm hoping that someone here can show me an unbiased study that proves that it is the nursing that gave this babies those advantages...come on ladies - we live in the real world, we KNOW those who are more likely to extended-nurse and it is RARELY (although I know there will be someone here to who responds that she did it) those who work - those who work a lot (like multiple jobs just to keep food on the table and a roof over their child's head).

There are SO MANY OTHER similarities in nursing mothers that could EASILY contribute a significant amount to those findings. IE: economic situation - less $ may lead to less or lower quality medical care which could EASILY lead to more problematic health issues. In addition - SMART is often contributed significantly by parental education level and parental involvment in the education of their children...here again, most often a parent who is able to nurse for a long time is also able to provide the time and resources to see that their child gets a 'good start' in education at home and in programs, music lessons, etc.

So, just like when I was pregnant and was unable to find any study that eliminated the other similarities and still found the same benefits that were PROVEN to be based solely on the mother's milk - I'm still searching for this information today for curiousity sake and for those who are reading this and not nursing and feeling the obligatory guilt this type of thread produces.

Don't get me wrong - I think breastmilk is a great thing - I just think you're going overboard and ignoring the obvious other benefits many nursing mothers are able to provide to their children in concluding that all of those benefits are tied to the milk itself.

If you are aware of this type of study...please tell.

I am honestly not picking on you, truly...
But the fact that you, an obviously intelligent and thoughtful mother, could still have these questions in your mind...it makes me incredibly sad.
It is NOT your fault, but breastfeeding education in this country is PATHETIC. ABYSMAL. TOTAL CRAP. So many people assume formula is "as good as" breastmilk. Not by a long shot! And we all suffer for that ignorance.
I would suggest you check out www.kellymom.com or www.lalecheleague.org and you will find many links to many journal articles, scientific studies, and resources/links for breastfeeding information.
Again, I am NOT picking on you. I am just disgusted that our society would leave us so bereft of this vital information.

 

[Camno's Mama]

I know what you all mean about feeling like some kind of freak! I nursed my older son until he was 22 months, and my younger son is 16 months and still going strong. Many people are really nice to my face about it, but I know they have their opinions behind my back. Then there are those that believe they have the right to give me their opinion right to my face! My mom has even had to defend me to people.

What's the big deal, really? I'm proud of my decision to continue breastfeeding despite people's opinions and the lack of support we receive when we make this decision. I will admit to being defensive, but that's because I feel uncomfortable having to defend myself about something that I feel is perfectly natural.

And I will admit to being a stay-at-home mom, and maybe that does make this choice simpler, but the truth is, I have chosen not to work so that I can do things like nurse for longer, make my own baby food, and all that other fun stuff! I realize that not everyone can choose to stay home and do those things, but I am proud to say that I made the choice when I could! (And in response to the post that asked is there are moms that nurse while working a lot, I will say that I know of at least one of my friends who religiously pumped while teaching during her breaks and her daughter nursed for 13 months)!

Congrats to all of you that have kept going despite the judgement and the pain and the long nights when they just don't want to stop nursing! I always tell people that my favorite time to nurse is when the babies get past the 1 year mark...it's so much more relaxing and entertaining! I feel like it's my pay-off for those first few months!

Courtney

 

[hannahsmomma]

Guess I missed it!

That's probably a good thing!

Oh believe me, it is, but she could not delete the one that I quoted if you go back a page or two you can get a glimpse of what the others were like.

 

[hannahsmomma]

OP here. Wow, didn't think this thread would still be going!

Regarding those who question the health benefits of extended breastfeeding, I have one pronouncement: IGNORANCE. No one here CARES whether you breastfed your children. Maybe your formula-fed babies were perfectly smart and/or healthy. *I was partially formula-fed, and I am quite healthy and intelligent, thankyouverymuch. HOWEVER, as I stated in my OP, the research is CRYSTAL clear: breastfeeding is best. Period. To state otherwise is just stupid. Yes, some women have valid reasons they cannot breastfeed. Some women don't try hard enough, or don't have enough support--which is a flippin' shame. Some just plain choose not to. Whatever the reason, most babies in the US get some formula. That has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the fact that extended breastfeeding IS THE OPTIMAL FORM OF INFANT/TODDLER NUTRITION. Get over the guilt, educate yourselves, and leave those of us who are only trying to do the best we can for OUR kids alone! We aren't harassing you about your choice, although I'm quite certain most of us have strong opinions about THAT (based in fact).

AMEN!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I always tell people that my favorite time to nurse is when the babies get past the 1 year mark...it's so much more relaxing and entertaining! I feel like it's my pay-off for those first few months!

Courtney

That is just how I feel. I never understand when people give up around that time. That is when it is just getting good (and easy.) You nurse when you want, but they can now eat with out you so the presure isn't there. You have the ultimate comfort for an upset little one.