Breastfeeding an older baby at WDW

[Goobergal99]

Everyone here may not know this but in Canada women are allowed to go topless where men are allowed to go topless. How about them apples?????!!!!!!

Why shouldn't we be able to? Tell me that!!!

LoL, well Canada is very french

JK, I dont care about breasts anyway, I really didnt see what the big deal with the super bowl was either Its a breast I am sure the kid will not be scarred for life for seeing one, in any way shape or form.

 

[cstraub]

I AM NOT TRYING TO GET FLAMED HERE!! Belive me, I really don't care how women choose to feed their kids.

However, many women I know, both breastfeeders and bottle feeders alike, disagree with long term breastfeeding. They understand that breastfeeding an infant is medically proven to be healthier then formula feeding, however when babies begin to grow teeth (aorund 4-6 months) it is sort of natures way of saying it is time to move on to solid foods. I don't know if children are meant to be fed in this fashion after infancy, I don't really care either but it sort of seems like nature intends for breastfeeding to stop at that point.

In other forms of nature, the young of species are not fed into childhood, they are fed during infancy. Why is it that women feed their toddlers from their breasts? I am really not trying to start an argument, I just don't understand the necessity for it. As far as immunity goes, babies have their mothers immunities for the first year regardless of whether or not the mother chose to breastfeed or not. After the first year, shouldnt the child develop an immunity of it's own? and as far as bonding goes, I never agreed with that as a reason anyway because I don't believe in the argument. However, even if the woman feels this way, are there not other ways to bond with your child? That are not quite as painful....

Who cares about all of this????!! I did it for three years with all three of my children give or take because my child and I mutually wanted to do it. Why does there have to be a necessity or reason for it? Just for the record it was not painful for me or my child to nurse.

 

[totalia]

Everyone here may not know this but in Canada women are allowed to go topless where men are allowed to go topless. How about them apples?????!!!!!!

Why shouldn't we be able to? Tell me that!!!

Huh? We are? That's new to me. Maybe I should take off my shirt in public tomorrow and run down the street like that. See how long it takes for me to get arrested for indecent exposure. Methinks the cops wouldn't be too pleased.

That being said, I see no problem with breastfeeding in general if woman feels that its best though I do ask that she place a blanket over her chest when she does so. Its not that its disgusting or anything, it just makes me uncomfortable to watch.

I must say though, I've never known any mother who breast fed beyond 9 months. Why continue so long when the child obviously has teeth and no longer needs it? If we needed to breastfeed, we wouldn't develop teeth after a small amount of time.

 

[metivier]

Why is it that women feed their toddlers from their breasts?

Because the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding to at least the age of 2 years, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child." The AAP continues in their recommendations by stating "There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer."

As a critical care nurse, I trust that you not only know who these organizations are but also may even respect their recommendations.

 

[beattyfamily]

This thread is nasty, selfish and mean spirited on both sides of the issue, IMHO.

I've breastfed both DDs; one for 4 months and the other till 1 year old. No difference in the bonding.

I was discreet because that is just me AND because of how our country is. It is what it is.

Just because it's legal and natural doesn't mean its ok just to plop it out and not be discreet. Having the attitude that I can do it anywhere and any way I want to and I don't have to be discreet and if you don't like it, tough is a pretty selfish attitude and not helping your cause.

Telling non-breastfeeding moms they don't have the same bond is rude.

Telling non-breastfeeding moms they are doing their babies a diservice not breastfeeing is rude.

Telling NIP moms to hide away is also rude.

I just can't believe how selfish and rude some are being.

To each their own on this issue and we shouldn't make each other feel so badly about our decisions on both sides of the issue.

I don't think NIP moms should hide or be made to feel like their doing something wrong BUT I also think they can show some mutual respect and not expose their whole breast and to heck with those around them. A breast isn't quite the same as a bottle. They are NOT the same.

I am all for breastfeeding. I do think though there are a few places that I personally wouldn't do it. I'd excuse myself. That's just me though. I care how the people around me feel.

I also think that past the age of 3, it should stop or be done in private. That's MY opinion. I personally think over age one is too old but for others, over 3 is really pushing it and there's no need to give it to them any time they want it. Age 4 and over would suprise me if I saw it and I would think oh my!. My goodness, so when is it too old? Never? 7? 8? To each their own? I think you are doing your child a diservice if you breastfeed past 4 years old. That's my (and Dr. Phil's) opinion.

Carry on your vicious, nasty, selfish, "I don't care what you think, I'm still going to do it if I want to" fight. It's quite sad, actually.

 

[lillygator]

Just because it's legal and natural doesn't mean its ok just to plop it out and not be discreet. Having the attitude that I can do it anywhere and any way I want to and I don't have to be discreet and if you don't like it, tough is a pretty selfish attitude and not helping your cause.

EXACTLY!

 

[Disneyrsh]

I think you are doing your child a diservice if you breastfeed past 4 years old. That's my (and Dr. Phil's) opinion.

Dr. Phil rocks!

 

[becca011906]

Because the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding to at least the age of 2 years, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child." The AAP continues in their recommendations by stating "There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer."

As a critical care nurse, I trust that you not only know who these organizations are but also may even respect their recommendations.

And actully the AAP has stated just recently in the past 1-3 months that it is exceding there recomendation to thoes of the WHO and say that is't benafical to age 2. So if the AAP and WHO says there are benifets to BF after the age of 1 or 3-4 months (this is like 1980's info) then i'll continue to breastfeed my dd till alteast age 2. With or with out teeth, that has nothing to do with nursing.
As for the thinking above that if a child gets teeth at 3-4 months is a little off, some babies are born with teeth so should they not breastfeed or be bottle fed from birth, NO. And some babies don't get teeth untill close to 1 year (my second child had no teeth till 10 months). Teeth have NOTHING to do with feeding you child from the breast or from a bottle for that matter, i know some women who's 5 y/os are still taking a bottle at night time...

 

[Ardenne]

I don't know where this obsession with teeth came from, but teeth have nothing whatsoever to do with whether a child is ready to wean or not. Nor does taking table food -- babies continue to get the majority of their nutrition from milk for a long, long, time after they start taking tastes of table food.

I also question the reasoning of people who say 'I don't see why people keep claiming it still has health benefits after the first few months', when the WHO and AAP recommendations are very clear, straightforward, and based on *reams* of research.

I would like to see the fighting settle down, as well. But I don't like to see moms intimidated into not nursing just because some people have issues with it, either, and all too often, that's what happens.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Its not that its disgusting or anything, it just makes me uncomfortable to watch.

Simple solution. Don't watch.

 

[Disneyrsh]

And actully the AAP has stated just recently in the past 1-3 months that it is exceding there recomendation to thoes of the WHO and say that is't benafical to age 2. So if the AAP and WHO says there are benifets to BF after the age of 1 or 3-4 months (this is like 1980's info) then i'll continue to breastfeed my dd till alteast age 2. With or with out teeth, that has nothing to do with nursing.
As for the thinking above that if a child gets teeth at 3-4 months is a little off, some babies are born with teeth so should they not breastfeed or be bottle fed from birth, NO. And some babies don't get teeth untill close to 1 year (my second child had no teeth till 10 months). Teeth have NOTHING to do with feeding you child from the breast or from a bottle for that matter, i know some women who's 5 y/os are still taking a bottle at night time...

Whoa, for me teeth had everything to do with breastfeeding! When my daughters got their upper AND lower teeth in they could actually bite me, and it was extraordinarily painful! My older daughter at about 9 1/2 months would bite me, see me jump and say "ow" and giggle hysterically. She thought it was a really funny game!

It got to the point where I was bleeding and I said, wow, this has to stop, so every time she bit me I would stop nursing her. If she was still hungry I'd offer her some food that wasn't from me, if I remember correctly some oatmeal gruel or mashed up apple or some such.

Finally, she'd latch on, nurse for a minute, and then CHOMP! and spit me out. And it finally dawned on me that she was preferring the other foods to me and would bite me to let me know she wanted other foods. D'oh! Way to train her!

My younger daughter let me know that she was ready to stop nursing when she was nursing while I was eating and she'd grab the food out of my hands, stop nursing, and shove whatever I had been eating into her mouth! I was like, no, you can't have a hamburger!

So you've got all these arbtrary guidelines put out by "experts" (a term I am always suspicious of-do you really think they're any smarter than you are?), who aren't around you, don't know your kid, and are telling you what's best.

If you pay attention to your kids, they'll let you know when they're ready. I think the extended breastfeeding suggestion is for poorly developed countries where clean water isn't readily available and breastmilk is often the safest choice for the child. If I lived in Ethiopia or Sudan, I might still be breastfeeding today if it was the best way to keep my kid safe. But I don't, and it's not.

And the original title to the post was 'breastfeeding an older baby'. When does a child stop being a baby and start being a kid? My daughters definitely were NOT babies by 18 months. They were potty trained, they walked and talked and could express their likes and dislikes, could sing entire songs, and could strip in public in a flash whenever the moment struck. Definitely not babies.

 

[metivier]

And actully the AAP has stated just recently in the past 1-3 months that it is exceding there recomendation to thoes of the WHO and say that is't benafical to age 2.

The quote that I included from the AAP above is their current recommendation. The source of the information is as follows:

AAP POLICY STATEMENT- Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005, pp. 496-506 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-2491)

AAP Policy Statement

 

[metivier]

This thread is nasty, selfish and mean spirited on both sides of the issue, IMHO.

Agreed.

And telling extended nursing moms that it is wrong to nurse their child (whatever the age of the child) is rude.

 

[meatballsmom]

First of all I want to say I have no problem with women breastfeeding. But the majority of America was brought up to breastfeed discreetly. Just because some women believe that a women's breast when breastfeeding is perfectly normal for others to see, alot of women don't. I've been places where women pick up their shirt for all to see and start breastfeeding. Which makes it uncomfortable for woman who are more modest or discreet and want to raise their children that way. I have also been places where a women very discreetly breastfed. Kudos to you!!!

Why is it difficult to explain to a child that a woman is feeding her baby?

My only problem with this quote is that a child of 15-28 months old is no longer a baby. They are a toddlers. I would say 90% of toddlers are not breastfed in the US and it makes uncomfortable for others with children to see this. I have no problem if you still want to breastfeed at that age, but agree that I would ask that if you do, you use a little discretion and understanding for us that don't.

ok, putting my flame suit on now!!!

 

[beattyfamily]

Agreed.

And telling extended nursing moms that it is wrong to nurse their child (whatever the age of the child) is rude.

I was giving my opinion on breastfeeding over the age of 3...I don't think I used the word "wrong", did I? I said I wouldn't do it and that'd I'd be surprised to see a child (not baby) breastfeed in public. If that's rude, well, I'm sorry. I was just being honest and giving my opinion. I guess there's plenty of rudeness to go around on both sides of the issue. Sorry if I offended anyone who's breastfeeding a 4 year+ child.

 

[metivier]

I was giving my opinion on breastfeeding over the age of 3...I don't think I used the word "wrong", did I?

No, you did not use the word "wrong" -- I stand corrected -- to be specific, you said:

I also think that past the age of 3, it should stop or be done in private. That's MY opinion. I personally think over age one is too old

I read this statement as it is your personal opinion that over the age of one, a child should not be nursed in public.

In MY opinion, if a mom wants to nurse her infant/baby/toddler in public, then she should do just that. If it bothers me, I don't look. I'm far more upset by people cursing at their children or smoking a cigarette than by a mom nursing her child. And there's not a lick I can do about THOSE things, either.

 

[meatballsmom]

And the original title to the post was 'breastfeeding an older baby'. When does a child stop being a baby and start being a kid? My daughters definitely were NOT babies by 18 months. They were potty trained, they walked and talked and could express their likes and dislikes, could sing entire songs, and could strip in public in a flash whenever the moment struck. Definitely not babies.

Agreed. Mine too! He stopped being a baby way beyond 18 months.

 

[becca011906]

My only problem with this quote is that a child of 15-28 months old is no longer a baby. They are a toddlers. I would say 90% of toddlers are not breastfed in the US and it makes uncomfortable for others with children to see this. I have no problem if you still want to breastfeed at that age, but agree that I would ask that if you do, you use a little discretion and understanding for us that don't.

ok, putting my flame suit on now!!!

I agree that up to 90% or america doesn't BF a toddler, but it's what's recomended by the WHO to BF to ATLEAST 2 years and AAP by bf to 1 year ATLEAST and longer if wanted by mother and child benifits are still very much there, the benifts don't magical disapear after 12 months they contiune as long as you use them, 1 year, 2 years, 4 year and so on. So the problem America needs to get with it and get our kids more healthy and give them what's best... If you don't want to BF then the least you can do is suport Breastfeeding since it is a PROVEN fact that it's best for an UNDERTERMIND set amount of time, however long you want to BF is as long as it's benifical, be that 2 days, 3 months, 10 months, 15 months, 2 years, 3 year, and so on....

 

[beattyfamily]

No, you did not use the word "wrong" -- I stand corrected -- to be specific, you said:



I read this statement as it is your personal opinion that over the age of one, a child should not be nursed in public.

In MY opinion, if a mom wants to nurse her infant/baby/toddler in public, then she should do just that. If it bothers me, I don't look. I'm far more upset by people cursing at their children or smoking a cigarette than by a mom nursing her child. And there's not a lick I can do about THOSE things, either.

No, that's poor wording on my part then. I personally didn't want to breastfeed after age one. I wasn't referring to age one and breastfeeding in public or private at age one.

I personally feel that after age 3, children should be weaned or maybe breastfeed in a more private location or maybe only in the am or pm before bed. That's just my opinion on an older child being breastfed. Doesn't mean I'm going to do anything about it, like give a dirty look or say anything. I also know there's nothing I can do about it but I wouldn't even if I could. To each their own.

If I saw a child over age 3, let's say 4 years old, breastfeeding in public, I wouldn't do anything about it but I would certainly think to myself, wow, that's pretty old to be breastfeeding. That's all. I'm really am sorry if I've offended anyone. I probably should just keep my opinions to myself if they offend. Again, I am sorry.

And I would also be more upset by a lot of other things rather then an older child breastfeeding...cursing, smoking etc...but we're discussing breastfeeding in public and the amount of discreetness and whether it's necessary to be discreet at all...

 

[meatballsmom]

I agree that up to 90% or america doesn't BF a toddler, but it's what's recomended by the WHO to BF to ATLEAST 2 years and AAP by bf to 1 year ATLEAST and longer if wanted by mother and child benifits are still very much there, the benifts don't magical disapear after 12 months they contiune as long as you use them, 1 year, 2 years, 4 year and so on. So the problem America needs to get with it and get our kids more healthy and give them what's best... If you don't want to BF then the least you can do is suport Breastfeeding since it is a PROVEN fact that it's best for an UNDERTERMIND set amount of time, however long you want to BF is as long as it's benifical, be that 2 days, 3 months, 10 months, 15 months, 2 years, 3 year, and so on....

I never said I don't support BF. If you went back and reread my comments, my first comment is that I am all for breastfeeding. I just believe that the majority of us don't BF that long and it's uncomfortable for us to explain to our older children. All I asked is that you be discreet with it for us that choose not too and respect our feelings also.