When does it suddenly become too long to still be feeding??!!

[lilima]

Ok my DD self weaned at 14 months but......

It seems from birth everyone says to you "you must feed" Then they suddenly start saying "Oh you are still feeding??!!"

At what age was your child when you started getting to "are you still feeding comments?"

For me it was about 6 months!!

[LimeSlice]

Funny but I only got those comments from my sister and my mum.

And I got them from 3 months with my sister (no kids, no bf experience) and from about 7 months (when she started solids) with mum. I just laughed and said yes.

My sister gave up asking me when I would wean her about 6 months ago. She still raises her eyebrows sometimes, but not as much, and not so much when she is feeding, but when Charlotte talks to the boobs or wants to cuddle them or see them or something lol Sis still can't handle that one!!

To be honest though, they never bothered me...I was convicted in my choice and others' opinions just made me laugh and see how uneducated most people really are.
For the record we have now been feeding for 2 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 5 days and despite my thoughts she would wean now I am pregnant, she seems to be enjoying the fact my supply seems to be increasing again (which surprised me given it is so early lol)

Another situation to smile, nod and be quietly smug.

[Shanti]

We're still proudly BF'ing and DD turned 16mths today I can't see us stopping anytime soon either, regardless of people's comments because I enjoy it and DD is obsessed with her 'booby' and it's good for her and me.

Those questions are so annoying aren't they?!?! I haven't encountered too much of that, luckily, however I have had a friend recently question me about it and I felt very 'judged' by her.... made me question how well I really know her. But in saying that, if she has an issue with me still feeding my DD, then its HER issue not mine
She said to me "please tell me you aren't still going to be feeding A when she's 2yrs old!!!" and I said "actually I'm thinking about it!!!" hahaha

[~Kim~]

My ILs started at 6months, and even now every time they speak to us they ask...as if hopeful the answer will have changed
My GFs at home are all pro feeding so it was never an issue, but recently we've moved in a big way and I've had to meet new people. Not one has said anything negative, but they are all surprised he's still feeding - but it's probably more because he ask's and I feed him, wherever we are, not the fact that a toddler is feeding.

[Heaven]

Not sure! I haven't had any comments yet but I am ready! Today I was at the Dr and on my form I ticked yes to 'pregnant or breastfeeding' and the Dr said 'so, you've recently had a baby?' and I said 'she's 15 months now' and he said 'Oh, and you're still breastfeeding?' I assumed he thought it was weird and then he came out with 'That's great!! My wife actually BF my son for 2.5 yrs!!'. What a surprise! But how awesome!

[kelebek]

yep I got the comments from 6 mnths, 12 mnth, 18mnths and definitely at 24 mnths. My mum use to be the worse and now she doesn't bother

I am often asked if I will still be feeding him when he is at school and I often cheekily says probably

[Jennifer13]

Do you know what? I never had that comment, not once. I bf DD for four years and only had two comments that were anything but positive: once at 16 mths when my cousin asked me if I was worried she would get enough calcium still bfing (huh?) and my gf who asked how long I was going to keep bfing for (incredulously, rather than positively) when DD was almost two.

Whenever I said I was still bfing people were overwhelmingly positive (lots of 'good on you's and 'I wish I'd fed for longer'). When I talk about it now and say I fed her until she stopped at four people are pretty much still the same.

I really think my positive attitude and the way I brought it up (because you aren't really seen bfing beyond two - it doesn't happen as often and generally you're always bfing at home) helped the response. I talk about it still, I'd really like to normalise bfing a child beyond babyhood and I think the only way to do this is to make sure it's not in the closet.

[Kailani]

I get asked all the time and have since DS was around 6 months! Mostly from my childless or bottle-feeding friends and some ignorant family. No one's ever been intentionally rude, but I can tell they think it's not normal and that it's weird or whatever. Blah to them! DS is only 15 months and the world health org recommends bfing until at least 2 years of age - which I plan to do. DS is a shocking eater so thank goodness for booby to keep him going!

[~clover~]

I felt it myself at 6 months. Like I had to say that I was still BFing him at 8 months. & I always made it known he was BFed around new people before I fed him, just in conversation coz I felt they needed the warning for some reason.

It was about 12 months I had the odd reaction to still BFing, but only really from one of dad's mates once. Other than that it was more dad & DH teasing DS about still being a booby boy. Neither really had an issue with it, dad actually stuck up for me with the mate, but I think it'll be a life long thing. Just in good family fun, how DS fed til almost 2 & how much of a mummies boy he was. Only coz he really is such a boy!

Here where I live now is different though. All my friends BFed their bubs beyond 1, & there are 10 or 11 little ones in my group who are under 2.5. So it was is so much easier to not give it a second thought. Out where DS was born, most people my age only bother for the first few months, if at all. So its very much a society thing. Here its acceptable & you feel more part of the crowd if you do BF past whats considered normal, whereas out there, you'd be the odd one out if you were BFing.

[Shanti]

Kailani - my DD is a fussy eater also and I often worry shes' not eating enough but I know she gets plenty as we are still BF so I know how you feel

For my friend who asked "oh u wont still be feeding at 2 will you?" I said to her "it's actually very normal.... the world health org recommends BF until the child is 2yrs and beyond if desired" and that shut her up pretty quick!!! She didn't know that!!!! who can argue with stats? LOL

Jen - great post (as usual ) It's so important we aren't in the closet about it hey..... if someone asks me, I am more than happy to say Yep still feeding!! with a big smile.

My husband has had a few ppl at his work ask if I'm still feeding (no idea why it matters to them?!?!?!) and he says "yep she'll probably still be feeding at age 18" haha he loves their reactions......

[Shanti]

I'm reading a book at the moment called "Breastfeeding Older Children" and it's FANTASTIC!!!!

It's amazing how many kids are actually BF past the age of 2, 3, 4yrs... more than you'd ever realise. (because they usually do it at home etc)

[meow]

That didn't happen to me but after my son weaned at 2 I seemed to constantly get people asking me "How long did you feed him for?", assuming he was weaned. I would have still happily been feeding him so I found the assumption that I wasn't, annoying.

[lilima]

The doctor comment reminded me - when DS was 11 months I had to have extensive testing for a thyroid condition. I had to take radioactive isotopes. When I told them I was still feeding, the doctor said - "oh well you fed to 11 months you should wean anyway!!" Needless to say I didn't, but I had to halt feeding for 48 hours

[OceanPrincess]

For me I didn't get them til when I fell pg and also when DD was aaround 12mths old (pg around 9mths). People who were slightly educated about BF and pregnancy assumed she would wean and found it odd that she hadn't, then when I said I'd keep it up as long as she wanted it, they assumed I'd stop at 12mths.

Now that I am so heavily pg people find it amazing that she still wants it and I'm actually getting lots of positive commendations - "Good on you!" and all that.

But my childless friends find it odd... they ask me "when" I will wean her, like I'm going to set a date. "You're not going to still be bf when she goes to school are you???"

But she has weaned herself now which is sad

[Ginger]

i have found that most people started asking me after the 12 month mark. my ds2 is 15 months now and my goal is to feed him until 18 months. after that- who knows? i'd love to feed until 2 yo if we can!

[Traveller]

with the twins I got asked from 2 weeks, the assumption being it would be too hard so I was struggling. I wasn't struggling and kept going to 22 months

[Junglemum]

Yeah i find the funny looks and 'are you still feeding?" comment started about 12 months. I am loving living in a country where BF'ing until at least 2 is the norm. No one blinks an eye!

[Gigi]

three months.

ridiculous.

most medical professionals seem to believe you should wean at six months, never heard of the WHO recommendtations to feeed until two years and beyond.

we're still going at 3.5yrs, because my child is still requesting (we don't do demand feeding, we feed "by request".)

many people are very happy to sound off, about things they know nothing about, or know nothing about YOUR situation, their comments come out of ignorance and often arrogance (that you might know about it, and might know what suits your family).

i found it hard in the beginning, to cope with all the comments (from acquaintances, strangers and medical people). i don't have the MIL or M or relations to cop comments from.

i had to build my own support network to help me thru it (mosting in cyberspace) cos it seems to uncommon to bf where i am (even when i was around other mums with three month old bubs).