WHY is it wierd to BFd a 15 month old???

While out with a friend this afternoon who has a 2 yr old son(didnt BFd) it came round to 3pm and DD was ready for a quick BF. I was faced with a question..

''cant you just give her a milk from a bottle/sippy cup''

:o Why?

I just fed her didnt think much of it, she didnt have a problem with me feeding her while we were out, but couldnt understand why i still did it, why hadnt i 'trained' her drink milk from a sippy cup?
I have been getting quite a few comments like this recently. My mum, she thinks its disgusting that i still BF, so in turn my 13 yr old sister does too. A few other friends comment ''arnt kids ok to drink cows milk at this age'' , even DH commented today when i was telling him this story ''well, you have to think of why your still feeding her'' i dont even know what that means and didnt pursue the conversation.

I wondered what age it became 'wierd' to still be BFing...i guess around 15 months !! :rolleyes:

DD still feeds 4 times a day, 5.30am (upon waking) 10am (nap time) 3pm (set you clock by it) and 7pm (bed time) and maybe 2/3 comfort feeds over night, and she loves it, dont think she will want to stop any time soon!.....IS this really that wierd???

Is it weird?

Internationally, no, in no way. In fact in the international sense she is very young to be weaned.

But in terms of when living in a country where many people do NOT BF and very few who BF at birth make it to 6 months, let alone 12 or beyond, yes, it's probably out of the ordinary to those people.

My responses?
"HUMAN milk is better for human kids than cow's milk"
"I don't always have a cup to hand, i always have a breast to hand"
"The WHO has done extensive research and finds that there are strong benefits to children gotten by BFingfor 2 years and beyond"
"Why do i still BF? Because it's aways there, always ready and always free, why do you NOT still BF?"

I have friends and MIL who have all made comments about me BF DS still at 16 months ( have had comments since 12 months)

My DH even said you need to stop soon as you will have baby to BF and cant BF 2 kids!!! So I sent him a heap of ABA links to read in his spare time.

Good luck with it just let it all run off your back

No not weird at all!!! It's the normal happy & healthy way to do things, it works for you both and that's all the reason you need. :hug:

What's weird is that people think that bfing a baby of that age is weird ;) Babies are supposed to be bf for at least 2 years - and as PL says, the average age of weaning around the world is 4 or 5 I think. In fact, baby teeth are often called milk teeth, because babies were designed to drink bm until their first teeth fell out - at about 6 or 7!

Good on you hun :hug: Try not to let the comments get to you.

No it's NOT weird that you are still breastfeeding.

it sounds like you aren't really thinking about it just following your instincts :clap: Like Paradise Lost posted it is not common to bf this long and things that aren't common can be seen by other people as 'wierd' especially when it involves womens bodies.

I am still feeding DS (almost 20 mnths) and did get these comments after 12 mnths but I would always reply with something along the lines of... "why do you think another animals milk is better then my milk?"

I have no objection to dp giving DS milk but I don't see why I have too. I do give DS a small cup of milk before his afternoon nap but this is cause he feeds after his nap and it's become a sleep cue for us now :rolleyes:

DS feeds after his nap (he only has one sleep a day) before bed and 2/3 times overnight just before getting up and shows no sign of slowing down. I am in the process of trying to cut out the night feeds but am happy to after dawn.

Oskar was still on 3 or 4 BF's a day at that age too. I only weaned him at 19 months cos I was pg with Elijah and it hurt me too much. I used to get comments too, it's not the "norm" in our society even though the WHO does recommend 2 years! I hate how people feel that it's ok to ask why you are doing it, it's not like you're sitting there pumping sugar into them! If you both are happy, then keep BFing :)

I'm with you Bec, I still bf my 2 year old a couple of times a day...

Sometimes people make me want to :wall:

:hug:

Try not to listen to them, I don't even bother answering the comments anymore (and people that know me won't even bother comenting anymore)

Well done for bf as long as you have :)

Its odd how it suddenly goes from 'awwwwww' to 'ewwwwwwww' isn't it! We are down to 2 or 3 a day so its unusual that we are out having a BF but I always feel strange when we are.... and it doesn't help that DD runs over, pulls my top open and says 'boobies!!'!
Anyway I tell people she flatly refuses to drink cow's milk unless it's in the form of a babycino ;)

Hi Becko,
congratulations for being able to BF for as long as you have. How disappointing for you to have to deal with other people's prejudices about BFing when the WHO (world health organisation) recommend BFing for 2 years and giving expressed milk in a cup until the age of 5.
I BF my little girl India - she is 17 months old, and I will do so until she wants to wean herself.
If you are happy and your baby is happy then the choice is for you to make and not well meaning mother's and influenced teenagers

BLAH to them. I know what you mean though... I often get asked "but, why?", or people assuming she's NOT breastfed or that she drinks cows milk and having that shocked and concerned and sometimes slightly ... horrified (?) that Jazz is still 'on the boob' and pretty much refuses cows milk now unless its on her cereal in the morning.

Sometimes I feel over trying to explain to them, so I just say "meh, I'm too lazy to wean her... that would be WAY too much effort and besides, how would I get her to sleep!!??!!??" :lol:


BTW - to answer your questions... why do a lot of people in our society see it weird to breastfeed a toddler. Because THEY are weird, they can't wrap their tiny little minds around breasts as functional, and continue to see them as sexual. Also, a lot of people find breastfeeding weird full stop, but tolerate it when a baby is young ... that's their own problem though. You know its not weird, you know its not sexual, and you know its the best thing for you and your gorgeous girl!

I agree with all the girls here. Keep up the GOOD WORK! :clap: Don't listen to them. Just keep following your instincts. My mother also thought it was a bit weird that I fed beyond 2 years but I reminded her that breast milk has antibodies and that it was good for him to get those especially with Swine Flu going around. But you don't really have to justify. Just know that the World Health Organisation is a lot more informed than your friends and family ;)