Breastfeeding Beyond 12 Months

Welcome to our new chatter thread for breastfeeding your child beyond 12 months of age.

Many mums face a whole set of new challenges when breastfeeding an older child and this thread is for us to share our experiences, triumphs and wisdom! :cheer: :bluecheer:

Here are some useful links containing information and advice on breastfeeding an older child:
- "The benefits of breastfeeding your toddler", written by Pinky McKay for bellybelly.com.au
- "Breastfeeding your toddler", written for the Australian Breastfeeding Association by our own Barb Glare

OceanPrincess and MadB will be your friendly moderators. Please contact one of us with any questions or concerns about this thread.

subbing to this thread.

I am breadtfeeding DS (2 in June). I breastfed my daughters till they were 21months and 3 and a bit years, actually have been breastfeeding almost for 7 years give or take a few months towards end of pregnancies. I love breastfeeding but dont like it when DS wants to "fondle" the other breast whilst feeding, gives me the heebie jeebies.

DS2 is still feeding and he is 3 years and 2 months.

I am getting annoyed with him pulling at breast and needing to touch breast and nipple on other side while feeding. As much as I love it I do have days of wishing he would wean. DS1 will be 5 in July and he BF till just before his 4th birthday, when he suddenly couldn't suck 1 day. I Tandem fed them for 2 years 4 months and 6 days.

I am in.

I'm just in- DD is 13 and a bit months. :)

Oh kitten DD does that now! Only in the last 3 or 4 weeks. It's weird! Any chance she gets she tries to sneak a hand in my bra to fiddle.

Every toddler likes to “twiddle” the other nipple. And universally, every mother I’ve met including me *hates it*. when I went to China I went to an ancient Buddhist Grotto outside Chong Ching. There, carved into the rock 2000 years ago was a picture of a mother sitting down while her toddler was standing up breastfeeding (well, he looked about 4) and twiddling the other nipple! And it just made me want to reach up and take his hand away!
Gentle discipline starts right at the breast. If you don’t like it, gently say “no!’ and hold the hand down or take it away. Some distraction, like beads is helpful.

What a great thread ;).

I am feeding DD who will be 2 in May. I breastfed DS till just before 22 months until he self weaned when I was pregnant with DD. I am in uncharted waters now.

DD feeds way more than DS did, feeds heaps overnight (she is almost constantly attached from 3-4am onwards) and she is very loud and insistent about it when she wants 'booby'.

I am struggling a little at the moment - I can't sit down without DD asking for a feed, and she's such a fiesty thing, if I say no or try and cut a feed short I get in trouble lol, but I have stuff to do you know! I'm pretty sure she would love it if I just sat on the couch all day topless so she could come and go and help herself as she pleases.
I'm getting to the point where I'm needing to set some limits with feeding I guess. She's tiring me out!

Another thing I've discovered, and which I'm quite surprised about, is that I'm more uncomfortable feeding an older toddler than I was expecting. I'm all for full term breastfeeding and letting a child self wean, but I'm actually quite uncomfortable feeding DD in public or in front of people I'm aware it will make feel awkward. I'm not going to stop feeding her because of it, it's just something I have to work through - especially as DD does not look to be weaning anytime soon at all!

Looking forward to chatting with you all :)

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when I went to China I went to an ancient Buddhist Grotto outside Chong Ching. There, carved into the rock 2000 years ago was a picture of a mother sitting down while her toddler was standing up breastfeeding (well, he looked about 4) and twiddling the other nipple! And it just made me want to reach up and take his hand away!

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Lol! I guess if it's been going on for that long it's pretty normal.

The only time DD had access to the other nipple is when I'm wearing pjs, so only at night. When she has done it I've told her that it hurts Mummy, and asked her to be gentle. At the same time I move her hand away and make it stroke my chest. Now she does that.

There are certainly different challenges breastfeeding an older child - I picked up DD from daycare last week and after playing a little bit she tapped my breast and said "boob?" Lol. I just explained she could when we got home, and the carer just laughed.

Oh yes I hate the nipple touching!!!

Even when DD isn't feeding she wants to rest her hand on my boob! Hate hate hate it! I tell her numerous times a day to take hands off! It drives me insane and even more so being pregnant!

I'm here :) Buster is almost 16 months and still feeding. Moo weaned at 15 months so am headed into uncharted territory!

I'd like to jump in too. Hi everyone, been a while.

DD just turned one *sob* and BF is still going strong. She particularly loves her night feeds, dagnabit. Am getting lots of weaning questions from family now, not to mention my DH, so could really use your advice and support!

As for the nipple twiddling, DD doesn't really do this but she does like to put her free hand inside my bra and hold the other boob. Just to make sure no one nicks off with it :)

I'm joining in too! DS turned one 2 weeks ago and still feeds before every nap and overnight, between once and a billion times.

He doesn't fiddle with my other nipple while feeding... He likes to hold my hand and pinch the skin on my arm.

I've started getting questions re weaning which I'm not interested in... Although I'd like him not to feed so much overnight and am not really sure how to go about it.

:hello: I'm feeding my DD & she'll be two next month. I am constantly telling her not to pinch my other nipple and she is constantly throwing little tanties because of it. DH is no help - he just wants me to wean. I have cut down her feeds to night time only now and feel I'm producing less milk :cry: I'd like to feed her until she's two but I'm not sure we'll make it three more weeks. If DD has any say in it she will :lol:. I just don't have enough milk to satisfy her anymore.

Barb - thanks for sharing that story! Love it.

This thread is already awesome, just for the nipple twiddling comments :lol: My DS2 will be 3 next week, still going strong, but the nipple tweaking - OMG, drives me insane, and no matter how much I ask him not to, or move his hand away, he goes back. So I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one :) DS1 fed until his brother was born, so I've been feeding for 5 years 8 months and counting. My only "complaint" is that I'd really like him to just sleep overnight without feeding, but the tantrums & screaming I get when I try to detach him aren't worth it, so waiting until he's a bit more ready to cut back.

My DD is almost 3 and DS is 14 months and both are breastfeeding. DD has a feed before bed and sometimes goes a few days between feeds. Lately she has been requesting extra feeds but i'm not keen to have more.

The thought of feeding DS as long as DD is not a nice thought. I am getting tired of it really but not sure what I want to do. It also dissuades me from having a third child cos the feeding will just go on.

Sorry to be a downer, just tired atm.

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I'm joining in too! DS turned one 2 weeks ago

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Serious?! That went sooo quick!

Double post... Sorry