Daily requirements in breastmilk in the second year (12-24 months)

[BellyBelly]

Just sharing some info, so when people ask you that question, 'Are you STILL breastfeeding? Surely it can't be any help to him now?' you can tell them.....

In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

* 29% of energy requirements
* 43% of protein requirements
* 36% of calcium requirements
* 75% of vitamin A requirements
* 76% of folate requirements
* 94% of vitamin B12 requirements; and;
* 60% of vitamin C requirements

-- Dewey 2001

You'd think given this, two year olds were still meant to be breastfed.

[Olive]

awesome!!!

might need to print that out, laminate it and stick it in my purse!!

[Indadhanu]

THANKS Kelly!!!!!

I think I'll have to make a few copies and hand it out

[Heaven]

awesome!

[Gigi]

Kelly, wherever you got that from, did it have any stats on "the benefits of feeding in the 3rd year?"

my child is about 38 months old now (turned three mid Nov) and we're still feeding too.

[OceanPrincess]

Just found this on the ABA website:

Breastfeeding your toddler can provide:
31% of his daily energy needs,
38% of protein requirements,
45% of Vitamin A requirements, and
95% of Vitamin C needs.

Source: WHO/CDR/93.4

So they say "toddler", they don't actually give an age range - Gigi I reckon that would cover off your bubs!

[joey123]

My DD is 11 months and she goes to bed after dinner (solids) and a bath (and of course a cuddle), but I haven't been giving her a BF for about a month now. She was sick and just wanted to go to bed one night, so I put her down without a BF and I have continued to do this as I thought it would be a good idea to get her out of the habit while I had the chance as I didn't want to have a problem where she wouldn't go to bed without a BF as she got older, if I wanted someone else to put her down, etc.

She goes down about 7pm but then I give her a dream feed at about 8.30pm, just before I go to bed. I was doing this originally so she would sleep 'that little bit longer', but now I think she is eating so much for dinner, she will sleep through without the dream feed. Now my question is, do I do it anyway for health reasons, or not. I don't know how I feel emotionally about giving up her dream feed, I'll cross that bridge when I need to.

She normally feeds 3-4 times a day (NOT including her dream feed). So should I still give her a dreamfeed at night?

Thanks

[abigator]

response to joey123

As DD is still getting bf during the day, if she will sleep all night without a feed, yay for you! The health benefits are covered with the daytime feeds. If it doesn't work, start the dreamfeeds again

[joey123]

Went for a week or 2 without the dream-feed and she was waking in the night, so have gone back to it again and she sleeps through SOME nights. Thanks for all your help. Looks like she needs that night time feed still.

[BellyBelly]

*bumpity*

[dusty]

This is fantastic info. My daughter was never a big eater, started solids regularly at 13 months and didn't have a large quantity of solids but grew normally and was super healthy while breastfeeding her until 27 months. Wish I'd known it then as I still worried about her daily intake of everything she needed. Meanwhile I was surrounded by babies weaned by 12 months that ate so much more and now I know why!

[joey123]

And for those over 2?