Too old for breast feeding?

[Eagleeye 0]

I know a person who is still breast feeding their child who will be 3 years old this week. At what age is too old? This woman is nuts.

[Frenchy68 0]

I'm still breast fed. Is that bad?

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[mcneill79 0]

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I'm still breast fed. Is that bad?

That's hot

[Eagleeye 0]

That's funny, but really. Don't you think that child will have problems when he gets older?

[gmittar 0]

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That's funny, but really. Don't you think that child will have problems when he gets older?

Yes. And sexual flirtations aside, it is too old.

|>.<|
Seriously, W.T.F. mate?

[BPO 0]

not too long ago I saw a program on BBC.. about extreme breastfeeding. In the showteaser they showed a SIX year old getting under mum's sweater to drink some milk.

THE MENTAL IMAGE STILL HAUNTS ME!

[hookitt 0]

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Yes. And sexual flirtations aside, it is too old.

Sure about that?

Here is just a tiny bit of info after a brief google search. Western civilization seems to have issues with everything. It's not uncommon in many parts of the world to breast feed at 3.

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My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[NWFlyer 2]

Let's see ... unless you are the father of this child (in which case, yes, you probably should have some say in the child-rearing decisions), I'd say stay the hell out.

Of course, if you do decide to tell her you disagree with her choice, let us know. I'll get some popcorn and watch.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Eagleeye 0]

I like your view NWFLYER, No I am not the dad, so maybe it is not my business. I only ask because a few friends expressed concern, and from what I know from the norm is that after 2 years may be a rarity. It sounds odd to be 3 and still breast feeding, I can;t imagine being 6. I wonder what the psychological effects are on those children as they grow older? I've heard of it being illegal after a certain age. Easy does it.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

My view: If the kid is old enough to enunciate clearly what he/she wants, they are too freakin' old to be dangling from a nipple.

Of course that's just my opinion.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[akarunway 1]

EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING AND THE LAW
ELIZABETH N. BALDWIN
from Breastfeeding Abstracts, February 2001, Volume 20, Number 3, pp. 19-20.
Misinformation about breastfeeding affects everyone in our society, including lawyers, judges, psychologists, and social workers. While there is no harm in breastfeeding past infancy and allowing a child to wean naturally, many professionals in social service agencies and family law courts are quite shocked to learn just how long a child may breastfeed. Lacking accurate information, these officials may overreact and conclude that breastfeeding a child of two, three, or four is somehow improper. As more mothers nurse longer, healthcare and lactation professionals need to be aware of legal issues surrounding extended breastfeeding, so that they can educate their counterparts in the legal and social service systems.

Breastfeeding and the Courts
The issue of extended breastfeeding has been raised numerous times in United States courts, in both social service agency and family law cases. There are older reports of family law cases in which the court ’s custody decision was affected by the belief that the child should have been weaned at an earlier age.1 However, a more recent custody case recognized that it was not inappropriate to breastfeed past infancy and discounted the father ’s claims that it was detrimental to the child ’s development.2 It is not uncommon for fathers to raise questions about extended breastfeeding to gain leverage in custody decisions, even fathers who were supportive of long-term breastfeeding prior to the divorce. This tactic has been shown to work. After all, what do judges know about breastfeeding!

Social service agencies have looked at the issue of extended breastfeeding numerous times over the past ten years, but not one social service agency has upheld any finding that extended breastfeeding constitutes abuse or neglect, or is in any way harmful to the child. In only two situations has a child been removed from the home. Several years ago, a social service agency in Colorado removed a five-year-old child because the mother was still breastfeeding, but the court ordered the child to be immediately returned to his family. Last year, in Illinois, a child was removed from the mother ’s custody to foster care for over six months because a judge issued an initial finding that the child was at risk of serious emotional harm because of not being weaned. This case received a great deal of publicity. Though the case is still in the process of being resolved, the child has been returned to his mother, and the judge has vacated the finding of neglect.

In 1992, in a highly publicized case in New York State, a mother claimed that she had lost custody of her child for a year because she was breastfeeding at age three. This mother had reported experiences of sexual arousal during breastfeeding, and authorities removed the child from the home, for fear that this mother might sexually abuse this child. Later, the social service agency in New York that took this action issued a formal statement, saying that there was more to this case than could be disclosed to the press, due to confidentiality laws. The statement also added that extended breastfeeding or even arousal during breastfeeding were not reasons for removing a child from a mother ’s custody. Over the next few years, other social service agencies have also investigated cases related to extended breastfeeding, but have not removed children from their homes. These cases have been closed once officials received accurate information about extended breastfeeding and natural weaning. Breastfeeding, at any age, is not abuse or neglect.

Information about Weaning
Mothers who allow their child to wean naturally are being responsive to the child ’s need. Contrary to the suspicions of those in our society who view breastfeeding as somehow being a sexual act, mothers who nurse older children are not satisfying pathological needs of their own.

Mothers who have breastfed past infancy rarely expected to nurse for so long, but they continue because it is so important to their child. At one time children all over the world were breastfed until they weaned naturally. It is only in our modern society that extended breastfeeding has fallen so far out of fashion that it is viewed as an abnormal act.

Breastfeeding experts do not advocate a specific age for weaning, as this is a personal decision for each mother and child. Authorities do suggest that it is best to let children wean naturally. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies be breastfed for at least one year, or as long as mutually desirable.3 In support of this recommendation, the AAP ’s statement cites a study that discusses the age of weaning among American women who practice extended breastfeeding. Weaning ages in the study extend through age 6.4

Many people are surprised to learn that experts consider 4 or 5 years to be the average age of weaning worldwide.5 Research by Dr. Katherine Dettwyler, anthropologist at Texas A&M University, argues that the natural weaning age for human beings falls between 2.5 and 6 years of age.6 An informal survey conducted by Dr. Dettwyler indicated that many more women in the United States are nursing children past infancy, and she has reports of children as old as ten years old still breastfeeding.So many women are breastfeeding past infancy that two books on the subject have chapters on nursing past age four (MOTHERING YOUR NURSING TODDLER, by Norma Jane Bumgarner, and The Nursing Mother ’s Guide to Weaning, by Kathleen Huggins).7,8 Many people, however, are not familiar with the idea of extended breastfeeding, since older nursing children do not nurse frequently or urgently, and most mothers nursing an older child do not do so openly in public. They may not even admit to their doctors that they are still breastfeeding. It is ironic that our society does not seem to object to children sucking their fingers, pacifiers, or bottles past infancy, but many are outraged when a child who can walk and talk is still breastfeeding. Because our culture tends to view the breast as sexual, it can be hard for people to realize that breastfeeding is the natural way to nurture children.

More and more experts and professionals are encouraging extended breastfeeding, as there is substantial evidence that health benefits continue and increase the longer the child breastfeeds. The current recommendations of the World Health Organization and UNICEF are for all mothers to breastfeed until age 2 or beyond. Studies have shown that the antibodies and immunities in a mother ’s milk are more concentrated the longer she nurses, to make up for the fact that the child does not nurse as often. Recent studies also indicate that extended periods of breastfeeding offer mothers protection against breast cancer.9,10

Children who nurse past infancy have their own developmental timetables. Many nurse for only a few minutes at bedtime, upon waking, or at nap time. Some may go days or even weeks without asking to nurse. Some wean only to resume nursing when stressful events occur in their lives, such as the birth of a sibling. When little ones get sick, most mothers find that the amount of nursing increases. Breastfeeding is primarily for comfort as children pass their first birthday, and there is nothing wrong with that. Some people may assume that if a child is nursing past infancy, it must be influenced by the mother ’s desires or wishes. To the contrary, the child is the one who determines if breastfeeding is going to continue. It is well known in the field of lactation that it is very difficult to make a child breastfeed.

The Professional’s Responsibility
Health professionals, social service workers, and judges and lawyers in the field of family law need to become informed about extended breastfeeding. The good intentions of a poorly informed professional can result in a false report of abuse, or even a child being placed in foster care needlessly. Personal feelings or beliefs about breastfeeding should not be allowed to affect professional judgment. Unfortunately, women have been reported to social service agencies for extended breastfeeding by the very professionals from whom they sought help. Several years ago in Florida, a mental health professional reported a client to social services for allowing a five-year-old child to try breastfeeding again after he had weaned. The father was attempting to use this incident as a weapon against the mother in a family law situation. The therapist unwittingly went along with the father ’s concern, and reported that the mother-child relationship was dysfunctional. When caseworkers at the social service agency learned more about extended breastfeeding and weaning, the case was closed.

If a mother is reported to a social service agency for extended breastfeeding, or if the issue arises in a divorce or family law case, health professionals can assist by providing accurate information about the issue to everyone involved. Most of the time this sharing of information resolves the situation. If it does not, direct testimony from an expert may be needed to resolve the case in the mother ’s favor.

Elizabeth N. Baldwin was an attorney and family mediator in private practice with her husband, Kenneth A. Friedman, in Miami, Florida. She died in March 2003 after an extended illness. Her family law practice primarily focused on protecting young, securely attached and breastfed babies in divorce cases. Elizabeth was also a La Leche League Leader, and a member of LLLI's Professional Advisory Board, Legal Advisory Council. She published numerous articles on breastfeeding and the law, and often spoke at conferences. She assisted hundreds of parents involved in breastfeeding legal cases, and provided information and help to parents, attorneys and other professionals dealing with these issues.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

So the next time you see me drunk at the DZ what I'm trying to do is not illegal.



.

[akarunway 1]

You get one I get the other. Fair enough?

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[misskriss 0]

I don't know... I breasfed my oldest till she was two. Obviously she ate real food and at that age would only breastfeed for comfort or as her morning or evening "snack." She decided on her own she didn't need it anymore.

I think it's a very personal decision but there obviously is a cutoff date... can't see nursing a child who is in kindergarten. Now when that cutoff date is not for me to decide though.

I'm nursing my three month old now and will do it for at least a year.

[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

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I know a person who is still breast feeding their child who will be 3 years old this week. At what age is too old? This woman is nuts.

not too long ago I saw a program on BBC.. about extreme breastfeeding. In the showteaser they showed a SIX year old getting under mum's sweater to drink some milk.

THE MENTAL IMAGE STILL HAUNTS ME!

I just recently heard on the radio about a woman who breast feeds her 8 year old son and her 5 year old daughter. That is EXTREME to me, I couldn't imagine being 8 years old and breast feeding, other kids would certainly be picking on you for that. It's got to cause some kind of mental issues with the child, talk about being a mama's boy.

[turtlespeed 212]

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I know a person who is still breast feeding their child who will be 3 years old this week. At what age is too old? This woman is nuts.

I still feed everytime I can.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[cpoxon 0]

Bitty!

Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live

[NWFlyer 2]

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Bitty!

[JohnMitchell 14]

That's hilarious!

The whole breast feeding thing has been too sexualized in some people's minds. There is a closeness and intimacy between the mother and child fostered by that act, but is that a bad thing? Come on, put away your Puritan dogma and get over the human body. There's nothing wrong with it, just our attitudes.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Thats great.


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[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

Closeness and intimacy are not a bad thing.. However there are no other animals on this planet (that I know of, please correct me if I'm wrong) that breast feed their offspring up to 8 years old. Granted humans take much longer to mature compared to the rest of the animal kingdom, I think it is important for a child to start becoming independent as soon as they are able too. I just think it could cause a mental dependency that could effect the child in his/her adult life in a negative way. Then again I'm not a mother (or a woman for that matter), a child who was breast feed till 8 years old, or a psychologist so my opinion means absolutely nothing.

[mailin 0]

The Americn Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast feeding until 2 years old - and extended breast feeding is best.

It has been shown that breast feeding lessens the issue of childhood obesity and juvenile delincquency (sp?).

Human milk for human people... gee, who wouldathunkit?

In all seriousness, american culture has become very 'phobic' on the subject of breast feeding. I saw an elderly man last year chastise a young mother in a diner for breastfeeding her son ( I couldn't see what she was doing, so this old man must have been really staring!) - why should an infant have to sit in a car to eat?

I think its great that a mom can ignore the bias of a selfish society and provide what is best for her child! Kudos to her - and shame on you for thinking negatively on her and her child as a result.


Jen

Arianna Frances

[Sick_Of_It_All 0]

I have nothing against breast feeding ( ). I was a breast fed child and I might say I turned out pretty kick ass. I also think it is certainly much healthier than not being breast fed. There has to however be some point at which the child is just to old for it. On the issue of breast feeding in public, whats wrong with that, that old guy was just jealous he doesn't have a nice young pair of breasts to feed from.