For those of us who do intend to start the weaning process at one year, why are we villified? If you want to be an extended breastfeeder, then more power to you. But it seems as if something is missed here - the AAP says, as long as it is "mutually" enjoyed by both mother and child. If one member of the team would like to have out - for whatever reason - at that age, they can and the child we be just fine. In fact, I really don't see the correlation between breast milk and intelligence. Health benefits, yes..fewer ear infections being one of them. But my husband was formula fed and he went to UT-Austin (and not on an athletic scholarship), and I was breastfed for six months and I went to NYU. Point being, we both did well and it wasn't because of how we were fed. I am nursing my daughter because that's my choice and I think she is getting optimal nutrition. For those who formula feed, they are doing what they can. I consider myself a moderate, respectful of all. I'll freely admit that I would like to start the weaning process at one or so for the following: my daughter can do fine on table food, I'd like to provide comfort and bonding without breasts because I am more than mammary glands, I'll be able to take medicines that might be too powerful for her, and I'd like to stop pumping..working and pumping with my type of job is a challenge :( AMEN sister. The thing is, here on Yahoo answers you have SOME women who are self-righteous busy bodies with way too much time on their hands. They can't even state facts and yet they put others down for not nursing beyond a year. It is sad really.
You are right, there is no correlation between breast milk and intelligence. The AAP recently did a study and disproved that theory. Although they do say that smarter women breast feed.
I find it gross seeing a toddler/preschooler running up to a mother screaming "I want the boobie" lifting up her mother's shirt, undoing her bra for a snack. That to me is gross. These women are so proud of the fact that they do this yet they admit they would never breastfeed a preschooler in public. Sounds like they know it is wrong but don't want to quit. Some also say that they do it for comfort and to show love. There is just something very disturbing to me about that statement. I am thankful my kids know I love them with out having to stick a boob in their mouth.
I breast fed my kids until they self-weaned at 8 1/2 months. I would have cut them off by the age of one. i personally would not continue breastfeeding after i would have broken the baby from a bottle. thats 1 year. but, if you want to contunue, more power to ya! :) If you want to breast fed your child it is your decision to make, and no one else, some people breastfed their child for as long as even three years if thats their comfort zone with their child then it is, i dont think anyone should interfere, but please remenber at a certain time the breast milk doesn't look like milk then at that time the child wont enjoy it anymore. I'm with you, if a mother wants to nurse her child longer than a year it's her choice, if at one year, or even less, they want to wean, it's their choice. From my understanding, most health benifits of breastmilk are negated by about 6 months, and all others by 1 year.
My two breast-fed babies self-weaned at about 10 months. I miss it sometimes, but I don't think it really matters. I agree with you, as long as the child is not that old that he or she can say mommy I want more milk,( Pointing to the Breast ). Breast feeding is normal and better for both mother and child. I loved and enjoyed breast feeding my children. Don't forget that partial weaning is also an option. At one year you could certainly stop pumping at work but still be able to nurse when you are together.
MANY medications are fine to take while nursing. "Medications & Mother's Milk" by Hale is the best resource for this info. There is so much pressure out there in the way of feeding. Us mothers have enough to worry about without having other people tell us our kids are going to have lower iq's and possible health issues. Mom's can only do thier best and that's good enough. I agree, there needs to be more sensitivity in this area. It's an emotional topic, and the fact is, no matter what you do, there are some people who will criticize you for either breastfeeding too long or not long enough.
I weaned my daughter at 13 months, and I know some people were really bothered by the idea of a child who could walk still nursing. I know my sister in law (who only breastfed for a few weeks and hated it) thought I was crazy. On the other hand, there are plenty of extended breastfeeding folks who would criticize my decision to wean at that age. I felt the same as you did, I was very happy I had breastfed my daughter, but I was ready to stop arranging work around the need to pump, ready to take a medication if I needed it, ready to allow my husband to be the one to get up at night with her sometimes.
Please do what you feel is right for you and your child, and don't worry about the opinions of a few fanatics who feel that their choice is the only valid one. You need not feel bad at all, in fact, you breast fed lots longer than the average person does. I personally think that extended breast feeding is more for the Mom than for the kid and think that when its goes too long its almost abusive as it doesnt allow the child to grow developementally as quickly as non breast fed children. It shows a mothers inability to allow the child to act his or her age. Im sure a lot of people are going to be angry at this but its how I feel. I breast fed all my children until 6 months only. I can't express enough how great information from Le Leche League is!!! I read the book, The womanly art of breastfeeding, and it was great! you can get the book online or just about anywhere you get other baby stuff....
also, contact your local le leche league group! they can be an enourmous support system for you!
Good Luck!!!!
Source(s):
http://www.lalecheleague.org/ I am breastfeeding my 16-month-old and don't plan on stopping until she self-weans. I think what you've done for your child is great and you sound like a wonderful mom. I say to each her own when it comes to weaning. I wish more people could be respectful of each other. I hear a lot of "wean now you sicko" type things. So I guess no matter what we do as mothers someone will always be there to criticize. Good luck and WTG for breastfeeding!! I assume this question is directed and me and 鈥渕y kind鈥?LOL And I don鈥檛 mind one bit and delight in the chance to answer it! I hope you take no offense to my answer as I mean none.
You say you feel vilified for NOT breastfeeding past 1 year, I feel just as vilified for choosing to breastfeed past one year possibly two years (my 7 week old will self wean) And maybe that is part of the reason I come on so strong. I think all mothers get criticized weather they bottle feed or breastfeed, wean at six months or four years, use cow鈥檚 milk formula or soy formula, use disposable or cloth, spank or not, it鈥檚 never ending! And no matter what you do your kids will NOT turn out perfect! LOL (well, not in anyone else鈥檚 eyes other than our own!)
You have to do what is best for you and your child! No matter what other mothers do. I'm doing what I think is best for my child, as most mothers do, but everychild and every mother is different, and that's okay.
I have never critacized anyone for not breastfeeding or choseing to wean at 6 months. Just because I offer them facts and information on breastfeeding or extended nursing doen't mean I'm judgeing them. I'm just educating them. In my experience most mothers NEED breastmilk, breastfeeding education, I know I certianly could have used some with my 1st!
I don鈥檛 answer these questions to make people feel bad but to educate people. I have medical training and I have experience breastfeeding and have done HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS of research on breastfeeding. I don't usually tell this on here, but I am a breastfeeding counsler so I do know what I'm talking about. I give facts.
I am a SAHM now and usually answer these questions while nursing my son (or holding him after a feeding as he has to be held upright for 30 minutes after due to silent reflux) and I have plenty of time on my hands PLUS as I am gearing up to start my own business to do all types of pre and post natal education, I focus on breastfeeding as sadly, doctors are often not a good source or information and support, and in out rural area there is no LC or LLL with in 3 counties or over a 1 hour drive! So I use Yahoo answers to come up with questions mothers might have and I go ahead and research the answer and I put all my yahoo answers in a file and will use it as part of my classes!
I鈥檓 not saying formula fed babies are stupid. I was a formula fed baby (only breastfed for about 2 weeks) And I鈥檝e been a member of MENSA since I was in the 5th grade. But it doesn鈥檛 mean that, had I been breastfed for longer, I wouldn鈥檛 have scored 2 or 5 or 10 points higher on my IQ test.
I don鈥檛 have a problem with women weaning at one year (Or before), Breastfeeding for even a day is beneficial to the baby, a week, even more benefits, 1 month, even more benefits and it goes on and on http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/bre... what
What I DO have a problem with is uneducated statements like :
FALSE STATEMENT: 鈥渕ost health benefits of breastmilk are negated by about 6 months, and all others by 1 year.鈥?
FACTS: 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
60% of vitamin C requirements
-- Dewey 2001
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2001).
Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).
Per the World Health Organization, "a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness."
FALSE STATEMENT: 鈥渆xtended breast feeding is more for the Mom than for the kid and think that when its goes too long its almost abusive as it doesnt allow the child to grow developementally as quickly as non breast fed children. It shows a mothers inability to allow the child to act his or her age. 鈥?br>
TRUTH:
鈥淭here is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychological or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)
According to Elizabeth N. Baldwin, Esq. in "Extended Breastfeeding and the Law":
"Breastfeeding is a warm and loving way to meet the needs of toddlers and young children. It not only perks them up and energizes them; it also soothes the frustrations, bumps and bruises, and daily stresses of early childhood. In addition, nursing past infancy helps little ones make a gradual transition to childhood."
Baldwin continues: "Meeting a child's dependency needs is the key to helping that child achieve independence. And children outgrow these needs according to their own unique timetable." Children who achieve independence at their own pace are more secure in that independence then children forced into independence prematurely
FALSE STATEMENT: 鈥淵ou are right, there is no correlation between breast milk and intelligence.鈥?
TRUTH: Human breast milk enhances brain development and improves cognitive development in ways that formula cannot. One study has found that the average I.Q. of 7 and 8 year old children who had been breastfed as babies was 10 points higher than their bottle fed peers. All of the children involved had been born prematurely and tube fed the human milk, indicating that the milk itself, not the act of breastfeeding, caused this difference in I.Q. level. Another study to support this statement was done in New Zealand. Here an 18 year longitudinal study of over 1,000 children found that those who were breastfed as infants had both higher intelligence and greater academic achievement than children who were infant-formula fed.
HMortensen EL et al (2002). "The association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence" JAMA 287: 2365-71
Anderson JW et al (1999) "Breastfeeding and cognitive development: a meta-analysis" Am J Clin Nutr 70: 525-35
Horwood and Fergusson, "Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes" Jan 1998 Pediatrics Vol. 101, No. 1
Lucas A., "Breast Milk and Subsequent Intelligence Quotient in Children Born Preterm". Lancet 1992;339:261-62
Wang YS, Wu SY. "The effect of exclusive breastfeeding on development and incidence of infection in infants." J Hum Lactation. 1996; 12:27-30
I don鈥檛 answer these questions with my opinion that I THINK you should breastfeed over one year. It doesn鈥檛 matter what I think. Nor do I really care what you do (and I mean that in the nicest way possible! LOL) What I try to do is educate people. Too many people hear 鈥渢he APP recommends breastfeeding for the 1st year, exclusively for 6 months鈥?and think that that is long as you can do it. They don鈥檛 know that the APP also says 鈥渁nd beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychological or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)
And that WHO recommends breastfeeding for AT LEAST 2 years. And that "If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned." (AAFP 2001)
And I have a problem with our society as a whole for making breast for sex only so that it is common to hear phrases like 鈥淚 find it gross seeing a toddler/preschooler running up to a mother screaming "I want the boobie" lifting up her mother's shirt, undoing her bra for a snack. That to me is gross.鈥?I am offended that someone would find something so natural so gross. I鈥檓 offended that society has sexualized our children so much that it is gross and sexual to breastfeed a child over the age of one. I find that sad. This should not be gross. In most of the world, this is normal! Only in our culture is this considered 鈥済ross鈥?! If your child weans when he/she is ready, you can feel confident that you have met your baby's physical and emotional needs in a very NORMAL, HEALTHY way. 鈥淭here is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychological or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)
I DON鈥橳 MEAN TO OFFEND, ONLY EDUCATE. I became a breastfeeding counsler because as I talked to women, I found that most know very little about breastfeeding and were full of MISinformation. They were makeing a decision for the health of their child based on lies they heard from other woman who also knew noting about breastfeeding! You make the choice that is best for you and your little one, but base it on FACTS not false statements!
And you sound like a great mom. Best of luck to you and your little one! And if you need help weaning or drying up your milk I have plenty of facts on those too! :) I don't have any problem with those who wean at 12 months. What I have a problem with are those that tell me that I SHOULD wean at 12 months. I think many confuse the two when I get defensive about my choice to continue breastfeeding my son who is now 2.5 years old. If you are taking crap from the extreme opinionators who are upset that you are weaning now - ignore them or defend your choices as you see fit - as I do when I'm told that I'm molesting my son by breastfeeding him at this age.
You've done a great job - many don't even stick with it for 12 months. At this point, if you are miserable it's not worth it. |
