Is Breastfeeding As Much About Mom As It Is Baby?

November 11, 2008

Some women swear that breastfeeding their babies begets a bond unlike any other and for that reason, they continue to nurse well beyond their child's first birthday — sometimes even until their offspring enter school. While other mothers wean their wee ones once they begin to toddle and have reaped the benefits of breastfeeding. Do you think nursing is as much about a mother's need to connect and care for her child, as it is the infant?
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15 Comments

2 years 38 weeks

My daughter nursed until she was 4, she did not suck all the time!, nor was it about a meal, in fact she only nursed when we went to bed, or if she was very distressed, even then she often just put her head under my shirt, it was defiantly for comfort. In the scope of human life span child hood is less then 1/8. In the age of gangs, drugs, violence, and all the horrors we now witness in the world, how can a few extra years of comfort at your mother beast be damaging? For those of you who think;' wars and human suffering have always been with us, I say children have always nursed as long as possible. be at peace, do not judge each other too harshly.

lauraxtc 4 years 26 weeks

When i breast fed my son, I felt a very special bond between me and him. I felt very close to him. Maybe because I knew that he needed me to survive his first few months. To know, that I was the only one that can comfort him in that way made me feel very special. <3

lauraxtc 4 years 26 weeks

LilaBo 4 years 27 weeks

i'm all for breastfeeding the first, and maybe second year. (although i wasn't able to) but the coverage i've seen on long-term breastfeeding -- until 4-5-6-etc years old -- pretty much grosses me out. kids that age can get all their nutrition from food.

Greggie 4 years 27 weeks

Same as with a one-year-old: immunities, vitamins, nutritional content. Also, comfort, same as with an infant.

runningesq 4 years 27 weeks

Can someone explain to me the benefit of breastfeeding until kids are 4, 5, 6 ..?

Greggie 4 years 27 weeks

I'll PM you as well Snickers. :)

shoogerbooger 4 years 27 weeks

SnickersBar - I private messaged you with my experience. I hope it helps! :)

Pine Tree 4 years 27 weeks

There's no rush to wean. The World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics both suggest breastfeeding for 1-2 years minimum. Wean when it feels right. Breastmilk continues to have nutritional and antibody benefits. Here's a great link for support for breastfeeding past one year: http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11704

Pine Tree 4 years 27 weeks

There's no rush to wean. The World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics both suggest breastfeeding for 1-2 years minimum. Wean when it feels right. Breastmilk continues to have nutritional and antibody benefits. Here's a great link for support for breastfeeding past one year:http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11704

SnickersBar 4 years 27 weeks

I am hoping that a breastfeeding topic will bring out some mommies who can offer some advice ..... I am currently breastfeeding my 13.5 month old son ... mostly just at night and the morning. He takes a bottle before his naps and drinks from a sippy cup so he mostly just nurses for comfort. I am really torn about when to stop. He just LOVES to nurse and gets so upset if I try to not nurse him. I am mostly ready to stop, but I feel really guilty about it, and there are still times when I do still love it. To make it even more difficult we co sleep and if he wakes up during the night he nurses for a minute and drifts back to sleep. If I try to get him to go back to sleep without nursing ... forget it ... he screams! I have read the No Cry Sleep Solution and it doesn't really seem to touch on this topic enough. With all the experience on this board I am hoping someone has some advice. Should I just wait and see if he will outgrow wanting to nurse? (although that doesn't seem likely) or just cut him off now? I am afraid if I stop nursing I won't ever get him to sleep again like he does now. It breaks my heart to make him cry to nurse, but I feel like I am just putting off the inevitable by keeping up with the nighttime nursing .... Help! (please no negative comments on co sleeping!)

SnickersBar 4 years 27 weeks

Greggie 4 years 27 weeks

I have to say though that your first sentence is not only bothersome but misleading - the bonding is not the main reason most of us who choose to breastfeed past a year do so. There are a great many health benefits for the child in nursing past a year as well. In fact, bonding never even factored into my "past a year" choice, our bond was already firm and weaning at a year wouldn't have broken that. Your first sentence makes it sound like it's the only possible reason to breastfeed past a year.

Greggie 4 years 27 weeks

I'm under "other." It's not "every bit" as much for me, but it's not solely for my child either. My benefits factor in, and I feel the bonding experience was critical for us. I realize it's not for every woman, I just feel that for me personally it absolutely helped our bonding, my maternal feelings, etc. I chose to breastfeed primarily for my children's best interests, but the benefits to me aren't ignored either.

Greggie 4 years 27 weeks

Link Love

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