max age for breastfeeding?
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Never a weird or unacceptable age . The age limit is really up to the momma or sometimes the baby will naturally wean themselves off of the breast/breastmilk . Alot of women I know go up to 2 yrs . For me after he turns 1 thats it for me
I breastfed my daughter until she self weaned, she was nearly 4 years old. I don’t think there’s any ‘weird’ age as long as the child has autonomy in it, you will find that most kids will self wean themselves before school age.
Whenever the mother wants and no ones business otherwise
Totally up to the mother and baby really, I breastfed my first until he was 2 years and 4 months and I only stopped because when I was 6 months pregnant I got a really bad aversion to it which was really sad 😔 but he was pretty much ready to wean i think anyway, we'd probably have gone a bit longer if it wasn't for me, I was really hoping to try tandem feeding for a little while when my 2nd was born but oh well, my boobs got a 3 month break instead 😂 I will say I never thought I'd have got past 2 years, I was expecting not to make it 3 months and did think that breastfeeding a toddler was a bit weird, but its not, it's just been made taboo other the years which is crazy because it's literally the most natural thing ever 😂
Once they loose their milk teeth they should lose the ability to latch, so natural weaning age is generally accepted as up to 7 years old, but I’ve heard some people they say they fed until 8 and that’s close enough to 7 imo. But as long as drinking milk from cows is normal at any age then I see no issue drinking milk from humans at any age 🤷🏼♀️
I personally don’t think I could breastfeed above preschool age. All of you saying ‘any age’ are you seriously saying you could breastfeed a 19 year old?! Ok how about a 10 year old? Surely at some point it does become weird…?
@Rachael A 19 or 10 year old shouldn’t have the ability to latch, but breastmilk never loses its benefits, so if they were sick or something it would be beneficial to give them expressed human milk. What is preschool age? My daughter will be 3y7m when she starts school, is that too old in your opinion?
@Rachael you do realize breastfeeding is also pumping as well ? They are still drinking BREASTMILK so they may not necessarily be directly on the breast. Also I’d rather them drink human milk than milk from a animal or nut 🤷🏽♀️ its okay to have your own opinion but lets not try to call out others for theirs
I’m breastfeeding my son at the moment and he’s 11 weeks old. I have no idea when I will stop. I haven’t planned an age or even really thought about it. I think you just know when the time is right for you and your child. Who cares what other people say or do ❤️
@Lisa wow 4 years that’s amazing!
@Vikkie aw you should be proud of yourself, i definitely want to try make it past 2 years or even more tbh but i know that people say they get weird looks and i really hate that it’s like that!
@Lauryne wow i never knew that! you’re right!
I have to say I'm really impressed with the comments on this thread. I was expecting people to be like "eww anything over [insert young age here] is just wronggg" lol. I am of the same opinion as all of the above - it's the mother's choice, I have no judgement or even care of how long anyone else breastfeeds, & children tend to wean themselves off if they aren't weaned off, so it doesn't usually go on until 10 years old or even past about 3. I'm pretty sure in some countries they breastfeed until like 7 & how is this weirder than grown adults drinking milk from a cow? 🤷🏻♀️
I breastfeed my 2 year old on demand, regardless of location, and no one’s ever given me a weird look, people usually smile in a ‘aw how cute’ kinda way 🤷🏼♀️ I can’t read their minds but the smiles always seem genuine
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Well if someone's breastfeeding a 19 year old I think there's a few other issues going on there 😅 i dont think anyones suggesting they want to live out a Little Britain sketch 😂 From my point of view the main goals of it are for feeding, nutrition, antibodies, immune systems - as well as benefits for the mum - by 2 years old they should be getting enough nutrition from other sources so thats what id like to aim for with my 2nd baby, the WHO and NHS say they recommend giving breastmilk for '2 years and beyond' along side other foods, but also the immune system is still developing up to like 6 years old so in theory you could argue its still beneficial up to then too I guess 🤷🏼♀️ but that's me just putting 2 and 2 together ha id probably not want to go over preschool age either but that's for a few different reasons including just getting my boobs back 😂 suppose everyone's different
@Redss I wasn’t calling anyone out? I was genuinely curious at what point would it be weird? In the same way that cosleeping for example would be weird after a certain age too? How other people feed their children doesn’t bother me, you do you
@Lauryne the preschool thing was just for me personally- you want to breastfeed then you do it as long as you want, makes no odds to me (children go to school age 5 in England so I’d say about that age would be the absolute most I would ever do - if I chose to breastfeed for longer with another baby)
@Rachael What is preschool age though? Pretty sure it’s different everywhere and school starts at 3 years old here, ‘preschool’ to me would be like daycare/nursery that you have to pay for?
Natural weaning occurs between 2-7 years old as that’s when their immune system matures so that’s where we will be headed. The only negative aspect is judgement from internalised misogyny x
until 2.
Society norms will never match what is biologically normal. Do what works for you and your baby, ignore the rest of the noise. Because that’s all it is, noise.
I stopped at almost 2 1/2 years but I don’t think there’s any specific age that’s weird and don’t let anyone’s opinions influence you in stopping before you’re ready to.
@PeachyQueen I was waiting for this person to pop up
@Dani lol!!
@Lauryne this is what I’m hoping to do!
I'm aiming for 2 at least per health guidelines but also planning on hopefully being pregnant around the time my daughter hits that age, I know some children self wean when mum gets pregnant as the milk changes so we'll cross that bridge when we get there!
@Lauryne Yeah, I feel like the term “preschool” is starting to get thrown around super casually. Instead of sending a 2 y/o to daycare, it’s now “nursery school or preschool,” etc. 🤷♀️
@Jade my son breastfed through a pregnancy, and quit shortly after baby was born. ❤️
@Lauryne school starts at 3 in the US? Wow that’s crazy I never knew that. Kids don’t go to school until they’re 5 in England
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@Rachael No I’m in Wales. I thought ‘preschool’ was an American term and I have no idea what age they start school or preschool there. Full time school starts at 3 here, the first class/year is called ‘nursery’ but it’s not like the daycare kind of nursery since it’s actually in the school and everything. I know some kids start as part time and work their way up to full time, but most people I know just do full time straight away and not all primaries accept part time pupils, the one my daughter will be going to only accepts full time
@Lauryne wow I had no idea Wales was so different. Preschool is age 3 in England and it’s your choice if you child goes or not, some kids go to a nursery and some kids don’t go at all but reception (and actual school) doesn’t start until the September after their 4th birthday
I stopped my daughter at 4 and I stopped my son at 3. Well they both self weaned. I just waited until they were ready to stop. They toilet trained way before they stopped BF lol. He’s 5 now, so I stopped 2yrs ago after his first term at 3yr old kinder. Just morning feed and night bedtime bed at that age, rarely ever in public. The only people that knew really were my family and close friends, and that was me telling them they wouldn’t even know had I not told them. My bestie was at the time BF a 4yr and 2yr old the 4yr was BF since born, and continued after his sister was born so she ended up BF them both. He rarely fed out in public too I only saw it coz I tend to FT her while she’s putting the kids to sleep aka they are latched at night. The girl is now 3 and I haven’t asked for a long time if she’s still on boob (doesn’t really come in subject anymore) but I’m assuming yes.
I think it's weird after 1.5yr or when they're talking, eating solids, have their teeth and are getting ready to potty train. I just picture a 2/3 year old saying "mother may I have thy breast?" Lol
I love the idea that they could breastfeed for as long as they want, but after a certain age their friends will make fun of them if they find out they are being brestfed. And getting breaks at work to pump milk for a 3 year old would be questionable. So there is a limit to what is socially acceptable and this is a matter of perception, not what is right. To me it looks OK for children under 2. After 4-5, to me it will look weird. An acquaintance breastfeeds her 5 year old and people bring that up often in conversations.
@Tiffany my 18mth old is eating talking and has teeth but is no where near being ready to wean. I am her source of nutrients and comfort. She doesn’t use a dummy or have a favourite teddy this is everything for her I don’t think it’s weird at all. Infancy is 3 years long and it is normal for babies to breastfed for that period.
It’s just internalised misogyny though, only western cultures find it ‘weird’ as we’re told breasts are for men to look at
@𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 Pumping isn’t necessary at all for a child over 12 months, possibly younger depending on the time spent away. Plus plenty of mums work from home or don’t work at all, so the ‘pumping at work’ point is completely moot tbh, and I’m pretty sure being able to pump at work is a legal right anyway
@Lauryne I know all what you said and glad it helped you to put things into perspective. The question is about what is socially acceptable. Are you also saying that children over 12 months don't need breastfeeding? Have you heard about the mothers who don't work from home and get breaks fo pump milk for a 2-7 year old? Btw... Almost the total of mothers who are employed don't wfh.
@𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 I’m saying most children over 12mo can be breastfed before and after mum goes to work, they don’t need expressed milk. But pumping at work is a right anyway so that doesn’t really matter and a mother should be able to pump for whatever age child while at work if she needs to.
@𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 nobody is taking breaks to pump at work for a 3 year old 🤦♀️ I breastfed until my daughter was 4 years old, I returned to work when she was 14 months old. At that age breastfeeding is something that’s done when you are together, and not when you are apart. You would nurse morning and evenings on work days. As they get even older it usually ends up being something that isn’t done when you are out and about, by the end it was just morning and bedtime for us. It sounds like you haven’t had much experience with what extended breastfeeding looks like, which is fine, but some of your concerns, in reality, just aren’t concerns at all.
@Lisa of course no one is doing it 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ I should have clarified it was sarcasm.
@𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 I’ve reread your comment and I’m still certain you weren’t being sarcastic, just uneducated.
@Lisa well, i am ceratin you dont understand sarcasm. Reread again my comments and also the question of the OP, at some point it will sink.
honestly i don’t really have a preference, i don’t get the judgment tbh you feed your baby til how old you and your baby want to! society are always going to have something to say! personally if i saw a toddler getting breastfed i wouldn’t even blink an eye! x