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How old is too old to continue breast feeding?

I am a stay at home mom and my daughter just turned three. She doesn't want to stop breast feeding, and the only thing negative about it to me is the reactions of others. I heard about La Leche, but it's my own family and friends who seem to pass judgment. ( my husbands family never nursed so they have no idea) I only nurse in my home, and never around others, other than my husband and my other kids. They are 11 and 14.(also were nursed till 12 mo and three years)How old is too old to continue breast feeding?

Public Response to How old is too old to continue breast feeding?

  1. "How old is too old to continue breast feeding?" When the child doesn't want to nurse anymore. "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler" is a book worth reading: http://www.myntoddler.com/ edit: many of these comments are hateful, and many are ignorant. There is NO truth to nonsense like "the nutritional benefits grow slim around that age," no matter what the age. Of interest: http://www.babyreference.com/BeyondBreastmilk.pdf http://kathydettwyler.org/
  2. honestly.. there is nothing your daughter is getting from you anymore. I personally feel that 3 is too old, but that is my own opinon. I dont' think mentally it will be very good for her either. I mean do you plan on nursing her when she is 5, 10 , 12, 15? Time to put mommy's milk bags away!!!
  3. How old is too old. Three. For real lady, that's just sick. When the kid is old enough to start asking for it, it's time to close the bar. Breast feeding is for babies, not people walking around with agendas. Get a life.
  4. I think 12 months is a good time to stop, they no longer get their full nutrient from you and its just like a pacifier at this point if she can say i want to nurse it is TOO OLD. please before she is traumatized please stop while your ahead
  5. Think about this way. If you had never breast fed to begin with, what would your daughter be drinking out of? I feel that once a child is too old for a bottle, they are too old to be breast fed.
  6. My daughter is 12 months and still nursing, she is my third breastfed baby. I don't know why these people are saying your child gets nothing out of it!!!! Your child is still getting the antibodies and nourishment from your milk! Not to mention, the special time it gives you together! My daughter is old enough to tell me when she wants it... why does that make her too old???? She could tell me at 8 months when she wanted to nurse, so... I should have cut her off then??? Don't worry about what other people say. Just do what is best for you and your daughter!
  7. I think only you can make that call. (And your daughter.) Do what feels right. I had to stop breastfeeding at 2 months due to an intolerance and I was hoping to breast feed for 12 months. If it doesn't feel weird to you and your daughter- with her being older, I don't think you need to worry. You shouldn't feel ashamed. It might be a good idea though to think deeply about how long you'd like to continue though, and how you will wean her. It's got to end sometime, right? :)
  8. My opinion is 2 years old max. I've always heard the nutritional benefits grow slim around that age or maybe 12 months? I can't remember the exact time frame. I think anything after 2 is comfort.
  9. My daughter is 17 months and i am currently weaning.She now goes to bed of a night without it and only wakes up once or twice wanting it but im hoping it will only be a few nights without it at all and she will forget.You have left it too long for her just to forget about it i guess so if the comments and reactions of others are getting you down I think you should seriously consider stopping,World Health Organisation suggests feeding until 2,i personally think that anything beyond that is crazy(no offence)!Im desperate now to stop and its hard to deny them but you just have to do it.It cant be doing her any harm but is it doing her any good?Shes not a baby and by feeding her like a baby you have to ask yourself are you holding her back in a sense,stopping her from growing up?
  10. 1 year and 1 month. Or let your children decide when to stop.
  11. That is not too old at all! Especially if you are only nursing at home and around your hubby and kids. She is still receiving nutrirional value from you and you have both probably established a wonderful relationship! And try not to let the comments get to you. It's not worth it to quit nursing your daughter just because you get put down sometimes...I think it is wonderful that you have been able to nurse her for this long :) I also think that you should join some sort of online extended nursing forum. They really do help support you very much. Good luck!
  12. It's up to you. My son self weaned at 11 months and I was ready too.
  13. LOL ... criticism? Why whatever do you mean? JK I know your situation ALL to well. Sure it's okay to still be breastfeeding. There's no evidence *anywhere* to suggest that this isn't beneficial. However, it's vastly unaccepted in our culture. There's a reason why NO reputable organizations put a limit on the age. Every mom is different. Every child is different. Every nursing relationship is different. You have to go with what you feel comfortable doing. I was in this same situation around the same age, and I decided to focus on weaning. I did it in a very gentle and kind manor, so it was drama free. 3 was simply past MY comfort zone. 1 is the limit for others ... everyone has their own idea, and since there is no general rule of thumb, everyone thinks their way is the right way. I hope you can keep others criticism aside, introspect, and find out what the right thing for your family is. If you want any advice or support, feel free to email me!
  14. Once the child is in school, I feel that the bond is not necessary anymore.
  15. don't ask people on here- msot of them have no clue as to what the recommendations really are- the World health organizations recommends breastfeeding to at least two year and after that as long as mututally desired. if someone has something to say say something mean back. who cares what they think- say " oh i'm sorry i didn't realize it was your kid i was nursing" most of the people on here will say 6 months or until they get teeth or something stupid like that the average world wide weaning age is about 4 years old There is a reason why it's recommended to take your child off the bottle at one year but the breast and bottle are two completely different things- you are still passing immuntiies to your daughter. you are still providing her with nutrition andd it's especailly important if she si a picky eater- humans were never meant to drink cow's milk but to wean from their mothers breast during childhood and never drink milk again, just like any other mammal. People weren't meant to drink from bottles either. it's YOUR child and you do what YOU want with your child. like i told you... some people on ehre are just stupid and have no idea what human being are really meant to be like
  16. I think there is really no right answer to this question. It's between the mom, her child, and her family, including her husband. I think nursing a toddler in public might feel a little awkward, as you said because of all the looks people give you. And that is definitely a valid concern. But another thing that I didn't see many people mention is that does continued nursing affect your intimacy with your husband? For me, I've always felt a little dryer while I was still nursing. And definitely, you lose your breasts as sexual stimulating areas while nursing. So although it is basically a question between mother and child, I think the father should participate in this decision as husband of the mother.
  17. Breastfeed for as long as you and your child want to. Don't worry about pressure from others - they mean well, but often people pressuring you to stop have never breastfed and don't know its benefits. My grandparents were the same way, pushing me to stop before my daughter was even 8 months old. They got over it and left things alone when I had my son, but now that he's a nursing toddler, they are getting pushy about it. I really don't understand why, since mostly we are at home when he asks for it. My daughter stopped at 11 1/2 months, she basically just quit cold turkey and wouldn't nurse anymore no matter how much i offered. My son is now 18 months old, still breastfeeding. He's addicted to breastfeeding - everytime I sit down, he comes running to me yelling "BABA!!" so he can nurse. So I think he will be breastfeeding for quite some time :)
  18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxv6R9fUO74 .......lol you get my point.
  19. It makes it hard for kids to go off to college and live in the dorm while they are still breastfeeding ;-), but other than that there is no "too old". Each child and each mother is unique and therefore each nursing relationship is unique. I think the nursing relationship should come to an end when either it is no longer requested by the child or it is making the mom unhappy. Good luck!