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How do you feel about breast feeding in public & until what age should kids stop being breast fed?

I don't really mind when women breast feed in public as long as they're covered up and don't go around flopping their boobs around like a few women I've seen. I belive that by the age of 2, mothers should officially stop breast feeding their children. If I was a mom I would officially stop at age 1. Some mothers go far enough to breast feed until their child is 5 or 7 which is ridiculous.

Public Response to How do you feel about breast feeding in public & until what age should kids stop being breast fed?

  1. kids should stop when they are done - they are the ones most in tune with when their emotional and immunity needs have been met. 2 is an arbitrary age, check back when you have had a child and managed to breastfeed successfully
  2. did you know that america is the only country where breastfeeding isn't a natural thing. because of other people criticizing it women are more worried about what other people will think than what the health benefits are to the child. i do not think that someone who is not a mom should be concerned about breastfeeding. don't look, its a natural thing. people in general need to more accepting.
  3. I think breastfeeding in public is fine, as long as I don't see nipple. Cover it up and I have no problem. I think after 2 years, you've gone a little too far.
  4. I agree with you on breast feeding in public, I think its fine as long as she is completely covered up. As far as what age to stop breast feeding... I think when they turn 1 a women should stop feeding at the breast. If she wants to continue to give her milk to them, I think she should pump. To me its a little weird to have a toddler sucking off a boob.
  5. In terms of our species... A mother can feed her child until the child tells her that s/he wants to stop... In non-western cultures it is seen as natural and healthy to let the child decide... In non-western cultures, mothers share their milk and will feed multiple children... Just like that latina actress did in Africa this last week... She is weening her child and saw a baby that needed her milk more then her own child did so she did what was right and fed the baby... We have such a distorted view of breasts in our society. BREASTS WERE MADE FIRST FOR FEEDING BABIES AND SECOND FOR SEXUALITY. We have almost removed the FEEDING part from the view of breasts... That is sad and that is VERY unnatural...
  6. Well, the baby has to eat so yeah, breast feeding in public is ok HOWEVER, like you said, they can't have their boobs flapping about. That's nasty. Pfft, more like between the age of 1 and 2, they should ween their child off of breast milk and on to other foods.
  7. I try not to BF in public, but a couple of tiems i have had no choice. I am weaning my son now and he is 7 months, he is down to 2 feeds a day - and pretty much wanted to anyway. Anything over 1 year of age is just bizarre i think. Stopping breastfeeding before 2 increases childhood illnesses? So me only being breastfed for 2 weeks when i was a baby makes me possibly less healthy? Both my brother and i were bottle fed, and NEITHER of us were sick as babies, in fact doctors marvelled at our health - we have NEVER spent any time in hospital with any illness in our entire lives. My son who is 7 months, is exceptionally healthy and i am the ONLY one out of my mothers group which had 10 people in it - who still breastfeeds! The childhood disease thing comes into play when there are unsanitary conditions in the home, delayed or non vaccinations, poor diet, no exercise, no exposure to vitamin D, existing illnesses in the parents. I would say the above would be a bigger indicator of childhood sickness as opposed to breastfeeding.
  8. I honestly don't see why breastfeeding in public is such a big deal, unless of course the woman is being indecent. I've actually seen a woman just pull up her top, no bra on, to feed while walking around the shopping centre, letting everything hang out for everyone to see - her chest to her pants was exposed. I thought that wasn't quite right and probably one of the reasons as to why some people are adverse to public feedings. As to how long the child should be fed - I can't say what's right, but I can say that breastfeeding a 5 year old is wrong.
  9. I absolutely agree with everything youve stated. I wouldnt breastfeed my baby after the age of 1. And breastfeeding is fine so long as the woman doesnt make an exhibition of herself in public. LOL I would just put the baby underneath a lose top or put a blanket over us. A lady was doing that in the train and it was fine. im still laughing at the use of the word 'flopping'
  10. I certainly don't mind a mom feeding her baby in public whether it's breast or bottle. Like you I appreciate it when nursing moms are modest about it. I don't see any point in letting boobs flap in the wind, lol. There has to be a certain amount of respect for those around them who may not be comfortable with seeing a woman's fully exposed breast. But on the flip side, I don't believe that women should have to be afraid of being heckled for breast feeding (or bottle feeding). I don't believe a breast feeding mom should ever be told that they need to feed their baby in a bathroom or be told to not breast feed because it's inappropriate. I mean, I don't ask others to eat their meals in the bathroom, so why should I ask a baby to eat where people urinate/defecate? As far as when mom should stop breast feeding... I think 2 years old is a good age. 5, 6, and 7 years old... wow. Um that's ridiculous and uncalled for. I personally am stopping when my daughter reaches 1 year old, but that's my preference. I'd like to reclaim my boobs sometime :) As for all these people talking about Americans not thinking breast feeding is a natural thing: Um, who ever said we think that? I'm an American and I feel that it's very natural. But excuse me if I don't find it natural to see bare breasts completely exposed to all. You can breast feed in a modest way. It's called being considerate of others.
  11. I don't have a problem with it at all, as i've done it myself. I agree with you that they should be covered up..but you will get some who are not so modest... if they are comfortable with it, more power to them! I was sooo embarrassed once when my daughter pulled the blanket from me and exposed me to anyone looking..but no one said a thing! I personally have stopped nursing as well by the age of 1.. My mom nursed my youngest brother at night until he was 4 years old...and i find THAT sick..but to each his own.. I'd say ideal age is somewhere between 2 and 3.
  12. Weaning before two years increases the risk of illness for a child, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. You, personally, may be very grossened by a toddler nursing in public and that is why you want to know about this topic. I doubt it tho. Because a toddler nursing in public is a rare finding. At that age, nursing time could be limited to at home. I doubt you care to know what other mom's feel about this subject, you just want to feel better about not "flopping *your boobs around like a few women you've seen" at the expense of your own child's health.
  13. you know i think it's interesting that people don't get all up set when the adds on TV and billboards show half naked women strutting everything they got but if a women is FEEDING HER CHILD then oh no better start freaking out. I don't mean you by the way just society in general. It just saddens me that our society is so backward when it comes to that. by the way i didn't breastfeed my children it was a personal choice for me not to but i think if a women wants to feed her baby she should do so how she sees fit. why don't you all try eating your lunch with a blanket covering your face.
  14. Well, God gave me boobs to feed my kids, and I am not going to stay home all day every day just so I don't offend anyone with my flopping around boobies. I fed mine anywhere they wanted fed and I did not cover up completely. I did my best to not make a show but for some people no matter what anyone does they are going to find offense. I don't ask people who chew with their mouths open to do so under a hot blanket so I was not going to ask that of my children. (chewing with your mouth open is far more disgusting then using your breast for what God intended) My children were 16, 23 and 24 months when they self-weened. EDIT: I guess I am having a hard time see how a woman can be breastfeeding a child and be indecent at the same time. I think anyone that see it as that is a sicko. That person has the issue not the nursing mother and child - we should be demanding that sickos go away not nursing mothers, even those without a blanket.
  15. 1. I have no problem with women breastfeeding in public. The baby has to eat, right? 2. Actually putting the child to the breast? I would stop at 18 months-2 years old. Feeding the child breast milk? I would continue until the child is 3 or 4. NOW, if the mother is refusing to feed the child anything but breast milk (once they reach a year old), I think that's a problem.
  16. I have a distant cousin that breastfeeds her 5 year old grandaughter which I find disgusting. There is no milk in her breasts so why would she do that?
  17. im fine with breastfeeding in public.. however if the child is around 1 1/2 and can walk up to you and try to undo your shirt to breast feed..they are too old to be breastfeeding and need to drink out of a cup. especially if they can voice when they are thirsty. that child is too big to be breastfeeding
  18. I believe that breast feeding is great! in public i don't mind seeign women feed their child. but for crying out loud use a blanket and cover it up! there is NO reason i need to see your boobs flying everywhere. personally i would never breast feed an older child (2 yrs on) and even that is stretching it. i'm thinking i will exclusively pump after baby grows teeth. there is nothing wrong with bottle feeding as long as the baby is getting nutirents. I do think it's an issue when a older child breastfeeds to soothe themselves because they don't learn techniques to self soothe. just my thoughts.
  19. it's no different than using a bottle. stop staring -most people don't give the bottle fed babes as much attention.
  20. I weaned my son a couple months after he turned 2, but only because it was the right time for both of us. I would have continued if the situation had been different. And I nursed him in public frequently for a long time, although after about 18 months he only nursed after naps, so breastfeeding only happened at home. Would I breastfeed my son until 5 or 7 years old? Probably not. But that's really only the business of the mother and the child, so I wouldn't feel it was my place to judge it.
  21. Breastfeeding is the natural way a child eats. Up to age 1-2 I'm comfortable with it myself. I have no problem "whipin it out" if there isn't another option. I do try to be curteous to the public, and have only had to "do that" in the pediatrician room thus far. I'm not a very modest person by nature, and the concept of exposing myself while feeding my baby doesn't bother me. It's the rude comments, and glares that make me feel wierd, for doing exactly what was intended to be done. My attitude overall: "if you catch a glimpse of my boob and have issues with that...simply don't look." At least I'm doing what was meant to be done, and try to avoid a situation where me exposing myself would occur. What can you do when a regular appointment takes 2 hours, and the baby is screaming...you feed her. And not in a germ filled bathroom.
  22. I have no problem with women breastfeeding their children in public & it's good but I find it disgusting when they don't cover up and. I recently went on a trip to Africa and women there act like it's nothing and walk around breastfeeding their children with their nipples showing which I found inmodest. I even saw a lady finish breast feeding her child sitting but didn't even cover up and everyone had a full view of her breast which I think was inmodest. I believe that by 1 years old, children should probably stop and age 3 is the limit.
  23. I plan on breastfeeding all my children for the prescribed 2 hijrah years in the Qur'an (We're Muslims). The American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends that children be breastfed for their first year of life, if not longer. I will wear my niqab so no one is going to see me breastfeeding my children. In Ohio there is a law protecting breastfeeding mothers from being discriminated against. In some cultures it is normal to breastfeed your children up to 5 years of age. In third world countries like Africa where there isn't hardly any food, breast milk may be all the child gets for a meal each night. What may seem weird in the USA is normal in many other cultures/countries outside of the USA. The USA is the only country in the world that is different from everyone else.