When Should A Child Stop Breast Feeding?

[arwalden]

[MissMillie]

1. When they bite (n/t)

.

[Pithlet]

3. You can teach them not to do that.

But, boy does it hurt when they bite, even when they don't have teeth yet.

[prole_for_peace]

2. when they can undo mom's bra one-handed.

[Shrek]

4. Other : it depends

Whenever mother & child mutually decide. It's no one else's business.

[KCDem]

7. I mostly agree with this statement

I did that with my first child (well, it was more my decision than hers; she was 20 months old and I was pregnant again. My body said it was time for her to finish). I weaned my second child at about 19 months. Once again, it was my decision. It was still mutually beneficial to her and me--but it was detrimental to her older sister, who was really starting to resent all the one-on-one time that she was no longer a part of. So I guess the way I'd phrase it is BF is great until mother and CHILDREN decide.

[Shrek]

26. Good point, I didn't think of that.

My son's an only child so we never had to deal with resentment or rivalry from siblings.

My wife never really had a deadline in mind, and as I recall they didn't just "stop" one day. It just seems like she and the boy gradually phased it out on their own without anyone really deciding to do so (I think he was about 2 or 2 1/2).

It didn't affect me much one way or the other so I had no opinion either way. The only people that seemed to mind were my mother and my mother-in-law -- they tend to be aghast at any deviation from motherhood as they practiced it.

[EstimatedProphet]

5. When they test for their driver's license

They really should stop by then...

[if it comes from the whitehouse it must be true]

6. 13-18 gets 5 votes??

A person breastfeeding a 18 year old aint breastfeeding!

[arwalden]

12. WHO Are These People?? And What Is WRONG With Them??

Something is seriously wrong.

-- Allen

[fortyfeetunder]

40. We're just pulling y'all's chain

I know the "appropriate" answer, but voting for the most extreme one gets some of y'all riled up...

[HereSince1628]

8. When they are full?????

[chiburb]

29. LOL, wish I'd said that! n/t

.

[Pithlet]

9. I breastfed my firstborn until he was one.

I probably will for this one at least that long, but no older than 2.

Edited to add that is my choice; I didn't mean to imply that I thought it was wrong to go past that. I agree with what another poster said. It is up to mother and child to decide.

[terrya]

10. I have no opinion on this. I responded only because I felt left out...

of this conversation!

Terry

[Lostmessage]

11. As soon as the baby has teeth

I would think that teeth would hurt.

[Pithlet]

13. Not as long as they don't bite.

And it's pretty easy to teach them not to.

[Lostmessage]

14. My Mom didn't breast feed us

Because she was a diabetic and the Doctor told her not to.

BTW I was joking about the teeth.

[Pithlet]

16. I know :)

[KCDem]

15. my older daughter got teeth at 4 months!

I nursed her until she was 20, and she never bit once.

20 months, that is. ;)

[Pithlet]

18. Hmmm

My 3 month old is already showing some teething symptoms and I thought that was young. But, maybe he is getting ready for teeth already.

[arwalden]

20. Oh Dear Lord... You Scared Me For A Minute.

-- Allen

[SoCalDem]

17. My friend's husband put his foot down

when their son was unbuttoning her dress in church.. then he said.. "Mommy, tit "..:)

We laughed about that for years :)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

19. I dunno, but I'm 52 and

I still enjoy being breast fed.

[arwalden]

21. Next On Springer: Mothers Who Breastfeed Their Adult Children

[if it comes from the whitehouse it must be true]

22. LMAO

I did see the Leche League on Maury once defending a mother who breast fed her 16 year old.

Just listening to her gave you a head full of sick visions:

"He simply slides into my bed mostly on stormy nights and pulls up.............."

God I cant continue YECK!!!!!!!!!

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

23. When he becomes President.

Some mothers just don't think, though...

[cally]

24. The age where it feels right for mother and child

Too many folks told me that after 6 months it was wrong to breast feed a child. Don't get me started on the folks who told me it was wrong to put my premature baby through the stress of breast feeding. :eyes: I felt ready to ween at 10- months buI know it's beneficial to mother and child to breastfeed longer.

[if it comes from the whitehouse it must be true]

25. Okay I know votes are private

But who are the people voting for 13 to 18 year olds??

I would love to hear reasons.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

27. Well, to be fair,

it didn't necessarily say it had to be your mother's breast...

[if it comes from the whitehouse it must be true]

28. So just drinking breast milk is something practiced

YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

30. Who said anything about milk?

[if it comes from the whitehouse it must be true]

32. Feeding would imply something injested

?

[arwalden]

35. So Wrong... On So Many Levels

But... I have to believe that people knew I was being cheeky so they gave cheeky poll answer in return.

-- Allen

[northzax]

31. Well, I chose that one

only because I couldn't choose 2 years-18 years, between which ages noone should be suckling anything.

[populistmom]

33. The average world wide age for weaning is 4.2 years

For myself, I prefer to wean by 2&1/2, just because I simply feel a strong need to have my body back at that point. I followed typical advice for weaning by western alopathic medicine with my daughter (my oldest) and weaned just before she turned one and supplemented with formula. She has terrible allergies and the others don't.

Current MEDICAL guidelines are as follows:

American Academy of Pediatrics- Exclusively breastfeed (nothing else) for the first six months and continue until at least 12 months, after which as long as mutually desirable.

World Health Organization- Breastfeed for a minimum of two years.

101 Reasons to Breastfeed- http://www.promom.org/101/

[Ellen Forradalom]

37. I weaned at 18 months

My son is in excellent health.

[latebloomer]

34. When they're ready!

My son was 2, my daughter 4, and they gradually stopped by themselves.

Not only is it good for them, it helps prevent breast cancer for mom.

Course, if their voice was changing and they were still demanding milkies, I might reconsider. . .

[shanti]

38. you took the words right out of my my mouth!

i nursed all four of my sons. none of them lasted longer than a year on the breast, they weaned themselves. my youngest is 13, i have fond memories of those early days....*sigh*

[fortyfeetunder]

39. I agree!!!

My son did a cold turkey two months shy of his fourth birthday.

The biggest bennie from extended breastfeeding is this kid shakes off disease like nobody's bizness. His K class has had 4 outbreaks of strep throat this year alone and he hasn't caught it. The spouse and I have tons of unused sick leave.

However, he's like a Typhoid Mary because the spouse and I manage to catch the disease he brings home.

[alwynsw]

36. No answer for me

I'm 47 and still a titty baby

[gate of the sun]

41. the average weening age world wide is 4

of course in the US it's much lower because we are all uptight about sex and seeing boobs in public much less some large child sucking down his ninny. American's are well prudish and uptight. My son was weened at 3 years and 8 months because I had Pnuemonia and was taking pain pills and antibiotics....his best friend was weened at 4 and a half.

[DemBones DemBones]

42. When he or she is ready to stop!

They tend to lose interest as they grow more independent, sometimes when they crawl, sometimes when they walk, sometimes when they start playgroup or nursery school, sometimes later. It also has to do with what else they're eatng. The more regular food they eat, the less they'll want the breast. (Supposedly, younger babies may also be too lazy to nurse if they're often given bottles, as it's easier to get the milk out of bottles. How did the experts figure this one out ?! )

As they get older, babies/ toddlers/ children tend to nurse for comfort, not nutritional purposes. An observant mother will notice when they show less interest and can stop offering the breast, wait for them to ask. When they don't ask, they've chosen weaning for themselves, with only a bit of a hint from mom.

Americans are too uptight about breast feeding. Maybe we'll get over it one day.

[Beaker]

43. when the milk starts running down their chin

more than a mouthful's a waste.

[Bertha Venation]

44. Allen... what made you decide to post this?

It seems a bit outside the realm of your, uh, life. ;)

[arwalden]

46. I Was Keeping With The "Theme" Of The Day

... and being a bit cheeky with my poll options as well. I mean... come-ON... 13-18 years old??

The fact that I actually included that option kind of gives it away... and the fact that so many people voted for that option lets me know that they were in in my joke as well.

What a wild and WHACKY day it was.

-- Allen

[Bertha Venation]

45. Anyone ever read Betty Smith's _A Tree Grows In Brooklyn_?

A masterpiece of American literature, it contains a hilarious narrative of the weaning of a boy named Gussie. The weaning method his mother chose became widely used in the neighborhood -- and today the mother would be prosecuted for emotionally damaging her child! But it's fiction -- and hilarious.

I highly recommend the book to anyone. It is one of my all-time favorites.