Breastfeeding A 5-Year-Old?
April 30, 2010 5 Comments
If your children are old enough to ask for the boob then they are too old to breastfeed.
This is something I often hear, but is it right? One British mother believes in the personal choice of the child when it comes to feeding.
There have been endless debates among mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding versus formula. What leads to better development and bonding? Is there discrimination about public feeding? When should you stop?
I am a believer in personal choice of the mothers. Breastfeeding for a certain time might work for one family but not another.
This British woman said her five-year-old son wants to breastfeed and she will keep doing it.
“I know I’m doing the right thing and I’m a firm believer in children making their own choices,” Ms Hurst said.
“Once I gave birth to Jonathan and I started breastfeeding, I thought we’ll just get to six months and then I thought we’ll go to a year and then it never stopped.
“And here I am five years on. It became a natural thing.
“I’m a firm believer that Jonathan should choose his own path in life,” she said.
She wants to keep doing it until his baby teeth fall out, so that’s probably for at least two more years and possibly longer.
Now while I think this is strange, I don’t necessarily think she should be judged for doing this. My only concern would be that a 5-year-old child would not be getting proper nutrition on a diet of only breast milk.
But it’s good enough for babies, so why not older children?
Yes, I do think it’s weird. But I’m trying to be open-minded here. What do you think? Will this cause developmental or psychological problems for the child later in life? Is any of it based on fact or is it just our prudishness that stops us from feeding children for longer?
Not a mother myself, I’m not sure what I would do, but I have a feeling that five years would be pushing it.
Breast feeding has a lot of advantages to the mother as well, and I have to wonder whether her desires are supplanting the child’s needs. (Mick)
lmao cool stuff man.
This woman is substituting the intimacy of breastfeeding for her needs that should probably be met by an adult. Those needs are intimacy, closeness and affection.
Now that this is out in public, this poor child will be taunted. It’s too bad this woman agreed to allow the media into her home this way. If she were a good mother, she would not have thought about herself, but her child first.
As with the breastfeeding, she is not thinking about the child but herself first.
As a very strong supporter of extended breastfeeding; I honestly don’t see any reason why a mother shouldn’t continue breastfeeding their older child. Who cares? if the child is 5 years old and still nursing on the breast? If that’s the way the mother wishes to continue nourishing her child that way; then so be it. I honestly wouldn’t go up to a mother and say… Oh for heaven’s sake Don’t you think your daughter or son is too big to still be breastfeeding? Besides, if I did; she’d more than likely give me an earful. Information that I wouldn’t want to hear!! So with all that being said; I honestly don’t believe that there’s anything wrong with mothers deciding to extend their bonding/breastfeeding relationship well beyond the child’s age.
I think 5 is too old. That to me is child abuse. I think if the child isn’t wearing diapers and can eat solid real food then the mother is doing to for herself not the child.
I personally think that child is gonna grow up with attachment issues and other possible mental problems.