What do you think the potential adverse affects are, to reintroducing breastfeeding to an 18 month old who has been off the breast for 8 mos on his own accord. Child is in daycare 5 days, all day. Please list any and all thoughts about the social, psychological and physical affects you think of.
Okay, so here is my explaination...I am the childcare provider. I have a 22 month old, that still nurses, and I care for this 18 month old and have since he was 4 months old. He is the fourth child to this mother, from a different father than her previous 3 children. A surprise if you will! She always states, how different he is than his older siblings were from the get go. I am personally feeling like there would be some adverse affects due to the fact that he was never very interested in nursing and completely stopped at 10 months old. He has been on formula ever since. I feel like this may be causing him to regress and is more about mom having her needs met rather than his. She already snuggles with him at night as he sleep with her, and always has. I feel like alot of you, and the benefits of breastmilk are phenomenal for children, but my concern is the actual act of reintroducing the breast itself . I feel like ,if you would like him to have the breastmilk, pump and putit in the sippy. Momma has a hard time with the fact that he is and always has been alot more independant than her other children were.
I would really like to thank all of you for your opinions and sharing with me. With that I will say this about producing milk, for me, I haven't dried up completely sincie I had my oldest daughter almost 13 years ago. So it is possibleto produce. Thanks again
I agree with the previous posters about it not being necessary. At his/her age, it's best to switch to cow's milk (whole, organic w/DHA preferably) since that's what he'd switch to after mama's breast anyway. Wouldn't mama want to give her breasts a break at this point?
I'm inclined to agree with the other moms that have already posted. I imagine the child has forgotten how to breastfeed and I can't see that it would really be worth it at this point, as the child is probably eating so many solid foods.
just out of curiosity why would you go back to breastfeeding a child who has been off for 8 months? at that age he/she has most likely been on a sippy cup in daycare. and how did you keep the milk supply if he/she has been off? just wondering
Just a guess but at 18 months he may not want to take the time to nurse, he is busy now and sippies can be drunk on the run. And he may not like the taste anymore. Milk and breastmilk have a different taste.
I'm all for extended breastfeeding as I did it with both of my kids but I too am unsure why you would want to reintroduce it unless for some health reason. He would have forgotten how to breastfeed at this point I would think. And given that he is in daycare for that amount of time it would be difficult for mom to replenish her supply.
Just a side note-most children do not wean themselves before a year. It was most likely a nursing strike. They often get misinterpreted as self-weaning.
I think it would be helpful to know why you want to do this. That will help us shape our answers better for you.
Why are you looking to do this? I am not sure that an 18 month old would even want to try. My son was 19 months when his sister was born, and had not nursed for about 9 months. When he saw me doing it with his sister, he wanted to try. I let him, and he hardly knew what to do. It was not natural to him at all at that point. Honestly, I was relieved when he just walked away from it after he got a little bit out. Not that this means you shouldn't do it, just that I don't think it would actually be that simple.
Is there anything wrong with him having breastmilk? I can't imagine there would be anything wrong with that. Best of luck in whatever you decide.
Why would you do that? I think there would be a social affect as well as a psychological affect at this point. If you were bfing the whole time perhaps not, but since he's been on his own for 8m, and he's in daycare on his own during the week, then yes there will be. Especially if you were to bring him to the breast.
If you just want him to have the breast milk instead of cow or soy milk for some health reason, then pump some, if you can get a supply, and put it in a sippy cup. I would NOT bring him to the breast.
If your reason for this is because you are feeling a loss of some connection with your son, then you have possibly post-partum symptoms and should discuss them with your doctor.
M.
i nursed my daughter until she turned 2, mostly just at bedtime, and stopped because i was tired of it. i see no adverse effects of nursing an "older" baby, as some posters have implied, and i don't think they "forget" how to nurse... but i'd expect the hardest part would be getting your breasts to lactate again.
if you have reason to try, then try!
You must have been pumping all this time, otherwise I can't imgine you would have any milk. I had one wean at 15 mos, and one wean at 3 years old. Night and day kids, even to this day! 18 months is still a baby! I don't see the harm in trying...not sure what your reason would be but I am the biggest cheerleader for breastfeeding...go for it!
Not sure that S. is asking for approval on WHY she wants to do this or if you think it's "OK"...she's looking for "social, psychological and physical affects"!
Not sure why any mom would want to start breastfeeding an 18 month old after weaning from the breast at 8 months old, unless it is for health reasons. An 18 month old has teeth and will bite, ouch. An 18 month old should be able to use a sippy cup, which would be much easier and quicker. I'm curious to see what other issue would come up. Good luck.
V.
Do you have any milk left?
I think this is a little strange. The child weaned himself. He is in daycare 5 days a week, all day. When would he be breastfeeding? At night? And why?
Let us know the reason. Are you missing your son during the day and would like the contact/comfort breastfeeding provided to you? If that is the case, how about snuggling together before bedtime?
I'm kindof curious why you want to reintroduce it now too. I'm not really sure there would be physical, social, or psychological effects at this point...but usually most moms want to wean around a year anyhow and being that he's stopped 8 months ago...why would you want to start him up again?
Are you still producing milk?
You can re-lactate if you are inclined to do so. Just simply start putting the child to the breast and over time your body will produce enough hormones that you will start producing milk again. You would need to supplement that with pumping when the child was in daycare. Otherwise you wouldn't get enough interaction just from nursing.
I'm assuming you're hoping to help with his immune system via breastfeeding. Is he getting sick a lot?
If you want additional help simply call the La Leche League or a board certified lactation consultant for help. If you call the hospital in your area they can likely also connect you with one.
By the way, if he does bite, just pull him off, tell him no sternly, put him down for a minute or two and then pick him back up and do it again. I nursed my daughter till she was 3 1/2. There is nothing wrong with extended nursing!
Good luck!
I'm assuming you are pregnant? Sure it would be really healthy for him and regardless of what some people will say, a child who can drink for a cup can also breastfeed. If you plan on tandem nursing you just need to make sure the new baby gets priority and then the toddler. I've been tandem nursing for 28 months now so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer any questions. I think most of us here are just confused about your situation.
If you are willing and able to do this, there are NO adverse affects, only good things! Go with your maternal instincts on this one. My daughter had to wean her son early due to a high-risk pregnancy hospitalization. After she gave birth, he asked to nurse and did so for a long time. He's a very loving adult today. Go for it!
I don't see any adverse affects to your son with pumping and putting it in a sippy cup for him. I think as this post proves you will probably have many disapproving stares and comments from parents who don't understand. Your breasts will be producing milk specifically tailored to your second child though, but it certainly couldn't hurt your son to get some of your extra. If your trying to feed two though, I would be careful about your health. Make sure you are getting a good diet, plenty of liquids and rest. I would read up, or ask LaLeche about how to produce extra milk, but I would avoid saying why. Sometimes, it's not worth the constant fight with other adults, to do something that you know is good for your children. You are the MOM. America is considered the worst place to raise a young child by scientist. We have childcare all wrong. So if you are looking outside our culture for a better way to do it, you will get resistance from those inside, but it may be the best thing in the world for your children.
I am due with my second child in Sept., and my son will be 19 months old at that point. I was forced to stop breast-feeding my son when he was 6-months old because of supply issues (I had supply issues his entire life, but the milk was finally tapped out at 6-months). I fully intend to reintroduce breast-milk into his diet if I am able to produce enough with this second child (no guarantees that I'll be able to produce enough this time around, but I have hope) for the health benefits provided to him.
In some Asian and African countries, breast-milk is considered advantageous into adulthood. Not that adults feed at the breast, but in Mongolia, women leave their excess breast-milk for their husbands and older children to drink as a treat, and it is a standard compliment to say that a man must have breastfed into his teens (as a comment on his health and strength). As a note, they do not breastfeed teenagers in Mongolia - it is ONLY an expression. Although a child at 18 months should not be living on breast-milk alone, I believe there are still physical advantages.
However, I do not intend to reintroduce breast-feeding because my breasts are no longer a food-source to my son - they are a body part. This is not because of his age but rather because of the long period of time that has passed since my breasts were a food-source in his mind, and I doubt he remembers how to do it. I know that, when I hold him in the shower and whatever, he makes no attempt to nurse. I intend to give him (if I am able) breast milk in a sippy-cup or glass to drink, which I think will diminish any psychological problems that even Freud could predict.
Why? It just sounds wrong to me.
I think your biggest problem may be producing milk as it is a supply and demand system. If your child is in daycare 5 days all day then he/she won't be able to nurse on those days, and you will have to do a whole lot of pumping to get that milk flowing again. Personally I just hate pumping. I guess you won't know until you try and it can't really hurt anything. Psychologically I don't see anything wrong with it, I think they are still young enough at that point not to see breasts as sexual or anything. Your child might not want to though, as they get very strong willed at that age about what they want to do.
In some ways this could be a great bonding time for the two of you if the transition to starting up breastfeeding goes smoothly. However don't push it as he self weaned at 10 months.
Be sure you've thought through your reasons why. Does he need the nutrition or have some problem with cow's milk, or milk alternatives? Does he need help falling asleep? Does he need the bonding time? Are you missing this somehow? Also consider how weaning would go at an older age, he might not be willing to do it on his own. What about becoming too attached to you, like not being willing to go to bed without breastfeeding, or waking in the night to eat.
Bottom line, make sure that this is about HIS needs and not YOURS.
Best wishes!
