I breastfed my first for two years (last six months were more for comforting her than nutrition)
My second baby one year, she self-weaned and told me to shove it LOL
My third baby I’m hoping to breastfeed for at least a year but I’m not sure if it will be possible with two other kids around.
My take on this is that it should stop between two and three years old, after 4 years it honestly makes me feel icky BUT I’m all for breastfeeding so to each its own. Oh and I have never seen a woman breastfeeding a child older than two anyways so I don’t where are they finding this women who breastfeed a 7 year old.
I just stopped nursing my almost 14month old. However I stopped doing it in public when he was about 10 months old. He was too big and I felt wierd considering he could eat food. I think there is no reason to nurse a 2yo in public. I am all for breastfeeding but personally feel 2yo is too old period. I wanted to be done by 8 months but my son never took a bottle and refused a sippy cut so we strectched it out until 13.5 months. I know some people like to breastfeed their elementry school kids but I am not one of them.
In our culture I think people get nervous when they see an actual walking, talking toddler nurse. Seems like as soon as they get old enought to “ask” for it they are too old to have it. America is weird like that.
I nursed mine till he was about two, but I’m pretty sure I didnt nurse him in public when he got big enough to use a straw while we were out.
seriously? That is silly. I don’t agree with breastfeeding past age two, but a law?? I think that is crazy. I would hate to be the cop that has to go over to a breastfeeding mom and ask, excuse me, mam, how old is your baby? or please move it along, mam! Don’t mess with moms and their babies in public. And what if there was a medical problem with the two-year-old and the child’s mental state was still at one year?? Then what do you do?
That ticks me off. Do we are turn away in anger when a mama cow is nursing her calf?? No, most dont. In fact…most would think that was pretty cool to watch.
Not comparing us mamas to cows..just making a point. I think it is absurd how people look at breastfeeding moms with any age kid. I think we should embrace and make them feel more comfortable..Not set more rules up and horrible structure…making women feel silly or ‘‘gross’’ for choosing the best way to feed baby.
I nursed up until march of this year. I let my three year old decide when we were done. I would not have had it any other way.
I think there is a time where, if you are nursing a toddler, you dont HAVE to do it in public. There are those moments though, if toddler is super worked up, scared or whatever…you gotta do what you gotta do!
No one..not even our Dear old gov’ment should tell us where, when how..and how old we should nurse our kids til. I am a believer we need government…but this is a misuse of power and rule making privilege.
I would like to see them slap a nudity clause on teenagers dressed like hooches or the guys with their under roo’s and butts hanging out their britches…then maybe they can slap nudity clause on my boobies hanging out feeding my kiddo! Most women do cover up now days too! we have come along way from the 60’s and 70’s…hooter hiders are amazing!
So is someone going to card women? Are they going to have to prove that their big 18 mo. old is only 18 mo? When their 2.5 yr old has a meltdown, is it any different to nurse that child than a 2.5 month old? Many toddlers only nurse at home/night, but my friend’s daughter is still a NIP kid and over 2. I don’t think it makes any more sense to regulate it by child’s age. It’s still NURSING in PUBLIC, regardless of toddler or infant. It’s not suddenly nudity if the kid is doing the same thing. It’s finding an excuse to regulate nursing in public vs enlightening people about nursing.
When I nursed my child past 2, it wasn’t that I was forcing her to be infantile. It was a need, if not necessarily a nutritive one. She could ask with sign language well before she could talk, so I don’t consider that a factor, either. If someone’s toddler is pulling up their shirt, then the kid just needs manners.
I’ve nursed one until 12 months and still nursing this one. But I’ve never been a public nurser. I’m just uncomfortable with myself - I don’t have problems with other mother’s nursing in public. How will they monitor this? Will mother’s have to carry around their child’s birth certificate to prove it? And so my 20 month old that is smaller than most 6 months olds I know I could maybe get by with until she’s 4?
I don’t agree with the comment that a child on the breast past 2 is because the mother doesn’t want to let go. I’ve been trying to wean on and off since 12 months. She’s 20 months now. For example last night I refused her and she screamed from 1230am-630am with me laying on my tummy wrapped in a blanket so she couldn’t get to me. The night before it was 330a.m.-530 am then I locked myself in the bathroom to get ready for work. The day before 430 a.m.-530 a.m. then I lcoked myself in the bathroom. A few more nights and I will quit trying for another month or two. Sometimes there is something to be said for sleep and a mother’s sanity. IMO
The time to wean is when it’s right for both mother and baby. It might be 3 weeks, 3 months 3 years. And just because one of the nursing parties is ready doesn’t mean that both will be. Again just my opinion and experience.
i stopped when my kids bit me.
People get all emotional about the right to breastfeed, but just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. What’s the point in brestfeeding longer than you would bottle feed? When a child is old enough to ween from a bottle - they can be weened from the breast. When they are able to get thier nourishment from solid food, they no longer need to rely on breast or bottle. Longer than that is filling the moms needs not the childs.
Mama’s need to quit getting their panties in a wad! They are not saying you CAN’T breastfeed past two, just not in PUBLIC past two, and I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
They came up with 2 as a number because WHO states that a child should recieve breastmilk AT LEAST until the age of 2. So they said, “Fine, moms can breastfeed their children until 2 in public.” It sounds like they are being accomadating to most breastfeeding moms and it makes sense to me.
I’m a breastfeeding mom, no problem with seeing an INFANT (nutritional needs that can’t wait) being fed in public. But a child over two, a toddler, is not nursing for nutrition and can wait an hour until mom leaves the park or store. Should a mom want to continue (which is OKAY) it needs to be in a more private setting. If mom will be out past ‘lunch time’ bring a sippie cup and then nurse in the car, a dressing room or at home.
I don’t feel there is a set age for approprietness for stopping breastfeeding, per se. I think that it is what ever is comfortable to mom and child, and to each their own, but that the public shouldn’t have to be subjected to it past 2.
The real question here is how they will enforce it.
I like to answer this type of question with a joke
A man asks his doctor, “doctor, how long should my legs be?” the doctor replies “long enough to reach the ground”
My answer to how long should a woman breastfeed?..well until she and her baby are done. Taking no other opinions into account, no naysayers,no yes men, not anything. That law in atlanta is preposterous, i personally would not have publically breastfed my two year old, but i did breastfeed my two year old at home! The people that shake their fingers at this can go and jump off a cliff for all i care.
to each their own
****im laughing my butt off about the moms saying "will be baby have to have an i.d., thats frikken funny!, I got a very cute image of a baby i.d. with weight/height/ and percentile !..yeah my baby looked like she was 2 at a year old or sooner
I know this isnt a real answer but i started laughing at the comparison of cows nursing to humans…no we dont turn away when a cow nurses (but cows also dotn have clothes) but did you know a mama cow we kick her baby away if it trys to nurse when its old enough now to.
It reminds me of something I saw where the father says, “Well, excuse me if I’m uncomfortable with the kid using my wife’s breasts to wash down his meatloaf.”
There does come a time…
Obviously it’s a personal decision as to how long someone breastfeeds. But, there’s a big difference between an infant and a 2 year old “needing” to be breastfed in public.
i would say by 15 months. the child does not need the breastmilk past a few weeks. it needs nutrition. i am pro breastfeeding, pro formula, pro everything, but some moms just don’t know when enough is enough.
Wow really? Thats crazy to have a law like that! I think that as long as mommy and baby are both happy breastfeeding they should continue. When one or both of them wants to stop, then its time. I don’t think that anyone should be able to determine the right time to stop breastfeeding. Its up to the mom and baby-----NOT our GOVERNMENT! I am a huge fan of breastfeeding and this law is just wrong! Everyone knows that breastfeeding moms aren’t trying to flaunt their breasts or be nude and offensive to others. Most moms I know are so respectful and careful around others so they don’t show anything----Are they going to outlaw bottlefeeding in public too at age 2??? Not fair. Thank goodness I am in California where we are a little bit more progressive and laid back.
thats not exactly true. the law isnt in metro atlanta, but a small city outside of metro atlanta, called Forest park. the law began with prohibiting public nudity, due to trying to curb strip clubs, and gave an exemption for nursing, but then put a limit on “up to 2 years old” …
i think that should be up to a mother and her child and no government should be allowed to say anything either which way.
Just my opinion but a child older than 2 does not NEED to be nursing. It is a WANT, and mostly on the mom’s part. Of course, most women (in my experience) that are publicly breastfeeding past that age tend to whip the breasts out in public without any discretion whatsoever. I’m not saying you have to be completely covered up or throw a blanket over the head - I’m talking you see the entire breast. If it were a NECESSITY because there were no other FOOD sources, then no problem (as in, for a baby under the age of 12 months or so). But, since it isn’t a necessity and food can be gained from other sources then I’m fine with it. If it is used to calm the kid down or soothe the kid, well, just like many others do - you find a private and quiet place to calm your kid down.
As the mother of a 13 month old child who has physical problems taking any liquids other than milk DIRECTLY from the breast, I am just plain mad. My child can’t drink from a bottle, cup, straw, etc. We have been working diligently on this for almost a year with no significant improvement. If this continues, I am bound to be nursing past 2 yo.
While I always try to be discreet, should I always be forced into a dressing room, car, back room away from the rest of my family?
For god’s sake it’s a breast. A mound of fat with some dark colored skin designed by nature for feeding the young!!! Last I checked two was still young.