Ok - Alison - here you go. I don't think you will find me arguing much here.
My mom said she stopped breastfeeding us kids when we were about 6 months, got teeth, and could bite her. Who wants their nipples bit? Ouch!
But I have talked to other mothers who have nursed past the acquisition of teeth and they said that the baby will quickly learn they don't like the response (they get scared too) from mom when she is startled from being bit and the baby learns to keep their teeth away.
I have done quite a bit of reading about the benefits of breastfeeding and I have always planned on breastfeeding (as long as my body will produce enough milk to feed my child and my child can digest it.) Although, I had always thought I would stop around 6 months, but over the last 6 months I have done a lot of reading about how they recommend feeding until the child is 1 year old and that breastfeeding that long really helps them develop a strong immune system, breastfed babies tend to not become overweight children as often, there are also studies to show that breastfeeding helps increase brain development, as well as attachment with the mother.
So, I guess between 6-12 months for me.
Now, the flip side of this, is I think there has to be a time when you call it quits. I don't want to personally knock people who breastfeed past a year, because that is their choice. My choice will be that once the child can walk up & get it or ask for it, then it's been too long for me. But if they are in school and you are still breastfeeding, then I think there is honestly something twisted going on and a mother should get some therapy to find out why she insists on getting her needs met by having a child who knows his ABC's and can tie his shoes latched on to her chest.
I am also not sure how I feel on public breastfeeding. Our society is not very accepting of it and I am not sure that I really want to whip my tit out (or even have it concealed) in front of people that I don't feel completly comfortable around & who wouldn't feel comfortable with me doing it. What drives me nuts about public breastfeeding is the women who feel they need to do it to make some kind of statement and feel they are entitled to it and that if someone is not comfortable around it then it is that person's problem. What I want to know is what is that mom's problem that she can't be considerate of others? I think you can breastfeed in public and not call attention to yourself and there are wonderful tops and dresses that disguise the breastfeeding, but when it borders on public nudity -- then there is a problem.
4 comments:
I think your baby will be fine if you only breast feed or pump for even 5 months. Once those choppers start coming out it's murder. I don't have kids but I've been around 47 years and know that it's no fun.
I'm not the maternal type for some reason. Bad wiring. Short circut. I don't know. I just know I'm not gay and I was a Barbie beheader. LOL I wasn't into dolls either for some reason. I was always disecting things. Radios,Dolls,you name it. LOL I was a menace.
Yeah...6 months to a year is fine. But the person I offended by sharing my non-maternal opinion is still breastfeeding a two year old. The kid also sleeps in the same bed as the parents EVERY NIGHT. I think there is something sick and twisted about that. "Attachment parenting" or not. I just don't think that's a healthy living environment for the parents or the child. So I offended someone who believes in it and whose husband cheated on her.
So yeah, I was just curious...as someone who will probably have children one day.
I think I'm going to be one of those people who stops when the baby gets teeth. I have nightmares about things with teeth attacking me and just don't think I should feed the fear.
As for breastfeeding in public, I don't have a problem with it as long as the mother is being discrete (like you said with the tops that make it easier). Now if someone whips our a tit and basically exposes it to me with no covering whatsoever (this has actually happened to me...my friend did it), then I have a problem with it.
But your views sound well researched and healthy to me. I was just curious since I'm now sort of fighting with a friend for telling her I thought attachment parenting was a load of B.S. I didn't know she was a believer in it...
Ms Bean,
There are lots of flakey flakey people. Modern hippies. They take motherhood and babies to different levels. OH IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING yadda yadda yadda. I still don't think tits should be whipped out in public for breast feeding. FLAKEY! And that person you know who still breast feeds a 2 yr old is a weirdo. LOL WHAT A PILL! LOL
Kid's for sure going to be fucked up with momma drama issues.
You should talk to my sister, Sara, about this. She is a dietician at the Women, Infants and Children's Program in Lebanon, PA and does counseling and seminar courses to new moms about breastfeeding. (She sports a Pro-Breastfeeding bumber sticker on her car!)
-Tim
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