Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, are you actually saying you think women get off on nursing their toddlers? Have you ever nursed a child? It's about the most unsexual, unexciting activity ever. Give me a break.

It wasn't all that for me, but lots of granola websites sell breast feeding and extended breast feeding as pleasurable for the mom.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/pleasure.html

https://www.naturalbabypros.com/learn/by-stage-week-by-week/postpartum-mom?id=307

If a Mom finds breastfeeding pleasurable, she shouldn't nurse. There's no way in hell, I'd nurse my child while (involuntarily or not) getting turned on. For me, the sensation is not pleasurable at all. When my breasts were full, it was a relief to "empty" them. But when they were empty and my child used them as a pacifier, the tugging sensation was annoying as hell.

Mom of 4 here. I breastfed my last two until about 2.5 (boy & a girl). I had to force them off!! They were using me as a human pacifier and I felt really bad about denying them that comfort. In both cases, I weaned cold turkey in an "I've had it" moment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, are you actually saying you think women get off on nursing their toddlers? Have you ever nursed a child? It's about the most unsexual, unexciting activity ever. Give me a break.

It wasn't all that for me, but lots of granola websites sell breast feeding and extended breast feeding as pleasurable for the mom.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/pleasure.html

https://www.naturalbabypros.com/learn/by-stage-week-by-week/postpartum-mom?id=307

Did you read those articles? The pleasure isn't exactly the sexual pleasure you imply. It's more of an oxytocin induced satisfaction.

If someone wants to bf their 4 year old in their own home, that's their business. I do think that doing it in a restaruant is not socially appropriate. By that age, the child can wait until they get home. I liken it to a female child going in park sprinklers without a shirt on. At age 2 or 3, ok whatever. As the kid starts getting older, even though it isn't sexual (to most healthy normal observers) it is just odd and offputting. Right or wrong, these are the norms of the society in which we live.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, are you actually saying you think women get off on nursing their toddlers? Have you ever nursed a child? It's about the most unsexual, unexciting activity ever. Give me a break.

It wasn't all that for me, but lots of granola websites sell breast feeding and extended breast feeding as pleasurable for the mom.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/pleasure.html

https://www.naturalbabypros.com/learn/by-stage-week-by-week/postpartum-mom?id=307

Anonymous wrote:2.5 yo nursing poster here. What's wrong with using the potty (pp never said her child was fully potty trained) at 12 mo.? Mine did, too.
Again, why is it ok to wear diapers (often around the clock), be in a stroller or suck on a paci at 3.5, not even mentioning 2.5, but not to breastfeed? As for the article, I don't know why mom would nurse her 5yo in the park. It's not like he was dead tired and needed a nap? Or seriously sick or hurt?

One of the PPs here. Who ever said that any of these things is OK? Kids should absolutely be out of strollers and off of pacis/ bottles by 2 1/2. Long before that, actually. Same with breastfeeding. It is time to let them grow up, Moms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You said he's 2 1/2! That's not "still very little." That is a growing toddler and as much as you try to infantilize him, nothing will change that. They all grow up, mom. A successful parent who raises a truly happy, balanced child recognizes that and grows with them. Please tell me you plan to potty train him before he's five...

Sorry you think I'm infantilizing him, but luckily I take my advice from experts, not from random strangers on the internet who seem to care a hell of a lot about what other people do with their children. And he's been using the potty since he was 12 months, thanks.

You have no idea who I am. And you'll have to trust me when I say that I know a lot more about this issue than you do.

NP here. Please, PP. I nursed two children for an extended period of time. They are both outgoing, independent, and thriving, and I'm confident they'll continue on their paths to become well-adjusted young men. You'd never be able to pick them out as boys who nursed to 3.5 and 3 years old. Until my second was born, I worked for a European government's health service on infant feeding support and breastfeeding. So, not going to trust you that your knowledge exceeds your hang-ups. And yes, the kids were both potty-trained before they were fully weaned.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You said he's 2 1/2! That's not "still very little." That is a growing toddler and as much as you try to infantilize him, nothing will change that. They all grow up, mom. A successful parent who raises a truly happy, balanced child recognizes that and grows with them. Please tell me you plan to potty train him before he's five...

Sorry you think I'm infantilizing him, but luckily I take my advice from experts, not from random strangers on the internet who seem to care a hell of a lot about what other people do with their children. And he's been using the potty since he was 12 months, thanks.

Um, ok. So your child uses the toilet at 12 months ( ) but nurses for comfort? You are so, so backwards (not to mention a liar).

I never said he was fully potty trained at 12 months. Maybe you should stop and read properly before calling people backward and liars.

The post you were quoting was referring to potty training. What do you think of the quote about the park nursing and the disgusted (and rightfully so) father? Do you plan on teaching your child to comfort himself?

Part of potty training is learning how to use the potty. He has been working on becoming fully independent of diapers since he was 12 months old. Is that really so hard to understand?

My son already knows how to comfort himself. I don't nurse him at a drop of a hat. He nurses when he first wakes up and that's it.

I think nursing a 5 year old in public is odd. It's not for me. I wouldn't do it. But hey, that's their issues, not mine.

Love the "what chu talkin bout Willis" gif!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You said he's 2 1/2! That's not "still very little." That is a growing toddler and as much as you try to infantilize him, nothing will change that. They all grow up, mom. A successful parent who raises a truly happy, balanced child recognizes that and grows with them. Please tell me you plan to potty train him before he's five...

Sorry you think I'm infantilizing him, but luckily I take my advice from experts, not from random strangers on the internet who seem to care a hell of a lot about what other people do with their children. And he's been using the potty since he was 12 months, thanks.

GIFSoup

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You said he's 2 1/2! That's not "still very little." That is a growing toddler and as much as you try to infantilize him, nothing will change that. They all grow up, mom. A successful parent who raises a truly happy, balanced child recognizes that and grows with them. Please tell me you plan to potty train him before he's five...

Sorry you think I'm infantilizing him, but luckily I take my advice from experts, not from random strangers on the internet who seem to care a hell of a lot about what other people do with their children. And he's been using the potty since he was 12 months, thanks.

Um, ok. So your child uses the toilet at 12 months ( ) but nurses for comfort? You are so, so backwards (not to mention a liar).

I never said he was fully potty trained at 12 months. Maybe you should stop and read properly before calling people backward and liars.

The post you were quoting was referring to potty training. What do you think of the quote about the park nursing and the disgusted (and rightfully so) father? Do you plan on teaching your child to comfort himself?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You said he's 2 1/2! That's not "still very little." That is a growing toddler and as much as you try to infantilize him, nothing will change that. They all grow up, mom. A successful parent who raises a truly happy, balanced child recognizes that and grows with them. Please tell me you plan to potty train him before he's five...

Sorry you think I'm infantilizing him, but luckily I take my advice from experts, not from random strangers on the internet who seem to care a hell of a lot about what other people do with their children. And he's been using the potty since he was 12 months, thanks.

Um, ok. So your child uses the toilet at 12 months ( ) but nurses for comfort? You are so, so backwards (not to mention a liar).

I never said he was fully potty trained at 12 months. Maybe you should stop and read properly before calling people backward and liars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who cares? Are you the same sort of b*tch who judges women for formula feeding? Why do you care?

Scientists think the natural age for weaning is between 2-7 years, btw. So 4 may not be common in the U.S., but it's within the realm of normal. Don't be so small-minded.

I'm a scientist and the data does not support your assertions. Breast feeding a 2-7 year old is not natural in any society, but that number is an oft quoted Kathy Dettwyler paper. There is no country in the world with an average age of breast feeding higher than 31 months (Bangladesh). Age 4 is not "within the realm of normal".

What kind of "scientist" lacks the reading comprehension to distinguish "natural age" (i.e., evolutionarily predetermined biological age) from "average age".

Also, you're a poor hard sciences practitioner if you're conflating cultural norms with biological imperatives. After all, in the 1970s, the average age for weaning in the U.S. was 3 months. I hope you're not suggesting that would in any way be reflective of biology (rather than a cultural movement toward artificially feeding infants). Maybe you're a soft science practitioner? That could be why you're using (anecdotal) sociological data to attempt to make a biological argument.

Biologically speaking, human children -- even those without the genetic mutation that allows for lactase persistence -- produce lactase for many years, up to about age 8 (a study showed children without the lactase persistence mutation stopped producing lactase at this age: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2113102). Mammals stop producing lactase when they are ready to be weaned from milk (with the exception, of course, of humans with the lactase persistence gene). The age at which the genes for lactase production switch off is a good indicator of the upper boundary for weaning. In fact, it's one of the best markers since it is purely biological.

People, there is a WORLD of difference between 2.5 and 4.

Parents should do whatever they want in the privacy of their own home, and if they want to EBF, fine (I'm certainly not going to tell them they're hurting or helping their kids by doing so). But when you're in public, different rules apply. I know there's a right to nurse and all that (and no one's saying this woman broke the law or anything), but really - there is a difference between nursing an infant at a restaurant and nursing a 4 yo. A big difference. Can you all really not see that?

I think a good rule of thumb is that if your preK child is closer in age to losing his teeth than getting his first teeth, then he is too old for breastfeeding.