Are We TOO Puritanical??

ORIGINAL: willowchow

I believe it is a cultural thing, not a mental issue, and I believe the correct time to quit breastfeeding is when the mother and child are both ready to quit.  Just MHO. 

This is exactly what I mean when I say it's a mental issue with the mom.  Why are you saying when the child AND mother are "ready".  What exactly does the mom need to be ready for??  Not breastfeeding??  It's a mental issue with the mom. 

I'm sorry but something is just not right with breastfeeding a kid who is able to walk and talk. 

 
I only think its a mental issue when you re still breastfeeding a 6 year old child. My breastfeeding 'mentor' at the WIC program breastfed her daughters until they were like 7 and 8. I personally think thats sick.
 
But I breastfed DS for a few months, and during those months he began cutting teeth and he was only 4months old and I dont think there was anything wrong with that. I personally think that the recomended 2 years is just fine.

I'm not going to mention the ages mine were when they quit nursing - there are already enough people on the planet who think I'm nuts.  I will say however, that they both had teeth.  When a baby is ready to quit nursing, he/she will.  Just like they quit the bottle and/or the pacifier.  Ideally, it's a gradual thing.

Joyce

Heather was breast fed for about 3 months, then switched to the bottle. She never had a pacifier. Not sure why, I guess she never liked them.
 
Kelly on the other hand was bottle fed from day one. She has been sick 10x more than Heather ever was. Those three months that Heather was breastfed made a big difference in her health. But when I decided I didn't want Kelly using a bottle anymore... It took about a week, and the bottle was gone for good.
 
So with this baby, it will be breast fed for about 2 months or so. (As long as my maternity leave.) I will have to return to work, and it will just be a lot easier on daycare if he/she is on the bottle. But we'll see, things/minds change. I might not breast feed at all.
 
Anyways, being that the magazine is baby related, the breastfeeding baby on the front cover is perfect. Breastfeeding is actually less common than bottle feeding. My local WIC office said that more than half their new mothers bottle feed. The media should get the word out about how important it is to breastfeed if at all possible. Even if it's for a couple of weeks after the baby is born.

ORIGINAL: hlb118

Heather was breast fed for about 3 months, then switched to the bottle. She never had a pacifier. Not sure why, I guess she never liked them.

Kelly on the other hand was bottle fed from day one. She has been sick 10x more than Heather ever was. Those three months that Heather was breastfed made a big difference in her health. But when I decided I didn't want Kelly using a bottle anymore... It took about a week, and the bottle was gone for good.

So with this baby, it will be breast fed for about 2 months or so. (As long as my maternity leave.) I will have to return to work, and it will just be a lot easier on daycare if he/she is on the bottle. But we'll see, things/minds change. I might not breast feed at all.

Anyways, being that the magazine is baby related, the breastfeeding baby on the front cover is perfect. Breastfeeding is actually less common than bottle feeding. My local WIC office said that more than half their new mothers bottle feed. The media should get the word out about how important it is to breastfeed if at all possible. Even if it's for a couple of weeks after the baby is born.

 
If you really want to breastfeed longer, you can. My sister went back to work after 8 weeks and she still breastfed. She pumped milk so that I could feed Nina Monkeybutt during the day and when my sister came home from work, she'd nurse at night. She did that for almost a year.[]
 
I nursed my son up until he was a year. There is a bond that mom and baby have when you nurse. It's a feeling of closeness. It's kinda undescribeable. Anyhoo, I stopped doing it because he thought that watching me scream when he would bite down on me was hilarious. I couldn't hang with that pain. I'm happy to say that my son was rarely sick. He never had an ear infection or a cold when he was breastfed.

And for anyone expecting baby #1, be prepared for a huge, major expense if you're going to be using formula.  When DGS was born in  '93 the ex-DIL nursed for one day (in the hospital) then decided it restricted her social life too much. So we wound up buying formula for a year (they couldn't afford formula, but always had money for smokes) and it was around $130 a month way back then. That, if I remember right, was for the powder that you mix.  The* ready to pour* is even more.

Joyce

Formula IS very expensive. My mom gave birth prematurely and after she gave birth got her tubes tied and she didnt see her baby for about 6 hours or so, and when she tried breastfeeding him he didnt want to latch on. He had bad Colic and Reflux from dayone and they ended up having to use a formula that was 30 bucks per can.
 
Breastfeeding has so many advantages I cant even begin to name them. When I weaned DS and started him on the regular Enfamil he got this horrible outbreak on his face, with little pus filled 'pimples' he looked horrible, and to think I could have avoided it by breastfeeding him longer.

felt a little sadness when mine quit nursing, not because I particularly ENJOYED feeling like a dairy cow, but because it meant that they needed me less, if that makes sense...that they were growing up soooooo soon. And as ready as we THINK we are for our kids to grow it's always a little bittersweet when they take those first few steps away from us.

 
Exactly. . .it's an issue with the mom. 

It's usually only an issue with the mom if mom is the one that has to initiate the weaning process for whatever reason. If baby inititates it, it's pretty gradual and just kind of tapers out on its own.

Joyce

I'm not offended, nor do I find the pic to be in the least bit risque or provocative.

Ok, devil's advocate poppin' in here.  While I have absolutely no problem with anyone else's breasts being displayed, some folks do.  So, in the same context that we might try not to wear "old lady perfume" around those who express that they are allergic or sensitive, why would we be so intent upon offending someone else's sensibilities by exposing our breasts in public?  Dogs don't "get" that what they do might offend anyone, so they continue to suckle pups, sniff butt, and lick their genitalia.  Apparently, we feel we must foist our breasts where they aren't welcome?  Do you all let your teenage daughters make out in the subway station? 
Actually, if you are feeding an infant, at least the little bugger isn't screaming his head off in the fancy restaurant where I am trying to have a peaceful meal.
Isn't this all about etiquette and civility, rather than impropriety???

Good points, Anne.  But ... I abslutely swear to you that it is very possible to nurse a baby in public without exposing so much as an inch of skin.  It only requires that you have a small blanket with you and enough common sense to wear something that opens in front. [][]

Joyce

It's usually only an issue with the mom if mom is the one that has to initiate the weaning process for whatever reason. If baby inititates it, it's pretty gradual and just kind of tapers out on its own. Joyce, I believe it's called "baby-led weaning," right? I wasn't successful nursing my first son.  I was young, had no clue what I was doing and had NO support (MIL thought it was dirty, mom didn't nurse us so she had no clue).  It was painful and I gave up because the ped said he wasn't gaining enough weight. I had difficulty nursing my second child but stuck with it.  I got pregnant with my third son when my second was only nine months old and still nursing but I continued to nurse him throughout my pregnancy.  It was tough but so worth it.  He weaned himself right before I gave birth to Seth (milk changed in consistency and taste, according to lactation consultant) and Seth took to it within minutes after birth.  I think it was because I knew what I was doing by then, LOL.  I had to return to work after 12 weeks' maternity leave but continued to nurse and pump for almost a year after that.  That's hard to do, but again, so worth it. I never had any issues with nursing in public.  I was discreet and never once exposed myself but in all honesty, I didn't give a rats a** what anyone thought of me nursing. [blockquote]quote:

felt a little sadness when mine quit nursing, not because I particularly ENJOYED feeling like a dairy cow, but because it meant that they needed me less, if that makes sense...that they were growing up soooooo soon. And as ready as we THINK we are for our kids to grow it's always a little bittersweet when they take those first few steps away from us. [/blockquote]


Exactly. . .it's an issue with the mom. Well, what mother wouldn't feel exactly that same way?  Willowchow, you make it sound like it's a BAD thing to feel that way about your child...  All three of my boys walked at nine months - are you saying that they shouldn't have been breastfed past nine months?? Half the world is laughing at us Americans because we're so uptight and puritanical about nursing.  It's okay to show your boobs on tv and magazine covers but God-forbid someone might see it FEEDING your child. Joyce, what's the average age of weaning for US vs Europe? 

I have no idea what the average age for weaning is in the US vs Europe, but I know nursing moms get a lot more flak about *weaning* than bottle feeding moms do. I used to tell people at league meetings not to sweat it - just go visit a local kindergarten class.  You won't see anyone there still nursing, still with a bottle or pacifier or still in diapers.[] It all happens in good time.  You're right about the milk changing.  In the last few weeks before a baby is born, the milk will change back into colostrum in preparation for the newborn, and a lot of older babies don't like the taste.

Joyce

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

Ok, devil's advocate poppin' in here.  While I have absolutely no problem with anyone else's breasts being displayed, some folks do.  So, in the same context that we might try not to wear "old lady perfume" around those who express that they are allergic or sensitive, why would we be so intent upon offending someone else's sensibilities by exposing our breasts in public?  Dogs don't "get" that what they do might offend anyone, so they continue to suckle pups, sniff butt, and lick their genitalia.  Apparently, we feel we must foist our breasts where they aren't welcome?  Do you all let your teenage daughters make out in the subway station? 
Actually, if you are feeding an infant, at least the little bugger isn't screaming his head off in the fancy restaurant where I am trying to have a peaceful meal.
Isn't this all about etiquette and civility, rather than impropriety???

 
I don't know if it is really intent, so much as, "My kids hungry and I've got to feed it."  I've never seen a nursing mom hanging the girls out for God and all creation to see.  I'm sure there are people that are offended by me having my dog out in public for no other reason than the fact that she is a dog, but I still take her out into public.

There would be VERY FEW things one could do if they were unwilling to risk offending someone.