Video of feeding the baby

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Until what age can you breastfeed your baby: duration and timing of breastfeeding

I have a friend who is very reminiscent of a character from Game of Thrones: she breastfeeds a child, although he is already four years old. Of course, this is none of my business, but I have a question: is it not harmful for a child? And is this generally normal?

Daniil Davydov

medical journalist

Author profile

Representatives of most international organizations believe that breastfeeding a child up to four years of age and beyond is absolutely normal.

This practice can even be good for the psyche and health of the mother and baby, but only if the feedings are not too frequent.

Go see a doctor

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to authoritative sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and your doctor. We don't write prescriptions, we make recommendations. Relying on our point of view or not is up to you.

Why breastfeeding a child up to four years is normal

Among people living in modern cities, it is widely believed that breastfeeding a child for more than a year is strange. But in many traditional societies, the duration of breastfeeding is viewed differently. According to anthropologists, in different societies around the world, the range of normal age for self-weaning is from two and a half to seven years.

The duration of breastfeeding in different parts of the world varies greatly - American Academy of Pediatrics position paper

There is nothing unhealthy or wrong in this practice. And that's why.

Breast milk remains nutritious even after two years of breastfeeding. Studies show that in the second year after birth, it contains even more fat and total protein, including the natural antibiotic lysozyme, immunoglobulins and the protective protein lactoferrin, which is responsible for non-specific immunity. At the same time, it contains significantly less zinc, calcium and iron.

Study of the composition of breast milk in the second year after birth - Journal of Maternal and Child Nutrition

Mother's milk in the second year of lactation can be a good source of energy - Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics

This means that mother's milk remains a good source of energy and protein and can play an important role in protecting the baby from infections. And since at this age the child already receives solid food, he will not encounter a lack of food minerals.

Long-term breastfeeding does not increase the risk of mental and physical illness for mother and child. Therefore, the largest international medical organizations, including WHO, recommend breastfeeding for at least six months. And continue as long as it is comfortable for the mother and child.

It makes sense to continue breastfeeding as long as mother and baby want it - WHO PDF, 74 KB

How to treat effectively and affordably treatment, - in your mail twice a month on Thursdays. Free

How prolonged breastfeeding affects mother and baby

There is very little information about how mothers and children who breastfeed until the age of four feel, because most women do stop this practice earlier. More information is available about families that breastfeed until about two or three years of age.

Continued breastfeeding can improve children's health. For a child to develop normally, it is important that he receives enough energy and nutrients during the critical period - from conception to two years. And because breast milk remains an important source of macronutrients and protective proteins even into the second year of life, researchers believe there are many benefits that babies can get from drinking it.

For example, the international study Intergrowth-21ˢᵗ found that prolonged breastfeeding may be beneficial for neurodevelopment. It turned out that two-year-old children who were breastfed for more than seven months developed gross motor skills faster. And it’s also easier for them to climb the stairs and drink from a cup on their own than their peers who were weaned earlier. True, there was no difference in behavior, cognitive abilities and language skills between such children.

Late weaning enhances autonomy in two-year-olds - Nature

Children who are well fed during the critical period suffer less chronic disease as they grow up. This has not yet been definitively proven, but preliminary studies show that children who continue to receive breast milk up to two years of age and beyond have a lower risk of developing chronic diseases: obesity, hypertension, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the future.

But there is a caveat. The same preliminary studies show that breastfeeding up to 12 months reduces the risk of severe caries in early childhood compared to those who were breastfed only up to six months. But longer feeding, on the contrary, increases the risk of caries. Especially if the child is fed too often, including at night.

/baby-tooth/

How I spent almost R100,000 on my baby's milk teeth

In addition, babies over eight months old who continue to breastfeed six or more times a day are at risk of malnutrition of dietary minerals, especially iron . This increases the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia.

Continued breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and child. In 2019, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development published data from a study of 1,272 families that examined the relationship between breastfeeding duration and maternal attachment to children.

Mothers who breastfeed for a long time are better at reading baby signals - Journal of Developmental Psychology

Mothers who did not breastfeed at all participated in it, breastfeeding for six weeks, six months, a year, two and three. It turned out that the longer the mother breastfed the child, the better she recognized his signals and needs and more often established a secure attachment with the child - this is when the child is sure that a significant adult will always be there and help if necessary.

This effect persisted even when the children in the study were 11-15 years old. Mothers who breastfed until age three got on better with their teens than women who stopped breastfeeding earlier.

Long-term breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of chronic disease. There is much compelling evidence that women who breastfeed for more than a year have a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, breast and ovarian cancer. The longer a mother breastfeeds, the lower the risk of both types of cancer.

How to be women who choose continuous breastfeeding

Vera Yakupova

Ph.D., founder of the Good Point Psychological Center

Author profile

matter of mother and child. It can last as long as this dyad is comfortable. Breastfeeding may not be at all, or it may last a year, two or three, or until self-weaning - all these are normal options.

There are many studies looking at the relationship between breastfeeding and different aspects of a child's development. But in general, we can say that long feeding is more likely not about the need for nutrition, since the child is already fully eating from the common table, but about maintaining some kind of emotional contact. There is nothing dangerous in this.

The breast is a sexualized object for adults, but not for children. Therefore, the fact that because of breastfeeding the sexuality of the child will be somehow violated is the point of view of adults. And quite strange. The body of a mother for a child is a source of security, comfort, coziness, some very basic and deep things. Therefore, feeding in terms of sexuality is definitely not dangerous.

At the same time, it is important that parents observe the needs of the child and how they are being transformed. This is necessary so as not to miss the moment when he loses interest in breastfeeding. And also not to replace the needs of the child with our own.

Sometimes it happens that parents have a lot of feelings about breastfeeding - much more than the child himself. For example, they may feel anxious or sad that the feeding is over and the baby is growing up. Or, on the contrary, consider that this is an unpleasant process and should be completed faster. Therefore, a mother should also observe herself, too, in order to figure out what needs she satisfies with breastfeeding.

Society in general - doctors who are not up to date with current research, relatives, friends, and even random people at the bus stop - are often critical of mothers. It doesn't matter what mom does. If she doesn't feed, it's bad. If he feeds, then somehow it’s wrong, in the wrong place, not covered like that, too long or too little. That is, in principle, there is no good option: there is always something to condemn, something to criticize for. It seems to me that this is such a separate phenomenon, living an independent life.

Perhaps mothers are just a convenient target for criticism and condemnation.

Now in society very high demands are placed on them. It is generally accepted that mothers should control almost all areas of a child’s life by 100%. If any difficulties arise, then this is the responsibility of the mother, or even her fault.

Of course, this approach is unrealistic, disrespectful and unscientific. Therefore, I think that focusing on the opinion of society in parenthood is futile: it will be a constant source of anxiety. There is one important support - "me and my child."

I would advise mothers to focus only on their own needs and the needs of their child. You need to act in a way that is convenient, comfortable and good for both of you. It makes sense to take into account the opinion of only those specialists whom you trust, with modern humanistic views. And those, after communicating with whom you would rather find the ground under your feet, and not get another portion of anxiety.

What's the bottom line

If your friend's baby gets enough solid food and breastfeeds no more than 2-5 times a day, the benefits outweigh the harm. Perhaps such a decision would even be worth supporting. Mothers who breastfeed for more than a year often complain that they are laughed at and do not understand their choice. Moreover, not only friends and acquaintances behave this way, but also doctors.

Studying the experience of mothers who breastfeed for a long time - Journal of Breastfeeding Medicine

What to do? Readers ask - experts answer

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Graham showed a close-up of how she breastfeeds her son. Video / Showbiz Boulevard

News

Graham: Breakfast of Champions
Photo: theashleygraham / Instagram

Plump American model Ashley Graham showed family videos of her husband and son, as well as breastfeeding and pumping milk.

32-year-old buxom American model Ashley Graham posted on Instagram a selection of videos of her husband, cameraman Justin Irwin and son Isaac, and also posted a video of breastfeeding and pictures of her son swimming in the paddling pool.

"My Isaac Menelik," she signed the videos.

View this post on Instagram

My Isaac Menelik *

Posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham) 12 Jul 2020 at 11:58 PDT

Previously, Graham showed how she expresses her breast milk.

"Breakfast of Champions," she wrote. The model admitted that she is doing business - checking email - and pumping milk at the same time.

View this post on Instagram

Breakfast of Champions * extra love to the multi-tasking mama’s club today as I check emails and pump *

Post by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham) Jul 10, 2020 at 8:53 PDT

Graham gave birth to a son on January 18th.

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