Breastfeeding A Toddler How Old Is Too Old

It is customary to breastfeed a child during its first year of life. Thereafter, the schools of thought diverge. Some belief that at one year old, it is time to wean the little one and...

It is customary to breastfeed a child during its first year of life. Thereafter, the schools of thought diverge. Some belief that at one year old, it is time to wean the little one and get him or her accustomed to a bottle or cup; others find this a modern idea with little merit. They argue that in other cultures children are breastfed into late toddlerhood, and that this is indeed the optimum way of life for children. Breastfeeding is quite obviously fraught with disagreements, but it is a valid question whether breastfeeding a toddler really is necessary or a good idea. How old is too old when it comes to breastfeeding?

Proponents of late breastfeeding argue that the only reason why women nowadays choose to wean so soon is because they have a bad peer example. Seeing other women do it fails to inspire them to realize the long term health benefits their children are doing without, simply because breastfeeding is withheld. Even magazines, another source that modern young women seek out for help and advice, tend to encourage women to stop breastfeeding at one year of age. By the wayside go the ideals of nursing, holding the child close, bonding properly, and not allowing a third party to determine when to end the process.

Opponents to late nursing suggest that toddlers who are still being nursed may experience ridicule by their peers. In the same way, consistent nursing may hinder them from exploring the world on their own through the flexibility that a bottle or cup offers. Instead, they must return to their mothers time and again for nutrition. Add to this that active nursing is virtually impossible if mom needs to return to work and it only makes sense that so many women understand the limitations they are facing and making the best of them. Some opt for pumping breast milk and then leave it with the daycare personnel or the nanny. Others switch to formula. No matter which approach is chosen, nursing is stopped usually before or at the one year mark.

It bears mentioning that both sides of the argument make valid points. It is unfortunate that breastfeeding moms battle one another to the point of name calling when disagreeing on the issue of how old is too old to breastfeed their children. The first authority on the subject is not a pamphlet or a group dedicated to foster breastfeeding, but instead it should be the woman’s and the child’s doctors that are consulted. Breastfeeding is not an ideology but instead a bodily demanding task. If both physicians agree that there is no adverse effect to the mother’s continued breastfeeding of the toddler, it is a good idea to continue the practice.

If one of the physicians disagrees and finds that there is a potential for a downside, it is up to mom – and nobody else – to decide which decision to make. Now that it is an informed decision, and knowing that mom will want to do only what is in the best interest of the child, will help her make the right choice.

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