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Pros and Cons of Extended Breastfeeding

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Pros and cons of extended breastfeeding

THE PROS AND CONS OF EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILD

There are so many pros and cons of extended breastfeeding.

Making the decision as to whether to go for long term nursing or not is not going to be an easy one.

Before I jump straight in there and list all the pros and cons lets just find out what exactly is classed as extended breastfeeding so we can all be on the same page.

WHAT IS EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING?

The World Health Organization describes “normal” breastfeeding as “providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.”

Extended breastfeeding is simply just an extension of this.

Most experts will tell you that a good age to stop breastfeeding is at 1 year of age. Some will even say four-six months.

Anything beyond one year of age is considered to be extended breastfeeding.

The benefits of extended breastfeeding

DOES EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING MEAN THAT YOU CAN’T PUMP OR USE FORMULA?

Certainly not! You can certainly mix it up a bit if you want.

There is no rule to say that extended breastfeeding only works when you exclusively breastfeed.

You can choose to pump your breastmilk into a bottle and feed your baby this way or you can mix it up a little and supplement your breastmilk with formula.

In saying all that, the truth of the matter is that the less you breastfeed the less supply you will have.

That’s kind of how it works in most cases but there are obviously exceptions to the rule.

I know some mommy’s who seem to have an endless supply of milk no matter what, but equally I know some mommy’s who struggle with milk supply as well.

Today I’m going to start with the pros of long-term breastfeeding (Just because it’s always nice to start on a positive note)

THE PROS OF LONG TERM BREASTFEEDING

1. IMMUNE SYSTEM BENEFITS WHEN EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING

It will do wonders for your baby’s immune system.

Before I started having children I was completely clueless as to how perfectly tailored breast milk could be.

I was fortunate enough to have a really good milk supply without ever having to really try.

It was only when people started to comment on how easy I made breastfeeding seem that I started to look into it more.

I began to see the health benefits of breast milk for the first time.

I used to think that breastfeeding was just a cheaper way to feed my baby.  I was very wrong!

Research has shown that breast milk actually tailors itself according to your baby’s needs.

Some time ago there was actually a case of a lady who was breastfeeding her sick child who had a cold.

In the morning she decided to pump and noticed that her milk appeared to be completely different in color to what it usually is.

You can read more about that story here (Breastfeeding Benefits).

In short the ladies milk adjusted itself specifically to the needs of the child.  How awesome is that!

The benefits of extended breastfeeding for your toddler

2. FOOD DIGESTION

Breastmilk is gentle on your baby’s stomach making it easy for them to digest the food and process it.

This means that breastfed babies tend to poop with more ease.

The pros and cons of extended breastfeeding

3.  BENEFITS FOR MOM

There are extended breastfeeding pros for the mother also.

Extended breastfeeding can actually help to prevent and offer a reduced risk of some forms of cancer (Just don’t ask me to explain the science behind it to you.)

4. BONDING

It’s a great opportunity for both mother and baby to bond.  Breastfeeding (especially on demand) creates a calm peaceful place for your baby.

I often nurse when my baby is upset or just wants a bit of comfort.

I do it because it helps to reassure him that everything is ok and that I am always there for him.

I strongly believe that it also instills a sense of confidence in the child, which is great news for breastfeeding moms.

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5.  IT GETS EASIER WITH TIME

Once you get the hang of it, breastfeeding gets so much easier.  I’ll let you into a little secret…I don’t even know how to make up a bottle of formula.

I wouldn’t have a clue if it was too hot or too cold or if I had left it out for too long.

With breastfeeding, you don’t need to worry about any of those things because your milk will come out at the perfect temperature to suit your baby.

This is a major extended breastfeeding pro for me.

6. NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Breast milk continues to have nutritional value.  There is no cut off age for this.

Some people think that once your child reaches the age of one there is no value in giving breast milk.

Well, that’s just not true.  That’s the equivalent of saying that after age 10 there is no nutritional value in broccoli.

There is simply no truth in it.

Your body will continue to provide exactly what your baby needs in the most efficient way possible.

7. PSYCHOLOGICAL  EFFECTS

The extended breastfeeding psychological effects on a child can be pretty major.  In my experience, it seems that when a child breastfeeds for an extended period of time they seem to be less frustrated and much calmer in general.  This is a personal observation.

The pros and cons of extended breastfeeding

As you can see there are some amazing advantages to extended breastfeeding past the age of 12 months.

There are equally some very real disadvantages to extended breastfeeding as well.  Let’s take a look at those.

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THE DISADVANTAGES OF EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING

1.  IT’S NOT THE THE EASY OPTION

It’s hard work!

Personally speaking breastfeeding past age 1 is difficult because by the time my child is one year of age I start to feel like I want to get my body back.

My son can walk, even run a little and is able to hold himself independently.

My brain starts to shift out of the baby fog and I realize that I have to take my breast out to feed my son as opposed to just feeding my baby with milk.

This is a big extended breastfeeding con because my body is personal.

2. PEOPLE WILL JUDGE YOU FOR EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING

People think that you are weird for breastfeeding a toddler because it is not the norm.

You have to get used to remarks like “oh he’s still breastfeeding?” or “He’s too big to breastfeed”.

Breastfeeding an older child in public is never going to be an easy thing to do so you have to get used to it very quickly.

3.  IT CAN HURT

Sometimes you get bitten.  I can’t tell you how much that hurts!

Although as your child gets older they know not to bite but sometimes it happens by accident, especially when they are asleep.

Sometimes it is just unavoidable.

Can anyone relate?

4. YOU MISS OUT

Sometimes for me, it means missing out on things such as going out with friends in the evenings because my son likes to breastfeed during the night.

He’s not keen on taking a bottle which means that I have to physically be there to feed him.

5. YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO EATING IN PEACE

You will probably never be able to eat another meal in peace again because you have to breastfeed at the same time.

If you are lucky your child will eat either before you eat or wait until afterward but in my experience it hasn’t always worked out that way.

If you are nursing past one year this might not be as big a deal once your child is eating solids as well.

6. RISK OF OVERATTACHMENT

There is a risk of over attachment but again personally I think this is more down to your child’s personality, rather than the fact that they breastfeed past age 1.

Extended breastfeeding cons

7. LESS SLEEP

It means continued broken sleep as you breastfeed during the night. Your child can easily become accustomed to night time nursing which is tough on mom if you like to sleep.

8. IT CAN GET EMBARRASSING

The most embarrassing thing?

If your child is old enough to speak they might ask for it in public so just be ready to respond. Haha!.

Extended Breastfeeding Pro's and Con's

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG FO EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING?

Well, that is entirely on you and what you can handle.  I think my cut off time will be around the 2 year mark but we’ll see.

My other children, I cut off at 1 year but I would like my son to self-wean if possible.

If you would like to read more on breastfeeding and the pros and cons of extended breastfeeding you can do so by reading more on Breastfeeding Benefits.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE PROS AND CONS OF EXTENDED BREASTFEEDING

Overall I think after weighing up the pros and cons of extended breastfeeding, for me there is more value in long term breastfeeding than there is not.

Yes, you might get the odd side eye every now and again but essentially you will be setting up your child with a great immune system for life.

I know not every woman can breastfeed but if you have the opportunity too then I think you should go for it for as long as you can.

FINAL TIP: It’s not a good idea to give your baby drinking water to supplement their diet until they are at least 6 months old.

How long would you do long-term breastfeeding for? Have I missed any other pros and cons of extended breastfeeding?

I would love to know. Drop me a comment below.

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There are so many pros and cons to extended breastfeeding for both mom and toddler.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather Harris says

    I breastfed until about 18 months. We tried introducing solids around a year, but he wasn’t interested – it might have had to do with the fact that my mom talked me into giving him avocado as his first food instead of something sweeter like bananas or applesauce. I definitely did get bit and having to gently correct him while I was in immense pain was not easy. I think extended feeding certainly gave him an incredible immune system. He’s 6 and is rarely sick, so I’m very grateful I gave him that extra few months. I let him lead for the most part. I knew if he wasn’t eating solids, he’d obviously have to get nutrition and calories from me. It worked well for me and felt very natural to wean him at 18 months, so I’m anxious to see how the same approach will go for his little brother, who is due in April.

  3. Christina says

    My first and second child I breastfeed until they were second child self weened first child wanted to keep going but doctor recommend for me to stop due to being pregnant.
    My third child is 2 years and 5 months (29months) and I still breastfeed on demand she’s a little tiny for her age her doctor told me to go as long as she wanted to eat and that she breastfeed until her child was 3.

  4. Brown Skin Mama says

    Wow thats amazing. Its certainly not easy to breastfeed long term. My son is 21 months now and im struggling because he loves the breast so much. He eats food as well but he comforts himself on there. You’ve done an amazing job to keep going for so long, especially whilst you were pregnant.

  6. Meg says

    Great points! I had not intended to nurse so long with my first child, it was a struggle to make it to a year but then it got easier and has been a comfort to her. I thought she would self wean when I was pregnant and almost did but ramped up again after her brother was born. Now its a wonderful bonding experience between the two and we have been going tandem for almost 6months now. My first is 28 months and my second is 6 months and it has been REALLY hard at times but hands down the most wonderful experience. My daughter is outgoing and social and not over attached. I think knowing she has the access to the comfort she needs gives her more confidence to go try more things. P.s. I was surprised to meet many other ‘closet’ toddler nursers in my community, its way more common than people think.

  7. Brown Skin Mama says

    I’m really glad you have found a whole community that supports. My youngest is almost 3 now and I still feed him once a day on the breast. Some people will never understand that and I accept that and do what I feel is best.

  9. Tay202 says

    You said it yourself, “It’s a great opportunity for both mother and baby to bond.” For mother and BABY. You said your cut-off will be 2 and I think that’s appropriate, but when the child gets to be 3, 4, 5 years old, it’s time to find a new source of bonding and comfort. If your preschool-aged child comes running up to you on the playground crying because he scraped his knee, and the first thing he wants is to pull down your shirt and suck on your boob, maybe ask yourself why that is. I’m sorry but by that age, that should not be a child’s go-to for comfort. And what happens if dad, grandma, or even *gasp* a babysitter takes the child to the park? Can he not go anywhere without mom? Because that is an issue… not only for the child, but for mom, as well as dad and other siblings. My mother worked when I was a kid and was not at my beck and call to nurse whenever I demanded, same with my 3 siblings, and we all have a perfectly great relationship with her. Also, I’m tired of seeing the argument that the worldwide weaning age is 4-7 or whatever it is… people in third world countries partake in extended breastfeeding because their communities are STARVING. They cannot afford food. There is quite literally a world of difference there.

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