Breastfeeding ~ How Long Is Too Long?

Knowing the cost involved and the many health and bonding benefits, most new moms plan to nurse for a few months, to up to 1 year.

My daughter was breastfed until she was 12 1/2 months. While my son stopped at 11 months. My daughter would have even stayed longer, but I felt it was time to stop. My son was just no longer interested.

We have one friend who has been breastfeeding for 5 years! Yes, her son is five years old, walks up to her, lifts her shirt (no matter where) and start feeding himself. I am sorry, but I think that's just wrong. The fact that she allows him to do it anywhere is another topic, but at the age of 5, I think he shouldn't breastfeed any longer.

There are many studies that recommend to breastfeed at least 6 to 12 months. But I haven't found a single study that recommend breastfeeding for five years!

What's your opinion? For how long did you or are you planning to breastfeed?

Five years is way too long in my opinion. I think it's perfectly acceptable to still be feeding at say, 2 years old....they're still young enough and getting plenty of free nutrients from the breast, so if it's still possible, go for it. But to have a kid come up to you, lift up your shirt, and go to town whenever he pleases? Not only is it too long, but it also shows he hasn't been taught manners either, heh.

When my mother was coming to the United States, my brother was five years old and did breastfeed. Honestly, I think that's a stretch but if the child starts to lose interest that's when you need to stop it. There comes a point when the breast will no longer lactate and the fact that this child continues to do it bothers me and a lot. It sounds to me like he does just because he thinks he can and the mother allows him to do so. She needs to stop him because it's actually going to deplete her and will not healthy for her breasts. It's bad enough that some men like to suck on breasts during intercourse and that's a different story.

The actual time to stop the breast feeding is at no more than a year and three months. I wish I could find the source but I can't because I read it a long time ago.

I think the best time to wean the baby off breast milk is when the child starts taking solid food. It's not advisable to stop breastfeeding if the child doesn't eat anything else. And normally, a mother can start feeding her child solid food by the age of 6 months. To breastfeed until the age of five when the child may already be going to pre-school is unacceptable. The child should already be eating like an adult so why does he need to breastfeed?

I was breastfed until I was three. Kind of embarrassing, only because no one else I know was ever breastfed for that long. My pediatrician advised my mother to feed me that long for health issues.

I plan to breastfeed my children (my husband and I are trying to conceive). I'm all for breastfeeding and I wish more moms would do it. However, I've seen documentary-type television shows where school children are being breastfed by their mothers. I think this is way too old. If the child is old enough to ask for it and also throw a giant tantrum when they don't get it... I think they're too old and need to be weened post-haste. No offense to my mom (again this was advised by my pediatrician almost 30 years ago), but I plan to be done breastfeeding way before my child is three.

I've seen the same behavior you mentioned in those documentaries/educational shows where the child just walks up and undresses his or her mom. It's crazy. I don't know why the moms let it happen. The kids in the show seemed very spoiled and there didn't appear to be any structure or discipline in order. Of course, I'm an outsider to this issue, but watching it I was thinking, "Well of course they act like this."

I am not a mother and can't say I've done too much research on the topic. From what I know at around 1 year most mothers stop breastfeeding since the infants are already on 'solids' and their teeth can be pretty tough on the breasts. I would certainly breastfeed, there's no question about this, but at 5 years it's already too much. I'd probably go for around 12 months or similar and then see how the baby is doing and then stop. You can bond with your kid in other ways too

Wow talk about attachment. 5 years is definitely way too long, I could barely stand the 6 months I did for my two kids. I think around a year is the right time to stop. What is she going to do when her child is in school and he realizes that he is the only one who still sucks on mommy's breasts. If she is having a hard time stopping breastfeeding, I wonder how she will do with all the other habits you have to stop eventually.

I have to agree, 5 years old is way too long. I have never heard of anyone breastfeeding their child that long. If they can drink from a cup, it is time for them to get off their mother's breast in my opinion. I nursed one of my kids until they were 6 months old and the other one was 8 months old. I felt that this was plenty of enough to stop nursing. I felt that they got a good start of health benefits in their system at that age.

Five years old! To each their own, but that it not right to me. 12 months is the general recommended age. I would be okay with a mother pumping and continuing to give the child breast milk via a cup, but a toddler/ school age child should not be drinking from their mothers' breast... in my opinion of course. I know it is done.

I'm sorry to say it, but 5 years is way to long. That mother clearly has a problem and sadly she will pass it on to her kid. Creating such an attachment is unhealthy.

I think the breastfeeding shouldn't last for more than a year. It's more than enough for the kid to take all the nutrients he needs from the milk, to get used with the solid foods and not to get very attached.