Understanding the Nuances of Extended Breastfeeding

Rodyka Cranbash
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

Breastfeeding is one of the most important periods after pregnancy. The mother’s milk contains many nutrients and essential substances that aid the overall growth of the baby and helps to properly develop the immune system. Thus, doctors often advice lactating mothers to feed their children until approximately 2 years after birth.

The two sides of breastfeeding

There is a a significant amount of confusion regarding the effects of breastfeeding. While some people are aware that breastfeeding could be an essential aspect of a baby’s life, others are completely unaware and turn to formula. There are some mothers who do not want to breastfeed and there are others who want to extend their nursing period as long as possible. While there are no conclusive studies that can point to any adverse effects of extend breastfeeding, such as the benefits of breastfeeding a 4 year old, breastfeeding can help prevent serious adverse events, especially conditions with an immunological basis.

There are two trends in breastfeeding: some mothers decide to extend their breastfeeding period for as long as possible, while other do not breastfeed at all (for a variety of reasons).

What is extended breastfeeding?

In general, the length of time that mothers are recommended to breastfeed their children is two years, is they are able to do so. However, there are mothers who breastfeed their babies for a longer time. In rare cases, mothers have breastfed their children until they were 8 years old! In general, if a mother is comfortable and able to breastfeed her child for longer than 2 years, it is ok to do so. Doctors, in general, will not ask a mother to stop breastfeeding. While some people may say that extended breastfeeding may cause problems in the child psyche, there are studies that show otherwise and that indulgence is the main reason such problems occur. So, there is no medical harm to extended breastfeeding. On the contrary, it makes your child stronger and healthier!

Should I opt for extended breastfeeding?

Some mothers are able to extend breastfeeding beyond the child’s 2 years of age, while others cannot. The number of potential situations is unlimited, since every woman and every child are different. There are some who will be pregnant and breastfeeding a 4 year old, while others would find it to be too to breastfeed while being pregnant. So, what really matters is whether you are comfortable doing it or not. Some women are very comfortable with breastfeeding while there are others who are not.

In summary, if you think that you are comfortable breastfeeding for longer than 2 years, go for it! However, do not do it just because everybody around you seems to be doing so.

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