Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 I'm nursing my two year old, and plan on continuing as long as he wants. I'll also be nursing this baby due in May as long as he wants. I think 3 or 4 is a decent age to be breastfed to, although I'm not adverse to older. School aged children who breastfeed make me a bit nervous, but then again, before I was breastfeeding the idea of nursing until 2 made me nervous and here I am! I think the idea of giving older children expressed breastmilk is a great idea, as you are giving all the great benefits of breastmilk without nearly the moral " dilemma " . I don't know about the calcium in breastmilk for older kids... I know that after the child is about 6 months old, he or she needs an external source of iron and maybe something else... I'm sure it's not an issue if the kids have a healthy varied diet otherwise. And I would cook with breastmilk if I had any expressed. -- Gaunt - Logan Wolf due May 9, 2001 Babies come into the world with perfect love and perfect trust. ICQ#: 77144993 http://www.smallwillow.com __________________________________________________ FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place. Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 Beckie, How long to nurse Mikayla for? Well, I want to nurse my dd, born same time as Mikayla, for at least 2 years too. In my observation, it seems that children nursing past 2 years eventually wean themselves, but adults often set guidelines for them about when and where nursing happens. The worldwide age for weaning seems to be closer to 5 years, than to the 12 months that Americans seem to find to be " too old. " Amy Lynn mother to 1-25-98 and 2-10-00 Want great toys? Non-violent, educational, fun! check out www.discoverytoysinc.com, or e-mail me privately for a catalog Question for you all > I wanted to get some opinions here on when to wean...I want to nurse until > she is at least 2...and I can go as long as 3 or longer if she wants to(I > just look at my 3 1/2 year old and could still imagine nursing him if I had > been all along) But how old is too old? I just want some opinions..of > course I would never start breastfeeding my 3 1/2 year old even though he > loves my milk(I pump it out for him all the time, cause dh wont let him > drink cow's milk, I dont either, so he gets my milk in his cereal, and cups. > I use rice milk to cook with(would it be gross to use breast milk instead > of the rice milk? ) Dylan will not drink rice milk in cereal or in his cup. > HIs he getting the calcium he needs from my milk? how many cups of MY milk > should he be drinking, since he does not drink reguler milk? does anyone > know any god websites for this info? My 8 year old also asks for drinks of > MY milk, but my dh says that is not a good idea, being he could go to school > and talk about it to others, and they get the wrong idea, what do you guys > think of this? wouldnt it be healthyier for him then the rice milk? what > if I snuck and gave it to him without him knowing..I could just tell him it > is another form of the rice milk? a lot of questions huh? things I ahve > ben wondering about.. please help. > > Beckie and Mikayla 2/17/00 > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > > > Give the Gift of Life Breastfeed! > http://www.lactivist.com > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 Beckie, I know many women that give their weaned children their own milk. It is a great way to keep everyone healthy through the winter. If my dd would drink my milk I would give it to her but she tried it and just wouldn't drink it. As for weaning that is such a personal decision. I can tell you that the natural weaning age of humans is between 4 and 7 years of age. This corresponds to the first permanent molar eruption and the adult immune system function of the child. A child's immune system is not functioning in the same way an adult's does until around age 5-6. In traditional cultures most children wean in this time period when they don't need the extra immune boost from breastfeeding. You and your child need to find what works for the both of you. If you feel comfortable continuing to nurse, by all means do. But if you are starting to feel that it isn't working anymore than it is time to take a look at the breastfeeding relationship. I don't think there is an age that is too old, because I believe that children won't nurse if they don't want to. Follow your heart and your child. Wendi Question for you all I wanted to get some opinions here on when to wean...I want to nurse until she is at least 2...and I can go as long as 3 or longer if she wants to(I just look at my 3 1/2 year old and could still imagine nursing him if I had been all along) But how old is too old? I just want some opinions..of course I would never start breastfeeding my 3 1/2 year old even though he loves my milk(I pump it out for him all the time, cause dh wont let him drink cow's milk, I dont either, so he gets my milk in his cereal, and cups. I use rice milk to cook with(would it be gross to use breast milk instead of the rice milk? ) Dylan will not drink rice milk in cereal or in his cup. HIs he getting the calcium he needs from my milk? how many cups of MY milk should he be drinking, since he does not drink reguler milk? does anyone know any god websites for this info? My 8 year old also asks for drinks of MY milk, but my dh says that is not a good idea, being he could go to school and talk about it to others, and they get the wrong idea, what do you guys think of this? wouldnt it be healthyier for him then the rice milk? what if I snuck and gave it to him without him knowing..I could just tell him it is another form of the rice milk? a lot of questions huh? things I ahve ben wondering about.. please help. Beckie and Mikayla 2/17/00 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Give the Gift of Life Breastfeed! http://www.lactivist.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 , Not all babies need an external source of iron at six months. I know many exclusively breastfed children that have gone long past six months with no extra iron and no anemia. At six months it is time to start wondering if baby is getting plenty of iron but most still are. Wendi Re: Question for you all I'm nursing my two year old, and plan on continuing as long as he wants. I'll also be nursing this baby due in May as long as he wants. I think 3 or 4 is a decent age to be breastfed to, although I'm not adverse to older. School aged children who breastfeed make me a bit nervous, but then again, before I was breastfeeding the idea of nursing until 2 made me nervous and here I am! I think the idea of giving older children expressed breastmilk is a great idea, as you are giving all the great benefits of breastmilk without nearly the moral " dilemma " . I don't know about the calcium in breastmilk for older kids... I know that after the child is about 6 months old, he or she needs an external source of iron and maybe something else... I'm sure it's not an issue if the kids have a healthy varied diet otherwise. And I would cook with breastmilk if I had any expressed. -- Gaunt - Logan Wolf due May 9, 2001 Babies come into the world with perfect love and perfect trust. ICQ#: 77144993 http://www.smallwillow.com __________________________________________________ FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place. Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.com Give the Gift of Life Breastfeed! http://www.lactivist.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 I dig it. I've had my doubts about the 6 month iron thing myself, but no one had ever confirmed otherwise. -- Gaunt - Logan Wolf due May 9, 2001 Babies come into the world with perfect love and perfect trust. ICQ#: 77144993 http://www.smallwillow.com ---- " Wendi " naturebaby@...> wrote: > , > > Not all babies need an external source of iron at six months. I know > many > exclusively breastfed children that have gone long past six months > with no > extra iron and no anemia. At six months it is time to start wondering > if > baby is getting plenty of iron but most still are. > > Wendi __________________________________________________ FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place. Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 > I don't know about the calcium in breastmilk for older kids... I know > that after the child is about 6 months old, he or she needs an external > source of iron and maybe something else... I'm sure it's not an issue > if the kids have a healthy varied diet otherwise. Actually, a nursing mom and her baby have adequate iron stores for AT LEAST the first six months. With physicians prescribing or encouraging nursing moms to take multi/prenatal vitamins, breastmilk should actually provide all the iron a baby needs until at least 1 year. There is more chance for a ff baby to be anemic around 6-9 months of age than for a bf baby to become anemic at that age, since the absorbability of iron from bm is far greater than it is from abm. Amy Lynn mother to 1-25-98 and 2-10-00 Want great toys? Non-violent, educational, fun! check out www.discoverytoysinc.com, or e-mail me privately for a catalog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 what if mom takes a iron supplement?? does that work?? just curious.....i did not know that after 6 mos there was a iron issue.......i thought all they needed was breastmilk.. Nichole 9-26-00 RE: Question for you all ,Not all babies need an external source of iron at six months. I know manyexclusively breastfed children that have gone long past six months with noextra iron and no anemia. At six months it is time to start wondering ifbaby is getting plenty of iron but most still are. :)Wendi-----Original Message-----From: Gaunt Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 8:09 AMTo: breastfeeding Subject: Re: Question for you allI'm nursing my two year old, and plan on continuing as long as he wants.I'll also be nursing this baby due in May as long as he wants. I think3 or 4 is a decent age to be breastfed to, although I'm not adverse toolder. School aged children who breastfeed make me a bit nervous, butthen again, before I was breastfeeding the idea of nursing until 2 mademe nervous and here I am!I think the idea of giving older children expressed breastmilk is a greatidea, as you are giving all the great benefits of breastmilk withoutnearly the moral "dilemma".I don't know about the calcium in breastmilk for older kids... I knowthat after the child is about 6 months old, he or she needs an externalsource of iron and maybe something else... I'm sure it's not an issueif the kids have a healthy varied diet otherwise.And I would cook with breastmilk if I had any expressed. -- Gaunt - Logan Wolf due May 9, 2001Babies come into the world withperfect love and perfect trust.ICQ#: 77144993http://www.smallwillow.com__________________________________________________FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place.Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.comGive the Gift of Life Breastfeed!http://www.lactivist.comGive the Gift of Life Breastfeed!http://www.lactivist.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 My son never has been anemic, so I've never tried to add iron to his diet by any means, but a lady I know did. She suspected her son was anemic because he was a very poor eater, preferring only to nurse at almost two years old. There were lots of other reasons she thought he may need additional iron, but I don't remember what they are. Anyway, instead of giving him an iron supplement, she decided to boost the iron on her breastmilk. She figured if it didn't work for her son, she would still benefit because she also is usually anemic. What she did was take a spoonful of blackstrap molasses chased by a glass of orange juice every day. She says she saw an improvement in her boy very quickly. She says he pinked up and started eating more solids and sleeping longer through the night. I think she still does it to this day. Hope that helps. But this child was much older than 6 months... -- Gaunt - Logan Wolf due May 9, 2001 Babies come into the world with perfect love and perfect trust. ICQ#: 77144993 http://www.smallwillow.com ---- " SilentDreamr " silentdreamr@...> wrote: > what if mom takes a iron supplement?? does that work?? > > just curious.....i did not know that after 6 mos there was a iron issue.......i > thought all they needed was breastmilk.. > > Nichole > 9-26-00 __________________________________________________ FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place. Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2001 Report Share Posted January 29, 2001 I think this is one of those things where you just "know" when it's time. Keely is 3 and I never imagined I'd be nursing her this long, I just take it day by day. You get to a point where you are only nursing a few times a day if that, I know Keely only nurses before bed or naps and first thing in the morning. Some days not at all. I wouldn't say "I'm" weaning her, she's weaning herself and when it happens, it happens. You have to think of your own personal comfort level as well. Some women are fine with nursing a 5 y/o, others can't do it. I don't think I would feel comfortable nursing a 5 y/o but a couple years ago I would have said the same thing about nursing a 3 y/o and look where I am now? :-) I don't have an opinion one way or the other about your other question :-) Michele Question for you all I wanted to get some opinions here on when to wean...I want to nurse until she is at least 2...and I can go as long as 3 or longer if she wants to(I just look at my 3 1/2 year old and could still imagine nursing him if I had been all along) But how old is too old? I just want some opinions..of course I would never start breastfeeding my 3 1/2 year old even though he loves my milk(I pump it out for him all the time, cause dh wont let him drink cow's milk, I dont either, so he gets my milk in his cereal, and cups. I use rice milk to cook with(would it be gross to use breast milk instead of the rice milk? ) Dylan will not drink rice milk in cereal or in his cup. HIs he getting the calcium he needs from my milk? how many cups of MY milk should he be drinking, since he does not drink reguler milk? does anyone know any god websites for this info? My 8 year old also asks for drinks of MY milk, but my dh says that is not a good idea, being he could go to school and talk about it to others, and they get the wrong idea, what do you guys think of this? wouldnt it be healthyier for him then the rice milk? what if I snuck and gave it to him without him knowing..I could just tell him it is another form of the rice milk? a lot of questions huh? things I ahve ben wondering about.. please help.Beckie and Mikayla 2/17/00_________________________________________________________________Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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