by Pauline M. Campos
February 15, 2008

A baby at the breast may be debatable enough when a mom is breastfeeding in public, but what about a toddler or a preschooler?

Or, to push the cultural norm just a bit more, what about a 6-year-old?

An internet debate on this very subject was recently posted on Britain’s GMTV website. The premise of the article is simple, but the answer is as far from simple as things could get.

How old is too old to breastfeed? And should mothers who practice extended breastfeeding even be subjected to age limits?

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure if there is an answer to the first question. As Annalisa Barbieri of The Independent says in a previous post on baby gooroo, she never expected her pre-baby views on the practice (which included descriptions like “odd” and “needy”) to change so much that she is now breastfeeding her 4-year-old.

Motherhood, she said, introduced her to a whole new self (and the new perspectives that came with it) that she never knew was there.

As a formula-feeding mother who strongly supports those who choose and are able to breastfeed their babies, my thoughts mirror those of Barbieri, before she had her child.

But then again, I also thought those who co-sleep and wear their babies were setting themselves up for a needy and spoiled child. (Anyone want to guess where my little girl is sleeping tonight? Or where she spends most of her day? That’s right: in my arms and attached to me.) My point is that, like Barbieri, my views on parenting topics that are frequently up for debate, changed with the birth of my daughter. And so did my perspective on mothering as a whole.

I don’t judge anymore. (Or, at least, I really, really try not to.) What works for you may not work for me.

Would I still be breastfeeding my daughter now at eight months if I could? Of course. Would I do so after she turned 1? Yes, again. But would I extend the breastfeeding relationship into the preschool years? I seriously doubt it.

While the “Breast is Best” campaign strives to encourage more mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their baby’s life, citing the obvious, like protecting baby from childhood diabetes and obesity, there are plenty of raised eyebrows and frowns of disapproval that accompany public breastfeeding of older children, even from within the medical community itself.

What the experts say
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants be breastfed, with complementary foods, up to two years and beyond. La Leche League Great Britain (GB) also supports extended breastfeeding, saying that until 100 years ago, extended breastfeeding was not considered taboo. A child’s immune system, LLL says, is still developing between the ages of 2 1/2 and 6, and long-term breast milk consumption can only be a health benefit for the child.

And while all experts agree that breastfeeding for a minimum of six months is best for both mother and child, not all believe extended breastfeeding is necessary, or even “normal.” Children, they say, may even be made fun of by their peers if it is learned they are still suckling at their mother’s breast when they are 5 or 6 years old.

Negative reactions from both medical professionals and society in general force many extended breastfeeding mothers into the shadows.

Why is this such a hot-button issue? Because in the U.S. and Great Britain, extended breastfeeding is not viewed as a cultural norm. But does that alone make it “wrong”?

I don’t think so.

Regardless of how you decide to feed your baby and for how long, it is a uniquely personal and individual decision, and should be treated as such.

In other words, tell anyone who thinks you are kooky to get their mind off of your boobs and back on their own business.