5 Things About Breastfeeding Older Kids You Shouldn’t Believe

Breastfeeding is not only for babies who need to be carried in arms or for toddlers who have just learned how to walk without support. Breastfeeding can provide a sense of security, warmth, and comfort to a kid—even if he or she is a 5-year-old. There is nothing wrong if your little one still wants to latch onto your breasts. However, some don’t agree with it, especially after seeing a mother feed her grown-up child in public.
Though many children won’t wean away from breastfeeding as quickly, as a mother only chooses to breastfeed or wean her kid.
Here are some myths associated with breastfeeding a child past the toddler-age.

1. Older Kids Asking For A Feed Is Embarrassing

Not really. Since they are grown ups, the mother and the kid could develop a gesture to communicate that he/she wants to latch. Not that your child will persuade you to lift your top up in public. They might simply be asking your comfort and love. There is nothing embarrassing about it. Sooner or later, they will gradually develop the consciousness and sense to resist the urge to latch in public.

2. They Won’t Wean From Breastfeeding If They Continue

As your kid will grow up, their lifestyle will develop and change and so will their tendency to breastfeed. Their demand for breastfeeding could be decreased by increasing their interests in other things around them. So, if you are used to putting them to bed by breastfeeding them before sleep, replace it with a routine of story-telling or reading a book. However, you know the time will come when they will wean on their own.

3. Your Child Might Bite You

Yes, it becomes painful after your baby had developed teeth. They might bite at times, but it won’t be intentional or frequent. Your child will either grow to be over it and wean naturally or you would find a way to prevent that from happening.

4. Pumping Over Breastfeeding

Some might suggest switching to bottle-feeding when they find you feeding an older child. Pumping and feeding is what they will advise you to do. Instead of hovering over it, thinking what to answer, it is important to make it clear that feeding is not just for filling your baby’s tummy. It develops an emotional security and the child feels comforted and secure—pumping and feeding through the bottle is secondary.

5. The Feeling Of Breastfeeding Will Stay Longer

Yes, it will—the smell, the taste and the cuddle of the mother will be with your child for a long time. Your kid will associate with a cozy feeling that he or she will associate with the sense of being safe in their mother’s arms. Even though they will wean eventually when they grow up, the experience of suckling will stay with them for long and as a happy moment. Isn’t it great?

Breastfeeding isn’t just for babies. Also, remember that the time when your child will wean will arrive soon. You don’t have to push them away or feel embarrassed about it. Breastfeeding will help you bond with your baby—cherish these moments.

Credit: Curejoy.com

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