Breastfeeding Beyond Babyhood

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly urges mums to breastfeed their littlies for two years and beyond, and it’s often reported that the global weaning age sits somewhere around the four-year mark.

Yet here in Australia, almost eight out of 10 women have given up breastfeeding by the time their bub turns one. Only nine per cent of our kids are receiving breastmilk at 18 months and only five per cent at the age of two years, according to the latest figures. So why are Aussie women giving up breastfeeding early, despite what we know about its benefits and given the strong recommendation from WHO?

The reasons cited are many, from returning to work to having a disinterested toddler or lack of support. But an underlying issue is often cultural – while breastfeeding toddlers is considered normal in other cultures, it just doesn’t seem to be the done thing here.

But the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) believes that with support and advice, breastfeeding toddlers can become the norm. If you want to give breastfeeding beyond the baby years a go, ABA spokesperson Carey Wood has this to say on the common hurdles and questions:

‘‘I’m back at work’’
The charm of breastfeeding a toddler is that you don’t need to be expressing or rushing home for a feed anymore. Compared to the first 12 months, the second year of feeding is a breeze, says Carey. “They’re eating the same food as you throughout the day, so if
you can only manage a feed in the morning and before bed, that’s wonderful,” she says.
“And if you’ve been working all day, breastfeeding your tot is a great way to reconnect and unwind.”

‘‘I’m getting strange looks and criticism”
Carey says it’s good for mums to acknowledge that not everyone is comfortable with breastfeeding, let alone feeding a toddler. “Back in the 1970s, less than 10 per cent
of babies were breastfed, so many people aren’t used to seeing it in any form,” she says.
She encourages breastfeeding mums to look for peer support. “The ABA has online forums all about this topic in which mums provide advice and support to others who might be facing some criticism,” she says.

Carey adds that it can be handy to have a witticism or reply ready for those who struggle with the concept of breastfeeding children over 12 months. “If someone asks you how long you plan to feed, you could answer, ‘He should be weaned by his HSC’,” she jokes. It can also be handy to be armed with information on why you’re still breastfeeding (see box below).

‘‘My toddler’s started grabbing at my top when we’re out’’
By the age of 12 to 18 months, tots well and truly know where Mummy’s keeping the milk and may start publicly demanding sustenance. Carey says it’s also around this age that you can start to set some feeding routines and explain to your littlie what is appropriate behaviour.

“Before heading out, you could explain to your toddler that there will be no breastfeeds until you get home,” says Carey. She also suggests establishing a routine in which feeding generally happens when you’re home. “The beauty is that generally the toddler can wait a bit longer for a feed,” she says.

‘‘But will my tot really get much nutrition from me?’’
Breastmilk continues to pack a nutritional punch for kids well after 12 months. In fact, a breastfed toddler gets from it: 31 per cent of his daily energy needs, 38 per cent of his protein requirements, 45 per cent of his vitamin A requirements and 95 per cent of his daily vitamin C needs.

‘‘I’m happy breastfeeding my baby, but isn’t it a bit cringey when he’s older?’’
Unfortunately, says Carey, because breastfeeding has become less ‘normal’ in Australia, there’s a bit of a stigma when it comes to feeding older children. Most breastfeeding materials also show images of women feeding little babies, so Australians just aren’t used to seeing walking, talking toddlers lying across their mum’s lap having a feed. But Carey is hopeful that as more and more women realise how important breastfeeding for two years and more is, seeing a toddler at the breast will become less unusual. As she says, with WHO so strongly recommending extended feeding, there obviously must be some benefit!

Feeding: Why it’s so good
There’s not a lot of research on breastfeeding beyond 12 months, but what’s around is very positive. Here’s a sample:

It’s nutritious:
Breastmilk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year of life, especially protein, fat, and most vitamins.

It makes for smarter kids:
Several studies have suggested that the longer a child is breastfed, the smarter
they become. Recent research found mums encouraged to feed their kids longer and not introduce formula had children who scored five per cent higher in IQ tests at the age of six.

It makes sense:
“My research suggests that the best outcomes, in terms of health, cognitive and emotional development, are the result of children being allowed to breastfeed as
long as they need or want to,” says Dr Katherine A. Dettwyler, a US professor of anthropology who has spent years studying extended breastfeeding. She suggests that weaning anywhere between the ages of two-and-a-half and six is normal.

It’s good for mum:
Studies have found that the longer a woman breastfeeds, the lower her risk of breast cancer. It’s also been linked with reducing ovarian and uterine cancer risk.

Other countries:
Statistics on how other countries fare in the extended breastfeeding stakes are very
hard to find. But according to figures collated by UNICEF, in the world’s least-developed
countries the number of babies still being breastfed at the age of two is over 60 per cent, and in Central and Eastern Europe it’s 23 per cent. Remember, in Australia it’s a tiny five per cent!

What do you think? Should we breastfeed our babies into toddlerhood and beyond, or does it make you uncomfortable?

Discuss it with our forum members here