I was just thinking today. Why it’s so hard for our western society to accept breastfeeding your toddler. Why was it referred to as extended as though it were an “extension” of breastfeeding? Was it an implication that breastfeeding was only normal until 1 yr? Or that breastfeeding was different after a year?

I began to examine my own thoughts about breastfeeding before I became a mother. And I have to admit, things are different after you become a mother. And in particular, after you breastfeed your child.

Years ago, I used to feel so excluded by my brother because I did not have children and he did. He made me feel like I didn’t know what parenting was or how children behaved. I would feel kind of insulted when he said;

“Guess what, we’ll have this conversation after you’ve had kids. You just can’t see why just now”.

What does he know? I have taken care of so many kids. I am such a maternal person. Well, now I can completely appreciate what he was trying to say.

I remember thinking that anyone who breastfed a toddler was quite frankly perverted. Part of my thinking was also influenced by the western society. We are led to believe breast is only sexual. Anything revolving around them must be that too. However, that in itself is more perverted than anything else. For one, breasts are organs that were intended for nourishment. You only have to look at the mammal world to know this.

Breastfeeding Your Toddler

So why would we chose to breastfeed our children into their toddler years and beyond? It has been done since the beginning of time! it was only actually until after the 60’s that bottle feeding and formula feeding became popular in our society. Secondly, human breast milk is the best nutrition we can provide for our babies and children. Its nutritional value does not diminish at all once we introduce solid foods. Instead, it continues to evolve perfectly to meet the developmental, immunological and physiological needs.

Benefits of Breastfeeding Your Toddler

Studies have actually shown that a toddler’s breast milk has much more protein, fat and Vitamin A than that of breast milk of a newborn. This is because toddlers need milk that provides much more energy. Therefore, breast milk continues to provide vital nutrition and benefits that can make an impact after toddler years.

1. Improved immunity

Many of these benefits include strengthening of the immune system. It’s a known fact that children that are breastfed are much less likely to become ill. The immune system is still developing after infancy. Therefore by continuing to breastfeed, a child’s immune system would be much more resilient to illness.

2. Better Dental Health

In an article written by Katherine Dettwyler’s, “A Time to Wean,” she discusses weaning habits of mammals, especially those of primates. Another thing that was considered in her study was that many primates wean their offspring when their permanent molars come in. For humans, this occurs around five and a half or six years of age. This would also be the time when the immune system finishes developing.

Looking further into this research, this could also be why we call the first teeth “milk teeth”. Milk teeth are present from around 6 months until 7 years. These teeth are small and softer than adult teeth.

3. Provides Comfort

Another aspect is that breastfeeding is not only for nourishment but also for comfort. It is also necessary for the survival and well-being of humans. When the baby sucks at the breast, it creates a strong connection with their mother and releases hormones that ease and relax too. This suckling is actually such a strong need. From birth, it is clearly visible when babies start to suck their fingers and hands.

Those who do not nurse seek alternatives such as bottle, pacifier, thumb, fingers, hair, toys and even blankets. However, these breast substitutes can actually create dental misalignment. Breastfeeding actually improves the dental arch and may minimize self-comforting techniques.

Therefore, children that are breastfed for longer tend to be much calmer and secure. Many times we think that by weaning we help our children become more independent and stronger, we even hear people saying that if we don’t we are going to “spoil” them. However, it can have the opposite effect because we are pushing them to mature much earlier than they are physiologically meant to. This will then trigger feelings of frustration and even anger. I wish I had known that around those “terrible two’s” stage with my toddler.

Norma Jane Bumgarner’s, author of “Mothering your nursing toddler” comments:

It is without closeness and loving, and without sufficient attention to the business of teaching good behavior that children are spoiled. Things which are spoiled are things which have been left on the shelf to rot.

Breastfeeding and Your Toddler’s IQ

We have already covered many of the immunological and psychological benefits that long-term breastfeeding provides for children. But, another benefit that is also extremely impactful is that of IQ. It also makes total sense because human breast milk is unlike any other type of milk. It’s specifically designed for brain development, and it has been proven that children that are breastfed have higher IQ’s.

So if you did not already think that breastfeeding beyond the infancy stage was of benefit until reading what we mentioned previously, there are also many benefits for the mom too from many medical studies that have been done. These have found that women that breastfeed for longer have a reduced risk of breast, ovarian, uterine and endometrial types of cancer.

Breastfeeding and Beyond

I truly think that beyond the nutritional facts breastfeeding is a connection and bond like no other between a mother and her child, and it should be cherished as long as mother and child want to continue it for their emotional well being too. Undoubtedly the health benefits go beyond the first few years of life so we cannot really pinpoint until what age a mother should breastfeed. What is important is to offer to breastfeed as long as they want and we are willing, and that we as mothers feel comfortable with our decisions not influenced by what others say that is or is not right but what our motherly instincts moves us to do.

Society seems so fixated with having babies that don’t cry, that can self soothe, sleep by themselves, and are independent that we miss the point that they are only children that are looking for comfort and love from their parents. There is time later to grow up and become independent, and in fact, that transition will come much easier with children that feel loved and have a sense of confidence and trust.

Mothers Know Best

Each child is different and only we as mothers know what is “best” for that unique child we made and created in our selves.

Have you contemplated continuing to breastfeed your child into the toddler year? And is there anything that is holding you back from doing so? Sometimes it is not such a simple decision when we have a hectic toddler that is moving all over the place, or you have other babies or children to take care, but the benefits certainly outweigh any sacrifice you may have to make. However, it is a decision you and your little one have to be comfortable making.