Once your baby is over six months old and the weaning phase commences: you’ll be constantly asked ‘are you still breastfeeding?’, “isn't it time to stop?”, “your milk will be turning into water”... These are old wives tales based on misinformation on breastfeeding passed down from generations.
Your mum may tell you that she only breastfed for a few months because ‘she had no milk’. The truth is that in the past people didn’t have the information or awareness that we possess today on breastfeeding and it was common for mums to stop breastfeeding at a very early stage.
How long should a newborn breastfeed, then? What are the WHO breastfeeding guidelines? Let’s take a look together.
What age to stop breastfeeding?
How long can you breastfeed? Simply, for as long as you and your baby want to! You can breastfeed your child beyond the age of two years old, even up to three or four years old.
Evidence has shown us that babies spontaneously wean themselves off the breast when they are ready to do so, each child at their own pace, usually after the age of two.
As we will see in detail below, there are many benefits of breastfeeding even beyond six months old, both for baby and mummy. It’s not true that not discontinuing breastfeeding you’ll be spoiling your children, on the contrary, they will reap many of the positives of breastfeeding related to their independence and self-confidence.
WHO recommendation on breastfeeding?
WHO and breastfeeding: The WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age recommend exclusive breastfeeding until a child reaches six months old, and also recommend the continuation of breastfeeding even after the introduction of solid foods, until two years of age and beyond, and for as long as both mum and baby wish.
This does not mean that each and every mum should feel obliged to breastfeed her toddler beyond the age of two, especially when balancing it with the difficulties around returning to work and the physical exertion that nursing requires. The key is in the phrase ‘for as long as mum and baby want to’, because the most important thing is that a mum does not continue to breastfeed due to external pressure, she should be calm and healthy. That is truly the most important factor!
However, it’s only right that mums receive the correct information to help them make an informed decision about when to stop nursing, and not to feel forced into ending breastfeeding simply because their baby is now a ‘toddler’.
As we know, you can continue breastfeeding even throughout another pregnancy.
Benefits of extended breastfeeding
If mum wants to continue, then there is nothing wrong with breastfeeding for as long as they both feel comfortable with. On the contrary, there are many benefits of prolonged breastfeeding for both, from a health and emotional perspective.
Let's start with health:
- Why is breastfeeding important? As we know, breast milk protects the baby from infections well beyond the breastfeeding stage, because cells transfer from mum’s immune system and protection is then passed on to the baby. According to a study published in Science Advances, in many cases this protection lasts a lifetime.
- Breastfeeding beyond six months has been shown to protect your newborn against certain childhood cancers, such as acute lymphatic leukaemia.
- It reduces your baby's chances of developing type 1 and 2 diabetes, possible vision and dental problems, and obesity.
- Breast milk can also reduce the risk of nausea and diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, colds and flu, thrush and ear, throat and lung infections.
- Several studies have been conducted that seem to show a correlation between longer breastfeeding and improved memory, motor performance and language skills.
What are the advantages of breastfeeding from an emotional and relational perspective?
- A child who has been breastfed for a longer period of time will not become clingy; on the contrary, one of the benefits of extended nursing is self-confidence and autonomy.
- It seems that children who are breastfed for longer have a more positive and open attitude towards others.
- Breastfeeding has extraordinary soothing properties: in very difficult moments such as illness, vaccinations and teething, a mum’s breast is a great help. In fact, oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, is produced through breastfeeding.
How long is breast milk nutritious?
The ‘your milk’s now water’ is a false myth. In fact, breast milk’s nutritional value remains high even after your baby turns 1 year old: although it changes in composition as your baby grows, adapting to his or her needs, it still provides them with one third of their daily calorie requirement.
