Well, this world never ceases to amaze me. The normal cut-off period is usual 12 to 15 months. Although I have the creeping suspicion there's alot more to the fetish. Without going too deep into psychology of those affect, one woman told me it keeps her breast perky and well defined.

http://tinyurl.com/brakldx

Is this the only reason? just to look youthful?

Your thoughts.

cc

Plant,

I think you're way off beam thinking that women just want to look youthful. Any woman who is fastidious about her figure in that respect is probably more likely to dispense with breastfeeding sooner rather than later.

Many women in the West experience great difficulty with breastfeeding. I didn't experience any difficulties. I breastfed both my children, one for fifteen months and the other a lot longer.
If breastfeeding goes well and mum and bub establish a good routine, it's the easiest thing in the world. Apart from nourishment, it's relaxing for both and establishes a healthy bond between mother and child.
By the time an infant is well-established on solids and is growing older, the act of breastfeeding becomes a more psychologically nurturing activity. After twelve months, both my children were more likely to feed to sleep as being close to mum and relaxing was the main benefit of the experience.
In traditional societies, infants usually stay at the breast until the next baby appears.

I sometimes think you guys don't get the breastfeeding thing - often seeming to read something selfish or sinister in the exercise.
Women have breasts in order to nurture their young, any sexual allure is an adjunct to their prime purpose.

Hell it's so convenient, I can't imagine why you would do it any other way.

When you are going somewhere for some hours, all you have to do is remember to take the wife, & that's it.

Using bottles you have to plan in advance to sterilise the bottles, teats & other paraphernalia, boil the water in advance, & let it cool, find the thing the teats are kept/carried in etc, & the formula, what a production. Much easier to gust grab the bird, as you pick up the kid.

Our eldest had sailed over 2000 nautical miles before her first birthday. We spent 8 days sheltering behind an island, about 70 miles from the nearest habitation, in a howling gale at one stage during one passage.

It would have been great to run out of formula, [plastic food we called it], for the baby during that time. Much easier to take the milk factory with you.

It's not so much that 'guys don't get the breastfeeding thing'... but, in my humble psychological opinion, more the chagrin of being unable to contribute, compounded by the presence of nipples as a constant reminder of what we are denied.

In any event, breastfeeding is definitely not a good look by the time any secondary teeth are erupting.

Hasbeen,

For once we agree! (will wonders never cease?)

The one thing that struck me when I had my first child, was the situation of interrupted sleep, followed shortly after by the realisation that all I had to do in the middle of the night was to get up, quickly change baby and then snuggle down and let the baby feed. No drama at all. Same with going places. It's possible to feed a bub inconspicuously even in public.

WmTrevor,

Talking of teeth in general when breastfeeding. Both my kids got their first teeth at around four months - and more as we went along. But the art of sucking breast milk doesn't require teeth or mastication, so the teeth remained unengaged in the proceedings - in the wings, so to speak.

I appreciate the information, Poirot… since I'm not an expert in dentition – better at mastication since I've had more years of practice.

My talking of breastfeeding in general when teething was addressing the issue of age appropriateness – I did say secondary, not primary tooth eruption.

Maybe I should have expressed it as not a good look when the child is still being breastfed at an age when it is able to do this whilst both mother and child are standing?

Poirot,
I agree with you,(wonders will never cease), and Hasbeen.

Breast feeding is the most natural thing in the world. I do not understand how anyone could object to public nursing.

All women should breast feed for as long as they like or able.

I think it is other women that are more likely to object to public nursing, than men.

I further do not understand why some women have all sorts of problems. Is there not madications available that can induce milk production.

WmTrevor,

Yes, I did get the point to which you were alluding - just thought I'd mention my experience.

Banjo,

There are a few things that can go awry - cracked and sore nipples, mastitis, poor milk production, anxiety, etc...so I think you'd have to experience those things to understand why some women don't go on breastfeeding. Some women simply don't like the experience of breastfeeding.

Many women become over anxious at this time. The best thing is to relax and see how it goes. I had a very slight problem with one nipple after my second (many years after my first child), it was hardly anything but it made it almost impossible for my son to feed from that particular side - so I fed him the whole time from one side...no problems at all, but I think it's because I was relaxed about it.

Dear Poirot,

I'm one of those women of whom you speak.
I had a bugger of a time with breast-feeding.
Sore cracked nipples, bleeding, screaming babies,
and so on. My children were born in the US (Los
Angeles) where formula was the accepted way. I
remember the nurse in hospital telling me - "You
don't have to do this." And my telling her rather
feebly that I wanted to at least try. I had little
support for it though. I did persevere for three to five
months - and finally caved in to formula.

To-day, watching how easily my daughter-in-law does
it - I feel somewhat ashamed. But at that time I simply
wasn't able to cope very well on my own. Watching the
formula disappear quickly was somewhat reassuring,
and I knew exactly how much my child was getting. Still
if it was today - I think I'd do things differently.

Poirot,
Thanks for that. I am aware of the physical things such as cracked and sore nipples and mastitas.

However I was thinking more about poor milk production.

Is it genetic? In animals poor milk supply means the young die and the line dies out and only those mothers with good milk supply get to raise their young.

I would have thought that modern day medicine would be able to stimulate the milk supply. Or do medicos simply say that is bad luck, feed the infant formula. Mothers in third world countries do not have that option.

I truly think breast feeding is better for both.
This however needs a better look at why a 3 year old is being breast fed still.
Not a fetish, a belief that closeness between mum and child is better for both.
That the child will be less aggressive.
My view is at that age different ways can be found to do that, not breast feeding.
I applaud the post 1960,s parents,those who care, many do not at all.
My childhood, well loved but not well cared for, saw kids treated not as well.
But I do not agree with women who want to take the man out of boys.
Our whole travel, from cave to today, has seen that man needed, to defend us all.
One woman I knew crafted a motherly love plan for those in her care,and unable to handle the real world every one crashed and burned there.

Lexi,

You should never feel ashamed, you gave it a go. I'm trying to imagine having sore and cracked nipples, and having a baby latch on and suck vigorously. OUCH! What happens then is that every time the mother tries to feed, she tenses up to prepare for the pain and then stays tense while she endures the pain. The baby picks up on that and becomes tense and fractious also. In that case, I would recommend switching to a bottle.

Well yeah, Belly, I get what you are saying. My little guy was going on three when we finally called it a day. He was mainly doing it for comfort by then once or twice a day. But the thing was that it didn't seem to be harming him. He wasn't overly clingy, or clingy at all, so we just sort of trundled on because we were happy. So far so good, he's still a confident young man.

Banjo,

I don't know what they can do for poor milk production as it wasn't part of my experience. I suppose people in traditional societies just have to persevere with feeding difficulties, but then the womenfolk do gather round with advice and help. We're a bit more isolating in the West.

I think the point is what kid really wants a photo of himself sucking on his mothers tit on a global publication.

A few other points.

There is an action and re-action going on with facets as below.

1. There is a 'breast is best' chanting, tree hugging, sap spitting, midwiffery cult of the breast, we are women 'birth rape' shouting type movement that acts as if you're some sort of child abuser if you don't breast feed, or else you're a victim of the patriarchy's sexualisation of breasts.

2. Mothers are having children older and it seems harder for a lot of women to breast feed, no matter how much so called 'support' is available. Point 1 just adds so much pressure and is massively counter-productive. These mothers need the above group like a hole in the head.

3. There is a view that with more of this 'support' from above all would be dandy, and we would have a wonderful world of children apparently more intelligent and immune to everything.

4. Any fool knows it would be much easier for anyone to breastfeed than paying $20 a week for formula. If it works. But you have to look at the whole family, other children in it, the mother's emotional state and post-natal depression, that baby's weight. All sorts of things.

5. No matter how hard a man tries to support a partner, he is either not supporting her choice to breast feed (Being an evil patriarch) when he suggests she just use a bottle because mother and baby are very unhappy, or else he is pushing her through all sorts of pain and he should just butt out because he's only a man what would he know it's secret women's business.

Thankfully I survived No5 I think quite majestically, pissing off lots of the No1s, and asserted some common sense into the situation.

Breast IS best, but breast feeding is not some integral part of your childs future health and psyche. If mother and baby have had enough at 3 weeks or 3 years, who really cares.