Are you thinking you should breastfeed your baby for more than a year?
Breastfeeding is never easy, especially during the early months. However, once that goes well, you will start to see how it benefits you and your baby.
As breastfeeding continues to offer many benefits, your baby will approach his/her toddler years, and this is when you wonder whether you should stop nursing or not.
In this article, we answer the questions most moms ask – what are the benefits of extended breastfeeding and more?
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What are the benefits of extended breastfeeding?
The World Health Organization suggests that mothers should breastfeed their babies until two years of age.
Although there are moms who stop breastfeeding their babies even before the first year, breastfeeding until the toddler years can be so much more beneficial. Here are some of the amazing benefits of extended breastfeeding.
Illness Prevention
A mother’s milk will continue to boost a child’s immune system, making him less prone to illnesses such as colds, allergies, ear infections, and more. Even though your baby gets sick, breast milk could be the only thing that he/she needs for a faster recovery.
Brain Boost
Breast milk contains omega-3 fatty acids, also known as DHA, which play a role in children’s cognitive development. Researchers at Brown University have discovered that breastfeeding alone produces the best results for boosting a baby’s brain growth. Breastfeeding can increase a baby’s brain growth by 20 to 30 percent.
Healthier Body
Studies have found that babies and toddlers who were breastfed for longer are less prone to illnesses such as obesity and diabetes. Breast milk has antibodies that help protect the baby. Antibodies are cells in the body that fight off infection. Studies found that breastfed babies have fewer health problems than babies who aren’t breastfed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should the breastfeeding sessions last?
As your baby gets older, the feeding sessions can slowly decrease from one to two sessions per day especially when you have also introduced solids. In addition, toddlers have also started to develop other activities like playing.
Also, read our article about Getting pregnant and tandem feeding after giving birth.
How often do toddlers feed?
As your child becomes more curious about her environment, her interest in breastfeeding declines. As a result, your child would normally feed only 1-2 times a day.
However, there are some children who still feed like a newborn. Nevertheless, whatever the breastfeeding pattern is, the frequency should decrease as your baby grows.
What are the challenges of breastfeeding a toddler?
Extended breastfeeding may have some issues as well, so it’s better to know some problems in order to be prepared for them. Here are some problems that you may encounter in extended feeding:
- The pain in your breast can possibly still be there – the pain in breastfeeding may not leave. Aside from having to suffer from sore nipples, cracks, and cuts, you may also experience engorgement and blocked ducts which make breastfeeding really uncomfortable.
- Being criticized for still breastfeeding your toddler – breastfeeding your toddler could be challenging, not in terms of how to feed your child, but in breastfeeding in public. There will be times when you’re out in public, and suddenly, your child demands a quick snack and you might feel conscious of how you are supposed to feed your toddler in the public. Plus, you may receive comments and criticism from people. However, it is none of their business. You feed your child whenever and wherever you want.
- Time-consuming – whether it’s a quick breastfeeding session or not, breastfeeding can still eat up your time. It doesn’t only pertain to the feeding sessions alone, but it also affects the mother’s lifestyle. And as your baby is growing, there are more things you have to adjust to in order to provide for his/her needs.
- It may be a little difficult to wean – as your child continues to rely on your breast milk, he/she might find it hard to adjust to his/her new food intake. Some children do not want to stop nursing, so you will have to prepare when it is already time to wean.
- Your child may become a picky eater – If you keep on breastfeeding your child without introducing new foods, your baby is most likely to become a picky eater. As you continue to breastfeed, your baby relies on your breast milk even more — thinking that it’s the only food that he/she needs.
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How do I make extended breastfeeding work?
- It is important that you know how extended breastfeeding could work for you. In this way, breastfeeding should be a little less hard. When you breastfeed your toddler, you should also consider your comfort. Since breastfeeding can be painful, try applying some nipple cream to wear the pain off. If you’re feeling something unusual with your breasts, you might consider going to your doctor.
- Surrounding yourself with supportive people will be a great help in making your extended breastfeeding work. Aside from that, these people won’t criticize you, and they won’t make things awkward when you breastfeed in public.
- When it comes to your toddler’s food intake, it is important that you introduce him/her to new foods. Although you can continue to nurse your child, he/she must start to eat something else. Some children don’t really understand why they should stop nursing, so you should try explaining to your baby as early as you think he/she can understand.
- When your toddler seems to be sleepless during the night, try adding more activities for him/her during the daytime. In this way, your child’s energy can be all used up, so he/she will feel tired and fall asleep right away.
Need a lactation consultant? Find an IBCLC Lactation Consultant near you.
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