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Question for "extended" breastfeeders

TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
in Breastfeeding
Do any of you feel offended by the term? My LO is only 9 months so i'm not in that "over 1 year" stage yet but hope to be. I feel like breastfeeding any amount of time mom and baby want to should be accepted and not considered "unusual"... so why do we have a term to single out those BF'ing over a year?

Anyway, just curious. 
Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
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Re: Question for "extended" breastfeeders

  • vvvvvfeevvvvvfee member
    you're right, it is only culturally considered to be "extended" in some western countries. but unfortunately i think it's also become a shorthand way to refer to BFing past 1 year in the u.s., maybe because the AAP recommends BFing for 1 year at minimum.

    i have heard "breastfeeding to natural term" used as a substitute phrase.

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  • TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
    That makes sense and "breastfeeding to natural term" is definitely a mouthful!
    Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
    I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
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  • surpriseadditionsurpriseaddition member
    I don't think it's a big deal. I look at it from this angle: in the US you have to either BF or FF to a year. Moms who had to shell out good money for formula can't wait until the one year birthday to move to WCM. Since BM is optional after 1 year, it makes sense to me that it's called extended BF, since nutritionally it isn't required anymore, but mother and baby want to extend their relationship beyond the minimum requirement.


    **DD1 - 7/9/98**

    **DS - 11/9/00**

    **DD2 - 4/30/13**

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  • mommatotwo2mommatotwo2 member
    I have no issues with it. I have more issue with the judgement and am still surprised by how strongly people feel about the fact that I am still nursing.  But, I have no issue with the term itself. But we throw all kinds of potentially hurtful lingo around in motherhood.  For instance, "natural birth".
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  • TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
    Thanks everyone! I was unable to bf my first and felt judged by some for ff. Now that I'm still breastfeeding at 8 months I see people looking shocked. I am sure some will be even more surprised if I am able to do it longer than a year. I just wish it were more accepted as natural (that's not to say better than FF bc I've been there too). Thanks for the replies!
    Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
    I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
    Report Reply
  • surpriseadditionsurpriseaddition member
    OurBundleOfJoy said:
    Thanks everyone! I was unable to bf my first and felt judged by some for ff. Now that I'm still breastfeeding at 8 months I see people looking shocked. I am sure some will be even more surprised if I am able to do it longer than a year. I just wish it were more accepted as natural (that's not to say better than FF bc I've been there too). Thanks for the replies!
    I think as a mom you will always feel judged....why are you FF?  why are you BF?  why did you have a CS?  why wouldn't you use pain meds?  And, it never ends!  You let your daughter get her license right when she turned 16? (which is the judging I'm dealing with right now with my oldest) You just need to make the decisions you are comfortable with, and just ignore everyone else.  GL with the continued BF! 


    **DD1 - 7/9/98**

    **DS - 11/9/00**

    **DD2 - 4/30/13**

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  • TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
    Thanks surpriseaddition!
    Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
    I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
    Report Reply
  • eggmankateeggmankate member

    I'm not offended, but what bothers me is that we have to coin that term since it's more common to NOT be breastfeeding past the one year. According to the WHO BFing is recommended to the 2 year point which to me says that there is still continued benefit. Our culture indirectly teaches us to put career ahead of family and will continue to do so unless we start normalizing extended breastfeeding beyond 6 months or 1 year. Many just don't have the moral support they need in the workplace to continue and I get it.

    Anyway, same idea, but I feel bad that people are asking me at 11 months if I'm "still" breastfeeding. People started asking me this when DD was 8 months old. The statement implies (and rightly so) that it's not common to continue BFing that long.

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    TTC since April 2011. DH Dx MFI in February 2012. BFP #1: 7.16.12. MMC dx: 8.22.12, D&C 8.28.12, TTC Again November 2012. DH Varicocele repair November 2012; Repeat SA showed "dramatic" improvement February 2013 (awesome!)
    BFP #2: 3.26.13, EDC: 12.7.13. Anya born December 9th, 2013!
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  • mshukhmshukh member
    I think people these days are becoming too sensitive and PC generally :) 

    No it doesn't bother me. But it is a mouthful and does carry a certain connotation to it. 
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