I saw someone refer to nursing a 13 month old as extended bf, and I got to thinking. I'm guessing I would consider age 2+ extended breastfeeding? Maybe 18 months? I've never really thought about it! What about you?
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To me, anything after 1 year is extended breastfeeding!
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I consider anytime after 1 year to be extended BFing. The AAP's policy statement on BFing is this: "The AAP reaffirms its recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant."
So I consider 12 months to be the AAP's recommendation and anything after that would be extended BFing.
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Over age 1, although I marvel at the women IRL that I know who breastfeed past 3 months.
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Anything after 12 months is extended.
Yes, Just like extended RF would be anything after age 2 since that is the rec now @lawbee11:
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After 18-24 months. We are 14 months in and I don't feel like it is extended...if that makes sense.
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@autumnlove: Same here!
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18-24 months!
I think 12 months is still young, and just because they turn 1 it's not like you automatically say HEY turn off that boob. And this is coming from someone who weaned at the 12/13 month mark!
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Anything after 15 months feels extended to me.
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@autumnlove: agree. I BF until 14 months and didn't feel like it was extended breastfeeding. I think around a year isn't extended. So the farther away from a year and closer to 2 seems more like extended BF to me...so past 18 months but probably closer to 2
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I think once they feel less like a baby and more like a toddler... so maybe around 18 months?
My daughter still felt like such a baby at a year... it wasn't until she hit 18 months that I really felt like it was extended BF-ing.
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Anything after 1 year, since that's the point at which you could switch to other milks.
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I consider anything over 6 months to be "extended" because the NHS guidelines recommend a minimum of 6 months - thus anything more is over and above IMO.
Note, in my vocab, extended does not mean unnecessary and it most certainly doesn't mean "weird". It's magical and precious and wonderful and glorious.... but IMO, it's extended.
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i consider extended past 12 months, but didn't consider it extended for myself! now at 17 months, i'm feeling like it's extended.
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I feel like after 6 months. This coming from someone who hates bfing (for me... I just don't like it, obviously I don't hate if other people do it, lol!) and am counting down the days until I can stop (planning to stop at 6 months)
Good for every one who does it at all, I say!
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I feel like after 12 months. At 9 months I'm the odd one out who's "still" breastfeeding, OMG. I've been getting lots of little comments already, and i can't imagine once he turns 1 but he's a boob addict so we probably won't wean for awhile.
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after 12 months
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I voted 18-24 months.
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I do think past 12 months is extended, but no negative connotations, I'm still going and hope to go until 2 or 3!
For me it's a mix of cultural norms and what @hilsy85: said, at this point, they don't strictly need bm (or formula) to survive.
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It started to feel "extended" once LO hit a year.
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Prior to having a baby, I would have said anything beyond 12 months, but now I say 18-24 months. At 12 months she still seemed like such a baby, but by 18 months she was definitely a toddler and that's when I would consider it EBF.
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after 12
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@Mamaof2: Yep!
I agree with PP that extended BFing isn't anything to be embarrassed about and sometimes there are negative connotations with it. LO will be 11 months next week and weaning is nowhere in sight for her. I NEVER thought I'd be an extended breastfeeder, but if anything I'm proud of it!
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Anything over a year for me (although I may change my mind when my LO is closer to that age!).
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I would say the definition is beyond 12 months, to breastfeed beyond the recommended age. I think perceptions get skewed when you're thinking of hb or other parenting communities. I'll nurse LO as long as she wants but IRL I know only a handful of women who breastfed past 1.
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I think it's anything over 12 months but it didn't seem extended to me until 15 months. DS self weaned at 16.5 months. My sister is still nursing her twins at 22 months!
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Technically after a year but I picture a mobile, maybe 18 month old when I hear the term. But anything after the breast milk or formula stage, I guess.
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Initially I thought 12+ months but now that my son is 12 months, it doesn't feel extended at all. I'd say 18 months+ or even 2 years.
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anything over a year
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Past 18 months/two years, as WHO guidelines recommend until two.
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To ME: it's 12m+
But I do realize that it is technically 2+ -
I have always thought over a year, allowing that you wouldn't necessarily stop cold turkey right at 12 months or anything. But now C is just about 11 months and there is no way I want to wean anytime soon. So really to me the line is somewhere between 12-18 months. Also the fact that they can start milk and not need formula at one makes it a logical line.
Most people I know irl would consider past 12 months to be extended, and I feel like some people already think past six months is.
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Anything past 2 years I feel is "extended". Doesn't the WHO recommend BFing until 2 anyway?
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@sera_87: Yes. I consider past 2 extended since that's the WHO recomendation. That said, I'm always please tly surprised to hear if someone nursing past 1 here in the US.
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Over a year.
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Past two.
It is my understanding that breastmilk is supposed to be the primary nutrition until 1. Following that logic, weaning would begin at 1. That is my personal understanding and interpretation. Baby would begin foods at 6 months to get used to them not to replace nursing.
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Definitely past age two.
I nursed DD1 until she weaned herself at 19 months and I don't think I consider that "extended" BF.
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past 1 year. although, hardly anyone i know here breastfeeds at all, much less even to 6 months!
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@sera_87: The WHO does recommend BFing until 2. I think that recommendation is aimed more at undeveloped countries where clean water and nutritious foods are hard to come by, which is why the AAP's recommendation is different.
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after 1 year
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44 comments