In your opinion, At what age do you think is to old to nurse in public?
In your opinion, At what age do you think is to old to nurse in public?
pineapple / 12793 posts
I think I'd feel weird for myself around two. Wouldn't care much about what other people do though.
I haven't nursed past fifteen months and at that point it was as wake up and before bed so not much NIP at all.
pomegranate / 3275 posts
5? I wouldn't think twice seeing a 2/3 year old nursing, but 5 might be strange.
pomegranate / 3872 posts
I think as long as you're breastfeeding it's not too old if you're comfortable. For me, it was whether I wanted comments or stares, which I didn't. Also when lo was closer to 2 we weren't nursing nearly as often so it would never have been necessary to nurse in public.
nectarine / 2987 posts
Can I agree with everyone here so far? Because I also don't NIP as much past one but it's because of nursing timing, and I think it's personal, and I would find 5 bizarre but 2/3 wouldn't bat an eye, and it's not too old if you're comfortable...
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
for me personally I would have felt weird past a year and a half- but like the others she was only nursing at wake up and bed time by about 15 months so I never had to. If I saw someone nursing a kid older than two I would probably notice it, but not think it was bad or anything, just that it would be something out of the ordinary or something. Maybe it's more size- once a kid cannot comfortable fit in your lap to nurse it would look odd?
grapefruit / 4418 posts
I don't really care personally. Whatever you want to do, go for it! Doesn't impact me at all. I didn't NIP much past a year, but I would have if DD wanted to at the time.
nectarine / 2262 posts
Interesting. Just got back from a trip and nursed my 8 month old a ton on both flights. I'm super pro BF and love seeing moms nursing, especially older babies! That being said, I think the opinion of the general public might be quite different from HB. I've had family members say things like "when they get teeth it's time to stop", or "if they can ask for it they're too old", which is ridiculous but unfortunately, I think a lot of people think that. Not that I care and it wont stop me from bf my son. Just interesting.
pomegranate / 3393 posts
Every once in a blue moon, like on a trip or for a booboo, I've nursed my almost 3 year old in public. He's old enough that he can usually wait, and actually only nurses once a day or so at this point. I'd love to see more older/bigger kids nursing, just so I don't feel like the last one left, haha!
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I've kind of been grappling with this recently with my tall and verbal 18 month old. She's been going through a growth spurt or something recently and wanting to nurse all the time! Add to that the fact that she asks to nurse when she's overwhelmed-even if she really just wants to find a quiet spot and snuggle and it is feeling like I'm nursing in public more now than when she was tiny!
At any rate, to answer your question, I agree with like 5 personally. I fully support extended breast feeding but I worry that I will wind up with someone saying something mean the older she gets.
honeydew / 7230 posts
I still nurse my 2 year olds in public if we have to (especially if I'm hoping they'll fall asleep while out and about or I'm trying to curb a melt down) but around 18-20 months I started limiting it some. Like if we're going to story time for an hour and one of them asks to nurse, I'll ask them to wait until we get home and they usually don't have a problem with that. They are huge comfort nursers, so I still nurse a lot in front of friends and family. I have no qualms about that - even tandem nursing them if I have to, which tends to be a lot more revealing.
persimmon / 1447 posts
I, personally, think as long as a child breastfeeds, it's okay to do it in public. Even if that's well past the age most of society deems appropriate.
pomegranate / 3890 posts
I still nurse my 21 month old in public and was just curious to see what other thought. I'm on the camp of who cares, none of my business what others do.
grapefruit / 4321 posts
For me personally I'm not comfortable with nursing in public after 1.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
ETA I would get a bit frustrated with my 18 month old when we would go fun places and then she would hust want to sit and nurse. That's when we put it to at home only or if she was injured or tired or something extreme.
cantaloupe / 6634 posts
@MrsADS: By your relatives' logic, I should have stopped breastfeeding DS at 3 months.
honeydew / 7622 posts
The only time it was out of place to me was at a restaurant with the mom on a bar stool with a very large child with a full head of hair. That's the only time I've noticed because the kid looked huge and awkward on a stool. They could have been 2 or 4. But the kid was well over 2ft tall.
Personally I would have been ok for myself until 2ish, but DD weaned by 13 mo. I'm glad I don't have to worry about it.
In answer to your question I think 3ish?
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@MrsADS: oh HB is definitely more pro BFing than the general public I've encountered. I heard the same "if they can ask for it they're too old" or once they have teeth you should stop comments. Family members asked when I was planning to stop starting at like 6 months- though no one was rude about it to me. And I live in a very pro breastfeeding area. Just, pro until one and then isn't she a little old for that? I think the HB answers will be a lot more pro extending BF than what many people are really thinking in public.
But again, who cares what they think?
nectarine / 2821 posts
I try to put it off these days at 16 months (and he's big so probably looks older) but it definitely depends on location. Like when he was younger I would do it discreetly basically anywhere. Now, I try to put him off or go find a quiet place. Interestingly, my husband who is very supportive of my son continuing to breastfeed while oblivious of any breastfeeding controversy commented recently (later just to me) that our friend's two year old looked a little strange nursing in public when we were at a casual outdoor winery. Weird to me that he even noticed since this kid is probably 10 lbs lighter and barely taller than our son! I ask him from time to time what he thinks about when I should wean (less for advice and more for curiosity sake) and he never had 2 cents to add.
nectarine / 2821 posts
@Cole: I feel better reading that another kiddo similar age nurses more than once-twice a day. If we make it till nap and then bedtime with only 3 nursing times I am shocked! Or I would be, don't think it's ever happened. Not counting the near constant nursing from 5am till we get up in the morning (that's my cutoff for our "night weaning")
grapefruit / 4649 posts
@junebugsmama: we are definitely no where close to morning and night- and I'm completely fine with that right now. We have done just sleep times only a handful of times and they have either been because I wasn't with her most of the time or we have been out all day and she's been too busy.
pear / 1521 posts
Definitely no particular age, just reading these responses it's obvious what works for one person doesn't work for another. There is basically zero way I could get my almost 15 mo to nurse in public right now because she'd be too distracted (even if we try to go to a quieter place she still knows that there's more fun stuff going on elsewhere!).
nectarine / 2797 posts
I stopped after around 20 months although she continued to nurse until she was 3. But I guess it wasn't out of weirdness but more just opportunity/frequency.
honeydew / 7235 posts
I don't really care, but I guess I might think it was a little strange over the age of 3/4...
eggplant / 11824 posts
I don't really care, but I guess if I'm being honest I think like a 4 or 5 year old BF seems a little "old" for it - - but like I said, I also really don't care. Whatever works for mom/baby-kid.
pineapple / 12566 posts
I stopped nursing my two at 13 and 14 months. My youngest is almost 2.5 now and I could still imagine nursing in public at this age, but probably not after 3? I really don't care what other people do though.
pomegranate / 3658 posts
I am nursing in public a lot less often these days simply because DD a) doesn't need/want to nurse nearly as many times per day as she used to, and b) she's developed a habit of wanting to switch from side to side a million times, like a little pendulum, so that makes it hard in public anyway.
To answer the question in general though, I don't think there's any age that's too old. My DD is 13 months.
grapefruit / 4988 posts
However old that kid from Game of Thrones was, so like, 10?
Seriously though, for me personally, I was still BFing until she was past 2 but I felt semi-uncomfortable doing it in public after she turned 1. That was just me though and it was mostly because we couldn't really do it discreetly after that age (she was too easily distracted and also wouldn't let me use a cover). I have no problem seeing other women BFing older babies/toddlers.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
After weaning ... If a kid breastfeeds, who cares? It's food/nourishment/comfort.
pear / 1593 posts
@catlady: LOL - I was thinking about that kid when I saw this thread
ETA - I guess I'll answer the question too even though I am hesitant since I don't have a foot in the race. I chose not to breastfed at all, so I am overall a little uncomfortable with the process. That said, I find the idea of public breastfeeding over age 2 odd, since I have an almost 2 year old, and would feel very uncomfortable with him coming to me in public and asking for my breast around people at say the playground or whatever.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@catlady: Hahahah, love that you reference GoT
I don't know, since I had to wean DD by 9 months not by choice. I didn't NIP much though b/c she was very fidgety and we both get super hot under a cover, etc.
If all the stars aligned, I probably still won't do it past 1-1.5 years, since that means I always have to wear something nursing friendly, or make sure to have my nursing cover, etc.
pomegranate / 3350 posts
I didn't nurse in public much past the tiny baby phase just because I wasn't comfortable with it. I think once the kid gets easily distracted it is difficult to do - but that was just my own personal experience. I don't care what other women do! I would find it a little weird to see like a preschooler or older nursing in public but mostly just because I'd think it's more of a soothing thing at that point and not something that usually happens in public. (Unless they got hurt or whatever)
kiwi / 595 posts
I only nursed my 3+yo once or twice in public, I felt very uncomfortable, and she could understand limits. But I had no problem nursing her in public under 3. I don't mind seeing any child bf in public, it was my own hang up about being judged.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@catlady: @runnerd: @snowjewelz: haha, that kid is only like 4 in the book, so not as bad, lol!
pomelo / 5220 posts
@catlady: hahahaah spot on with the GoT reference.
I guess my answer to this is "whenever you are comfortable with" and for me, that was probably around a year? My LO just started being too distracted, large and wild for me to nurse in public. I had a larger chest when I was nursing and him popping off made me uncomfortable and then he could run away.... so it would be a disaster!
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