Breastfeeding a Toddler

My daughter is 22 months old and still being breastfed. She enjoys it immensely, and I derive pleasure from knowing that not only have I given her the best start in life, but that my breasts have fulfilled the purpose for which they were intended, in addition to having saved me a small fortune on formula milk!

There are a minority who think differently, however. I recently read a scathing article by a so-called humor writer who openly branded women who breastfed their babies for prolonged periods as paedophiles. I feel very sorry for this misguided woman and her bottle-fed babies. She has obviously been sucked in (forgive the pun) by the notion that a woman’s breasts are merely sexual objects, bestowed upon us to satisfy the most basic urges of men and thereby leading her to falsely believe that any contact between mouth and breast is sexual.

The one and only reason women have breasts is to nurture their children. Naturally men are fascinated by the shapely mounds on the front of a woman’s body because, firstly, their own nipples are on a level with the rest of their body and, secondly, a woman’s breasts fulfill a function, whereas theirs are inactive and decorative press studs. However, just because a woman chooses not to have children or chooses not to breastfeed, does not automatically mean her breasts become an object for sexual gratification.

It’s only the western culture that considers early weaning to be the norm. In many parts of the world babies are breastfed up to the age of five and beyond. In poorer areas of the world the cost and availability of formula milk means that most women have no other choice than to breastfeed their children. There is also no medical reason why a child should stop breastfeeding at a specified time, but many women concede to social pressures and maybe insensitive remarks and suggestions from friends and family. In fact, research suggests that not only do breastfed children become more independent, but that extended breastfeeding can help to reduce a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer.

There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that children who are breastfed for extended periods develop Oedipus complexes, become gay or develop an abnormal fixation with breasts. If that were the case, then a huge proportion of the world’s population would fall into these categories, thereby redefining the parameters of "normal".

One of the most irritating and hurtful comments a mother who is breastfeeding a toddler can receive is that she is doing it purely for her own gratification and not acting in the best interests of her child. Nobody can force an unwilling child to breastfeed, and more often than not, children will wean themselves or simply lose interest in taking the breast.