In the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and to continue for at least 12 months5. But in other countries, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to the age of 2 or beyond6.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years of age or longer.
"A mother can reduce her chances of pre-menopausal breast cancer if she breast-feeds for at least two years," Winter added. For the rest of the world it's very common that toddlers 4 to 5 years old still are nursed by moms for bonding and health reasons.
The American Academy of Pediatrics just updated its recommendations to encourage moms to breastfeed for up to 2 years. This aligns with long-standing recommendations from the World Health Organization.
Kendall-Tackett, who is co-author of the book, “Breastfeeding Made Simple,” said that worldwide, the typical age for weaning is 2.5 to 3 years, but some mothers continue past 6 or 7. “Some kids need it longer, and it's OK,” she said.
"Breastfeeding into your baby's second year or beyond alongside other foods is ideal," says the NHS website. It adds: "You and your baby can carry on enjoying the benefits of breastfeeding for as long as you like."
But people should be informed that nursing a 6-7+year-old is a perfectly normal and natural and healthy thing to be doing for the child, and that their fears of emotional harm are baseless."
In Mongolia, breastfeeding is celebrated and public breastfeeding encouraged with 65 percent of babies being exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding also tends to continue until after the second birthday.
There is no maximum age, up to which a mother can produce breast milk. Whenever the pregnancy happens, the lactogen process starts immediately. Usually after the age of 40, there are certain hormonal changes in the body, due to which the production of the breast milk is hampered.
Breastfeeding for 12 or more months lowers your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
PIP: Islamic law requires mothers to breast feed their children for 2 years. the father must assist the mother in breast feeding the children by providing her with food and clothing. If the father dies or does not live at home, the heir must support the mother thereby allowing her to breast feed her infants.
Galactorrhea (say "guh-lak-tuh-REE-uh") happens when a teen's breasts make milk but she is not pregnant. The milk may leak from one or both breasts. Sometimes milk leaks only when the breast is touched.
“If they feed for as long as they want to they will naturally wean. “In a lot of countries it's perfectly normal to breastfeed older children and they will do it for a lot longer than we do in the West.”
Myth: Babies who have been breastfed are clingy.
All babies are different. Some are clingy and some are not, no matter how they are fed. Breastfeeding provides not only the best nutrition for infants, but is also important for their developing brain.
Excessive breast stimulation, medication side effects or disorders of the pituitary gland all may contribute to galactorrhea. Often, galactorrhea results from increased levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production. Sometimes, the cause of galactorrhea can't be determined.
It's not unusual for milky discharge to continue for up to two to three years after discontinuing breastfeeding. That said, some people (regardless of their sex assigned at birth or whether they've breastfed before) can experience milk production or milky discharge called galactorrhea.
Nutrition experts say breast milk of grandmothers is recommended for babies who cannot be breastfed by their biological mothers for whatever reason, noting that contrary to assumptions, women who are over 60 years can still produce breast milk and effectively breastfeed infants.
Poor attachment, "not enough breastmilk for the child", and an unsettled baby were the top reasons for ceasing to breastfeed cited in the Australian national infant feeding survey (by parents who stopped breastfeeding entirely before 6 months).
The high proportion (95%) of women that initiated breastfeeding and were exclusively breastfeeding at two months (60%) is consistent with findings from the 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey (96%, 60.3%, N = 28,759) [11].
LONDON — Only 1 in 200 women in the U.K., or 0.5 percent, breastfeed their children until they are 1 year old — the lowest rate in the world.
Your body could be making extra amounts of a hormone called prolactin, which can cause a white discharge from your nipples. It doesn't have an odor. Occasionally teen girls have a milky breast discharge called galactorrhea, pronounced “gah-lack-toe-ree-ah”, which looks like milk.
Galactorrhea is a condition where your breasts leak milk. The main sign of galactorrhea is when it happens in people who aren't pregnant or breastfeeding. It's caused by stimulation, medication or a pituitary gland disorder.
In some circumstances, having another woman, such as a friend or relative, feed your baby might be a good option. This nursing arrangement is sometimes called "cross-nursing" or "wet nursing," which means feeding a child who isn't biologically yours.