Tips for deciding how long to breastfeed your child

Lactation Specialist Wendy Haldeman, IBCLC shares advice for breastfeeding moms on how to best decide how long to breastfeed your child for
Tips for Deciding How Long to Breastfeed
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Tips for deciding how long to breastfeed your child

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A lot of people are confused about how long to breastfeed a toddler and if it really makes any difference at all. I find it really interesting that even some doctors will tell moms after six months that the breastfeeding is really for the mother and it does very little for the infant when in fact there are volumes of research to support that breastfeeding continues to be beneficial for the child regardless of their age. Human milk is a living substance and every time a mother breastfeeds her child, she’s providing antibodies to that child. The benefits of human milk do not expire. So as long as the baby is getting human milk, they are getting protection from their mom. As far as when it’s too much, that really depends I think a lot on culture. If you go around the world, and other countries and other cultures nursing children till they’re 5 or 6 years old is considered completely normal. In our country, people think that that’s really odd and they get very uncomfortable by that. I think it is a decision between mom and baby and frankly, it’s none of my business. If the mom and baby are happy, let them breastfeed.

Lactation Specialist Wendy Haldeman, IBCLC shares advice for breastfeeding moms on how to best decide how long to breastfeed your child for

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Wendy Haldeman, RN, MN, IBCLC

Lactation Specialist

Wendy Haldeman, MN, RN, IBCLC is a co-founder of the Pump Station and Nurtury. She received both her nursing and lactation education at UCLA, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and a certified Happiest Baby on the Block instructor. She lectures frequently on human lactation at medical and nursing schools and has been identified by publications, such as Fit Pregnancy, as an expert in her field. Wendy facilitates the New Mother Support groups, and teaches the prenatal Breastfeeding and Baby Care Classes at The Pump Station. She and her husband Tim are proud of their two grown daughters and their 15 month old granddaughter.

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Transcription: 
A lot of people are confused about how long to breastfeed a toddler and if it really makes any difference at all. I find it really interesting that even some doctors will tell moms after six months that the breastfeeding is really for the mother and it does very little for the infant when in fact there are volumes of research to support that breastfeeding continues to be beneficial for the child regardless of their age. Human milk is a living substance and every time a mother breastfeeds her child, she’s providing antibodies to that child. The benefits of human milk do not expire. So as long as the baby is getting human milk, they are getting protection from their mom. As far as when it’s too much, that really depends I think a lot on culture. If you go around the world, and other countries and other cultures nursing children till they’re 5 or 6 years old is considered completely normal. In our country, people think that that’s really odd and they get very uncomfortable by that. I think it is a decision between mom and baby and frankly, it’s none of my business. If the mom and baby are happy, let them breastfeed.