What Age?

[BreastsTheMovie]

I know there are many people who will judge you for breastfeeding a baby from pretty much day one. That's not interesting to me.  What I'm curious about is getting an idea from the experience of mothers here on this forum what age you felt most people around you began judging you for still feeding your baby?  Please refrain from discussion on how long you think someone should breastfeed  and keep discussion centered on when you felt excessive judgement from those around you.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

After about 1 year for most, but it started around 10 months when people realized I was still letting her nurse as often as she wanted instead of moving her toward weaning.

Now they really think I'm crazy when they find out I'm pumping a ton and trying to keep my supply up so that I can tandem nurse my youngest and the baby we are planning on adopting.

[Kerynna]

I agree, around 10 months, defiitely by a year.  I'd say, in general, as soon as they start having visible teeth is when the judgment starts.  Sometimes, though, I'm not sure it's truly about maliciously *judging* someone who is still breastfeeding when the baby is 12 months old.  I think in many cases people are truly puzzled by it.  I know that was the case with my mother and my family, when I continued to nurse beyond 10 months or so.  They honestly couldn't understand *why*; like they would make comments but it was more in the interest of wanting to understand it, not so much to judge it, IME.

[MJB]

Probably between 2 and 3. Maybe younger with my second because he was so verbal he seemed older at 1. 

[Nazsmum]

Around a year for people I don't know......maybe 2 for people I do.

In-laws always.

[BananaBreadGirl]

13-15 months: confusion ('oh, you're still nursing!), and assuming that he's at least down to two feedings per day (morning and night) when in fact he was probably nursing ~6 times a day

17-20 months: slight judgment (overheard people saying things like "well, when they can ask for it, I think it's kind of awkward...I know it's good for them an all...")

21-22 months: concern (I announced I was pregnant and those who knew he was still nursing were concerned about whether that was healthy for all of us, thankfully they were reassured when I told them that it wasn't bad for the baby, etc.)

2 years: not many people know and we very very rarely nurse in public, so I don't know. Now we no longer have that "well, the WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years", but I rarely told people that anyway.

[BreastsTheMovie]

Thank you everyone for replying!  It's been interesting to hear the various perspectives.  I'd also like to hear about any particularly interesting stories in which people have faced problems from this sort of judgement. 

[kdaisy]

Yeah, I definitely had concerned individuals when I got pregnant and my first was about 18 months.

But I really just had my first experience of being judged this 4th weekend.  DS (3) demanded "mama's milk" and I as I nursed him my brother-in-law obviously had some issues and he and my sister decided that it was time to leave.  It was getting late, but I really think my nursing pushed them out the door.

[etsdtm99]

i'd say between 6-9 months .. usually that is the confusion stage for us.. though i think that really its more of a 16-18lbs that that starts.. because it was early with my son who was 18lbs at 4 months .. once he could sit up, and he was that big.. strangers assumed he was older.. 

[dejagerw]

Originally Posted by BananaBreadGirl 

13-15 months: confusion ('oh, you're still nursing!), and assuming that he's at least down to two feedings per day (morning and night) when in fact he was probably nursing ~6 times a day

17-20 months: slight judgment (overheard people saying things like "well, when they can ask for it, I think it's kind of awkward...I know it's good for them an all...")

21-22 months: concern (I announced I was pregnant and those who knew he was still nursing were concerned about whether that was healthy for all of us, thankfully they were reassured when I told them that it wasn't bad for the baby, etc.)

2 years: not many people know and we very very rarely nurse in public, so I don't know. Now we no longer have that "well, the WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years", but I rarely told people that anyway.

I totally agree with this. However, I got pregnant when DS1 was 18 months. So fast forward to immediate concern there. People were pretty much shocked when DS continued to nurse when I was pregnant. However only my parents and my inlaws (and whom ever they have managed to tell) know that I tandem.

And sorry for being off topic... but the WHO doesn't recommend a minimum of 2 years nursing anymore? When did that happen and why did they change?

[BananaBreadGirl]

The WHO does still recommend at least 2 years, and I believe Health Canada has also adopted that. Sorry for the confusion.

Now that my son is over 2 years old, I guess I've achieved the "minimum" and I can't pull out the line I used a few times: "well, the WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years, and he's only 19 months old!". I guess I could revise it to "we've just barely made it past the minimum 2 years recommended by the WHO" if I needed to give a reason to anyone, but like I said, not many people know anymore and he is nursing less and less because of my pregnancy now. 

Originally Posted by dejagerw 

And sorry for being off topic... but the WHO doesn't recommend a minimum of 2 years nursing anymore? When did that happen and why did they change?