When Breastfeeding Keeps Going

Breastfeeding beyond the early days can sometimes feel overwhelming. Your baby’s needs transition to toddler wants, outside pressure to wean can increase, and long nights can start feeling even longer. 

 We see your hard work and offer you some cheer in this article. However, we’re also here to support your weaning journey, so please get in touch for support.

What’s in your breastmilk?

You might have heard that human milk has no value after a specific point in time, be that at 6 months, 12 months, or some other arbitrary date. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years and beyond.

Science also has something to say. Recent studies have shown that the nutritional value of your milk doesn’t change over time proving that your toddler still benefits from that amazing goodness no matter their age.

You’re in good company. La Leche League has long believed that “Human milk is the natural food for babies, uniquely meeting their changing needs”.

Do you want some hard facts? A 2001 study by Dewey showed that “in the second year (12-23 months), 448 ml of breastmilk provides:

• 29% of energy requirements
• 43% of protein requirements
• 36% of calcium requirements
• 75% of vitamin A requirements
• 76% of folate requirements
• 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
• 60% of vitamin C requirements”

Additionally, “Human milk in the second year postpartum contained significantly higher concentrations of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme and Immunoglobulin A, than milk bank samples, and significantly lower concentrations of zinc, calcium, iron and oligosaccharides.”
(Perrin 2016)

Science has also demonstrated that as toddlers go further away from the breast, the immunity factors in your milk increase. In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Lawrence & Lawrence 2011).

In LLL, we know that Human milk is the natural food for babies, uniquely meeting their changing needs, and the only way for babies to have access to their natural food is for their parents to receive lactation support. If families are unable to access support, then their baby may be unable to access breastmilk. However feeding your baby might look for your family, and whatever your family might look like, we will support you sensitively, with no judgement, and welcome you to our meetings. 

Your Health

Breastfeeding and chestfeeding benefits not only your nursling, but you as well! As the Art of Breastfeeding notes, “Breastfeeding helps protect us against chronic diseases, too, including some of the most common risks to women’s health: cardiovascular disease, breast and ovarian cancers, and type 2 diabetes. It helps space pregnancies, maintain a healthy weight, and manage stress”.

Photo by Hayley Fraser Photography

The Emotions

You can know all this science but still find it hard to nurse your wiggling toddler or demanding preschooler. It’s hard to know the point when your baby’s needs turn into wants, and how you choose to negotiate that as a family will be up to you. Some families find they need more boundaries during the day or night. Others find they need more support from their network to catch up on needed rest and time for themselves.

You are not alone in these feelings! La Leche League says both:

• Ideally the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the child outgrows the need.

• From infancy on, children need loving guidance that reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.

Coming to a La Leche League meeting in person or online can be a safe space to discuss the conflict between wanting to stop and wanting to keep going. This is a story of many, many families and we’re here to listen.

Regardless of how you handle the latter part of your feeding journey, remember that your child will have experienced years of closeness and comfort. The acceptance of their needs can be hard work, but is contributing to their development in ways that maybe aren’t always immediately visible.

Photo by Hayley Fraser Photography

Outside Pressures

Just as you’re hitting your stride, people are telling you to stop. This can feel disheartening, confusing, and tricky. In the United Kingdom, breastfeeding rates are low, and you might be the only person at your toddler’s playgroup breastfeeding or chestfeeding. 

Pressures can also come from partners, family members, and even yourself. La Leche League International offers information and suggestions on dealing with criticism from many different people.

You may be returning to work and feeling the pressure to stop breastfeeding. Perhaps your work space lacks a pumping facility, your nursery is not supportive, or you have upcoming work travel? We offer a returning to work support meeting to discuss strategies and shared stories on managing your nursing relationship with paid work. 

Tell us more!

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below about what keeps you motivated to keep on keeping on your breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and pumping journey.

Photo by Hayley Fraser Photography

Do you want to know more?

These are some additional books to check out:

• Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: A Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents, by Emma Pickett (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2024)
• How Weaning Happens, by Diane Bengson (La Leche League International 1999)
• Why Breastfeeding Grief and Trauma Matter, by Amy Brown (Pinter & Martin 2019)
• Mothering Your Nursing Toddler, by Norma Jane Bumgarner (La Leche League International 2000)
• Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond, 2nd Edition, by Hilary Flower (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2019)
• The Nursing Mother’s Guide to Weaning: How to Bring Breastfeeding to a Gentle Close and How to Decide When the Time is Right, by Kathleen Huggins and Linda Ziedrich (Harvard Common Press 2010)
• Healing Breastfeeding Grief, by Hilary Jacobson (Mother Food Books 2016)
• When Nursing Sucks: What You Need to Know About Nursing Aversion and Agitation, by Zainab Yate (Pinter & Martin 2020)

Books for children

• Maggie’s Weaning, by Mary Joan Deutschbein (La Leche League International 1999)
• Loving Comfort: A Toddler Weaning Story, by Julie Dillmuth (self-published 2017)
• Nursies When the Sun Shines, by Katherine C. Havener (Elea Press 2013)
• Michele: The Nursing Toddler – A Story about Sharing Love, by Jane Pinczuk (La Leche League International 1998)
• Booby Moon: A Weaning Book for Toddlers, by Yvette Reid (New Zealand ISBN Agency 2021)
• Booby Moon with Two: A Storybook for Gently Weaning Tandem Fed Toddlers, by Yvette Reid (New Zealand ISBN Agency 2022)

This article first published for our Supporters, who got an early preview of this article! Would you like to get in on the list? Join us! Check out more information here.