Extended breastfeeding — nursing beyond the first year — offers remarkable benefits for both mother and child. While some view breastfeeding as something that ends once a baby starts solids, research shows that continuing to nurse can provide ongoing nutrition, comfort, and emotional connection well into toddlerhood.
For children, breast milk continues to be a source of essential nutrients, antibodies, and immune support. Even after age one, it helps strengthen the immune system, reduces the risk of infections, and may lower the likelihood of allergies and certain illnesses. Breast milk also adapts to a child’s changing needs, offering just the right balance of fats, proteins, and vitamins.
Emotionally, extended breastfeeding provides comfort, reassurance, and security. It helps toddlers cope with stress, separation anxiety, or changes in routine, fostering a stronger parent–child bond.
For mothers, extended breastfeeding supports emotional well-being by promoting closeness and relaxation through oxytocin release. It can also reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, aid postpartum recovery, and naturally space pregnancies.
Ultimately, extended breastfeeding is a personal choice — one that nurtures both body and soul. It’s a gentle, natural way to continue meeting your child’s physical and emotional needs beyond infancy.
My Experience With Extended Breastfeeding
My little girl is almost 30 months and we are still extended breastfeeding, and while I can feel like I never get any time to eat or drink, she loves it! She has this cheeky grin on her face just before she latches, and boy is she an expert at that now. I didn’t even really worry when her teeth came through. She has never bitten me and the occasional time that the teeth do catch, it’s when she has fallen asleep.
Not enough information is given to mothers about breastfeeding, and not enough support is given to them in the early days when new mothers may be struggling to get their baby to latch. This happened to me. We ended up in hospital (forced on us) and I was forced to feed her formula because she had lost too much weight after birth, even though she was still having plenty of wees and poos in between. The NHS sure like to push their power upon vulnerable parents. It took about two or three days before a lactation specialist entered my room, and she was lovely. We had a few successful breastfeeding sessions and then I was back to pumping.
The Disaster Experience with Pippa Harrison
When I paid private to see a tongue tie specialist, Pippa Harrison, she actually said my daughter was used to the bottle, while I was in tears desperate to breastfeed my daughter. All she could care about was getting us out of the room since she couldn’t stop looking at the time, even though this ‘specialist’ kept us waiting for over thirty minutes and she was absolutely terrible. She was so fake and so unsupportive. In fact, I can confidently say that Pippa Harrison hates women.
Well fuck you, Pippa, Grace and I succeeded at breastfeeding, and it’s all thanks to my wonderful husband who actually encouraged me to breastfeed Grace after she had been fed my milk by bottle, and she hopped on (I couldn’t believe it and was in tears) and it’s been wonderful ever since.
Never Give Up, Mama
To new and existing mothers who want to breastfeed and are struggling, this world, sadly, doesn’t want you to succeed. I learnt that myself. However, I have a fervent spirit that wouldn’t let me relax until I succeeded. The formula market always says ‘breastfeeding is best’, but that’s not good enough information. Breastfeeding is the king of nutrition for your growing child. And yes, I exclusively fed my daughter, and I didn’t feed her any formula. You wouldn’t believe the amount of false information I was given by family members, like my mother-in-law who said ‘well you won’t have enough milk and will have to top up with formula’ because her other granddaughter had had to be fed formula on top of the breastmilk as her mother didn’t have enough milk supply. And of course, my mother-in-law had had no experience with breastfeeding.
No no, I can do my own research in that area. Regular feeding works. I fed Grace every three or four hours, and on demand. Of course my body would provide her with enough nutrition. I trusted my body, and now that we have been nursing for so long, I can say that the female body is absolutely amazing in how it nourishes our babies, building their immune system and protecting them with powerful antibodies whenever they are sick.
The Constant Judgements
Yes, I do get judged by family for my continuing breastfeeding, but they don’t understand the sacrifice I am making for the health of my child. There are too many sickly children in this world. Parents are too trusting of vaccines to provide immune health, when breast milk is more powerful than any of those shite ingredients in those jabs. Our daughter has just started pre-school and this week has been the only time that she has been sick with a proper cold, which isn’t bad considering she has been perfectly healthy up until now.
You Can Do It
You will succeed. Continue to pump milk and feed your baby but still offer your baby the breast. In time, you will succeed. If we can succeed for this long, then you can succeed. Don’t let the NHS, family members, GPs, or so called specialists turn you off the best nutrition for your child. Breast milk is better than any vaccine out there, and we need to remind ourselves that God makes immune systems that are designed to keep us healthy. It seems like most people have lost their intuition and trust in their own immune systems to keep them safe, but as mothers we can give our babies the best start in life with breastfeeding, and extended breastfeeding. Even the WHO and UNICEF recommend it until 30 months.
The more you breastfeed, the more you will grow in confidence. I used to use an apron to breastfeed my child in public, or even around family, until I realised how ridiculous it looks and draws even more attention to yourself. I love breastfeeding Grace on one of those large spider web swings at the park. I can honestly say that I’ve had more praise nursing in public, than judgements. But the niggling comments from family can get me down at times.
Check out the excellent breastfeeding podcast, Badass Breastfeeding Podcast for discussions on a huge range of topics, or watch from our home page. Both Abby and Diane will boost your confidence with breastfeeding.