The average age of weaning in the world is 4.5 years. The average length of breastfeeding is between 2 years and 7 years of age.

I think when people are "disgusted" by something that is normal and healthy, it is helpful to find out why one feels disgust and maybe learn more about the issue to know.

I have nursed children for as long as 4.5 years. My youngest needed to be breastfed that long. A child this age doesn't breastfeed as a newborn does. My dd only nursed every 3 or 4 days for a minute or two by the time she was 3 and half or 4, but I had people on the website where I Moderated tell me I was "disgusting" and "only doing it for your own pleasure." NONE of these people had ever breastfed a child, knew the sacrifice doing so requires, and most of them either didn't have children or hadn't breastfed.

I know it is shocking to see a child over 2 or so breastfeeding, I know I was shocked the first time I saw a two year old breastfeeding! (How naive I was.) But, my shock came from not knowing enough about Attachment and Breastfeeding, and when I educated myself, I realized that being "disgusted" or almost worse "offended" was MY problem, not the mothers'. I also realized it was my own biases that caused my disgust and I learned my way out of this unpleasant emotion, by listening to what breastfeeding women had to say. And, of course, learning the facts about why some children simply NEED to breastfeed for longer than the few short months "our society" seems to condone (as long as they are "discreet." Really. )

Our need to be "offended" by things that really don't effect us in the least is a choice. I made the choice to let a lot of the things which "offended" me go by the wayside a while ago. It's an ongoing struggle, because we often fear or feel "offense" by the things we don't understand. Believe me, I fight being "offended" by things (like the aforementioned Blue Kool Aid or Mountain Dew or Coca Cola in a bottle) every day, but I fight it and I usually win and the "offended" feelings go away.

Let's save our "being offended" for important things, and things that actually effect our lives. In the long run, how does a nursing child really "effect" someone who might see it? With the exception of maybe desensitize them or even help them be more tolerant of a child's needs.

The only way to rid ourselves of unnecessary feelings of being "offended" is to learn more.

I understand this, but I meant that a child doesn't have to eat 24/7 as in, that child isn't eat nonstop every second of every day. If you are out trying to grocery shop, or where people are trying to eat, I feel there should be a level of thoughtfulness for the other people there. But I don't feel a child should have to wait. I have a daughter. I know a baby can get hungry again at very surprising times, but if you're going to be there, at least attempt to find a bottle and give it a try. Most babies are ok with a bottle from time to time. I've even seen women with those wraps that hold the baby tight to their chest, so the bottle placement in in the nipple area, to help avoid confusion. I don't hold your beliefs against you at all, and I stated why I have my opinion. I in no way am against it because I find it disgusting or anything of the sort. I just don't feel it's proper in many public places. Though I do wish there was an area set aside in larger stores or restaurants just for such a thing. A nice little seating area sectioned off from the rest so a mother could comfortably feel her child in private, or even for those that are afraid to scold their child in front of others. I realize this isn't cost effective for most places, and a day dream really, but it would be amazing for any mother to feel more comfortable doing this, without worrying about anyone else commenting, some creepy person staring, or any children asking questions.

This.

I have to reiterate, because of this: QUOTE I know a baby can get hungry again at very surprising times, but if you're going to be there, at least attempt to find a bottle and give it a try. NO!!!! Some of us simply won't and all of us simply shouldn't.

Some many babies simply cannot take bottles! I'm a Board Certified Lactation Consultant and have nursed 3 children into toddlerhood and worked with thousands of breastfeeding dyads and I can assure you that Nipple Confusion (which is caused by bottles) is the single most common reason breastfeeding fails.

NO, we cannot "just put it in a bottle and give it a try." What if that "try" results in either a baby who won't eat (resulting in a hungry or sick baby and resulting screaming or illness?) OR a baby who then refuses the breast for the next week? Or forever, if Mom gives up (and often she has no idea how prevalent Nipple Confusion is and does give up, then and there.)

My first one had Nipple Confusion, the only way we got rid of it (I wasn't a consultant then) was when my husband took ALL the bottles, put them into a garbage bag and put them on the curb! It was the BEST thing he could have done. After 4 months of struggling, my daughter was nursing well in less than 3 days of no bottles.

I NEVER had a single bottle in my house with any of my other children. (About 8 years of breastfeeding all told.) EVER! I failed as a bottle feeder and many other babies cannot take even a single bottle without Nipple Confusion. How do you know if your baby will get Nipple Confusion? YOU DON'T! Until you give the bottle and then the kid goes on a nursing strike for the next week, and if you are like a lot of women you assume he's "weaning himself" (which babies under 12 months simply don't do) and give up.

I have spent hours and hours with THOUSANDS of patients whose ONLY breastfeeding issue was that a bottle was given and the baby basically forgot how to suckle properly after only one bottle feeding.

It can take WEEKS to get some babies back on track. Often we have to cup feed, or use a Supplemental Nursing System, or feed with a syringe. Just so someone won't be "offended" in the grocery store by their 3 second glance at our nursing baby? WTF?

My babies were too sweet and good and needing of MY milk directly from MY breast to give a shit what some stranger with issues in the grocery store thinks. He or she (the stranger) will forget about the encounter within minutes or days (unless they really have issues) but my baby may have feeding problems for the rest of our breastfeeding experiences. IT isn't worth the risk.

Using a "wrap" will NOT prevent Nipple Confusion. I can assure you of that. It's the way they hold the nipple in their mouths, the amount of surface area of the nipple, the way the milk comes out of the nipple and the way the tongue, soft palate and hard palate and lips form to suckle, the way human tissue compresses in the mouth, which NO bottle can imitate. A WRAP has NOTHING to do with any of this.

NONE of my babies, with the exception of my first, who had Severe Nipple Confusion, EVER had a bottle. And I couldn't have cared less what people thought who may have caught a glance at them in the store, restaurant etc.

People do a lot of minor things which "offend" others. As long as it's legal (and breastfeeding in public is legal in all 50 states) one is free to do it.

"Thoughtful" you said? What about being "thoughtful" of a baby and he and his mother's bonding and breastfeeding relationship, which could be permanently damaged by a single baby bottle!

I feel not only very very strongly about this, I KNOW about it. It's my Profession. Many babies and mothers have their breastfeeding relationships severely compromised by "a single bottle." Some don't. You don't know until it happens, and hopefully then, the mother will be mindful enough to know she needs to get help (and probably pay a Lactation Consultant) to cure the problem.

When you've sat in 1000 living rooms, comforting women whose babies scream when they see the breast, often from ONE single bottle and you've worked for hours to help her through the trauma... well, I have. I've lived it. I've seen the damage.

The trouble bottles cause many babies simply isn't worth the risk. Especially to simply avoid "offending" some stranger who catches a 3 second glance at a feeding baby.

WHO CARE what a stranger thinks? MY BABY'S NEEDS trumps some strangers issues by a long shot. And, I think most mothers feel the same way.

Actually, where I live topless women is NOT against the law, in ANY shape or form. If men can be topless, it is only fair that women can be as well.

I breastfed all 6 of my kids and have NO problem feeding my child any time they are hungry. McDonald's is a RESTAURANT, therefore a place to eat. I don't eat in the bathroom, I refuse to feed my baby there!

I find breastfeeding sexy.

This is what I think too.

I agree but it everything is covered I might not mind. Nursing doesn't make you better than others.

Quote: . I don't mind it in public places, but around food seems impolite. end quote

Uh.... it IS food....

It doesn't bother me, just cover up please

Wow. I don't even have words.

Im not even going to bother I am just appalled.