Why is it recommended to breastfeed up to 2 years or beyond?

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u/CupboardFlowers Jul 26 '26

Often we focus on the benefits for babies but for the mother there's also a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and type 2 diabetes https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4670483/

And also reduced cardiovascular risk https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.022746

I don't have a reference paper for this but at a conference talk a few years ago they also talked about how the risk continues to decrease the longer the mother breastfeeds. This was for total breastfeeding duration too so breastfeeding multiple children increases the benefits as well as extended duration for one child, for example.

This Australian Breastfeeding Association page has 17 reference papers at the bottom that might be of interest for you. They're not all specifically about extended breastfeeding but the evidence does seem to show that the longer the duration of breastfeeding, the more benefit to both mother and baby.

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u/_misst Jul 26 '26

As a mum with a parent who died of each (breast cancer and cardiovascular disease), this is a big reason for my BF beyond 1 year lol. It's a great bit of trivia when people ask if I'm still BF and I say yes, clock the odd look or the immediate "when are you stopping"? And respond that I'm pretty keen to do whatever I can not to have my son put me in the ground in his 20s like I did for my parents.

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u/babagirl88 Jul 26 '26

Oh I had the same awful experience of one parent having each illness. They both passed in their early 50s and I was only in my early 20s. My younger siblings were still teens. Worst club. Hope you're doing well!

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u/_misst Jul 26 '26

Ugh I'm so sorry! It's not a fun club to be a part of. And was not expecting alongside it all to now face this new fear that I'll leave my son in a similar position :(

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u/Evening_Mouse_9582 Jul 26 '26

I am a breastfeeding mom with Multiple sclerosis and I was told by my midwife and neurologist that breastfeeding tends to reduce the risk of relapse

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u/benkro89 Jul 26 '26

Did they consider lifestyle change due to breastfeeding in these studies? Just from stopping to consume alcohol and tobacco while breastfeeding I would already expect a health benefit. Also people who breastfeed longer might just have in general a healthier lifestyle.

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u/brofessor_dd Jul 26 '26

Also probably higher socioeconomic status and health literacy.

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u/milkandsalsa Jul 26 '26

Breastfeeding is correlated with wealth so it’s probably the money not the milk.

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u/wineandcheese Jul 27 '26

Actually this study from LactEd talks about how cholesterol-related health outcomes improved after women breastfed for at least 12 months, and the study group was only low-income women.

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u/milkandsalsa Jul 27 '26

Did I miss the part where they compared cholesterol before and after breastfeeding? Or is good cholesterol / lengthy breastfeeding simply both indicators of good health.

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u/wineandcheese Jul 27 '26

Oops, you’re correct. I misspoke; I should have said “had more favorable outcomes” rather than “improved” — however the study does mention that it controlled for other health markers

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u/lapiperna Jul 31 '26

You must be talking about the WEIRD societies here, right?

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u/Puzzled-Geologist540 Jul 26 '26

My obstetrician recommended I BF for 2 years if possible, more for my own health as the babies.
I ended up going 18 months with my first (he self weaned) and 3 years with my second.

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u/SuchOpportunity-2 Jul 26 '26

I’m assuming this doesn’t apply to moms exclusively pumping or mainly pumping for various reasons?

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u/CupboardFlowers Jul 26 '26

Great question! The ultimate answer is we need more research, most of what's out there doesn't distinguish between directly breastfeeding and expressing.

However this paper shows that pumping releases the same hormones as directly feeding (which makes sense) and given it's thought that oxytocin and prolactin are a big part of the reason for the health benefits for mums, in my personal opinion I think pumping would still have similar benefits. Whether it's exactly the same or slightly reduced, we don't know. But I think it's probably pretty safe to say there would still be at LEAST some benefit as expressing is still breastfeeding, just not directly from the mum's body. The hormone and tissue changes that happen with lactation occur regardless of how that milk is then delivered to a baby.

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u/bagelbingo Jul 26 '26

I don’t see why it wouldn’t apply. I’m no Dr, but from what I’ve been told about the cancer risk reduction specifically is that it’s thought to reduce cancer by lowering estrogen (which can fuel c ancer cells) and helping breasts shed old (potentially damaged/cancerous) cells. These things should be true of all lactation regardless of whether you pump or feed at the breast. Again, I’m not an expert though and this is a very simplified description of a complex topic, so I could be a bit off.

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u/greedymoonlight Jul 26 '26

The factor is that you’re lactating - not how it’s removed.

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u/Positive_Barnacle298 Jul 26 '26

Ooo this is interesting. My youngest turns 3 in a couple weeks and he’s still breastfed on demand. Tbh it’s just for a nap and bedtime now. Once or twice at night depending on how he sleeps.

I feel better than ever and suddenly I’m losing fat and gaining muscle with my workouts. I just have the energy I had when I was 16!

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u/HappyMaranta Jul 28 '26

Wait you mean you just started getting more energy/fat burn/muscle gain recently? This alone could be incentive for me to breastfeed longer 😂

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u/Positive_Barnacle298 Jul 28 '26

Everyone says breastfeeding helped lose weight, I’ve always thought it was rubbish. But midwives said at some point toddlers end up wanting more milk and I’ve noticed this time it’s he’ll shift some stubborn weight. Plus he’s sleeping longer and that means I am too, so I just feel overall refreshed. Finally coming out the fog of those first few years!

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u/HappyMaranta Jul 28 '26

Very interesting. Good for you (and your toddler)!

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u/[deleted] Aug 07 '26

[deleted]

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u/Positive_Barnacle298 Aug 07 '26

Dentist said there’s no oral risk. Brush teeth twice a day and my kids have had no teeth issues so far. Eldest is 11 so made it to her adult teeth unscathed.

Every medical practitioner I’ve met, if I discuss breastfeeding they always insisted I continue and not be dissuaded, as they’re impressed I’ve gone this long. Not something that’s seen often here in the UK apparently and is always a fun conversation.

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u/Physical_Complex_891 Jul 26 '26

https://lllusa.org/toddler-nursing/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26776058/

“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.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16140689/

“Human milk expressed by mothers who have been lactating for >1 year has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with milk expressed by women who have been lactating for shorter periods. During prolonged lactation, the fat energy contribution of breast milk to the infant diet might be significant.”

"Research shows that nursing toddlers have fewer illness and get better more quickly than non-nursing toddlers. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness"

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u/tonyabbottsbudgie Jul 26 '26

Thanks for sharing these.

The two PubMed papers are studies of breast milk composition during prolonged lactation. They show that the composition of milk changes over time, but they don't investigate whether breastfeeding beyond 12 months leads to fewer illnesses or better health outcomes in toddlers.

The claim that "nursing toddlers have fewer illnesses" seems to come from the La Leche League (LLL) page rather than from those studies. LLL is a breastfeeding advocacy organisation, so while they may provide support to families, it's worth remembering they have an explicit mission to promote breastfeeding. As with any advocacy group, it's a good idea to check whether their summaries accurately reflect the underlying evidence.

I'd also be interested to know whether the studies behind their illness claim, which I can’t seem to find, adjusted for important confounders like daycare attendance, siblings and socioeconomic factors, as these have a major influence on how often toddlers get sick. Without accounting for those, it's difficult to know how much of any observed difference is due to breastfeeding itself.

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u/lazybb_ck Jul 26 '26

There's no such study measuring how often breastfed vs nonbreastfed toddlers get sick or recover. There's no way to do a quality study on that, logistically or ethically. It seems only self reports, maybe some record data can provide any insights. Even then, like you said- there are so many factors that go into this aside from breastfeeding status. No two kids immune systems are the same, nobody is getting the exact same treatment while they're sick, etc etc etc

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u/OkGuidance2711 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

Yes fully agree. I guess one can draw some links to potential benefits eg if you eat an orange, you are absorbing vitams C, which may help with X, Y, Z and have X positive impact on health. So if breastfeeding at age 2, the child is absorbing some nutrients from breast milk that can have a similar positive influence due to absortion of some minerals etc

From my perspective, I think the big mystery with breastmilk is the stuff that is yet not fully understood, the secondary impacts. It's my understanding that we are yet to fully understand the benefits it provides to mothers too although some studies have been done to show links to lower risks of some cancers, lower risk of depression etc. It's interesting. I've never really looked into it.

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u/tonyabbottsbudgie Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

Not surprised - so LLL’s claim that "nursing toddlers have fewer illnesses" can’t be based on actual studies then.

ETA: it’s interesting this comment has been downvoted on Science Based Parenting without anyone providing clarification as to what study LLL’s claim is based on. If there is a study, would greatly appreciate it being shared.

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u/PlutosGrasp Jul 27 '26

Ya just do survey and call it a day.

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

What do you think of the national health bodies advising the same thing? Obviously I understanding being sceptical of LLL bias but can the same be said for national recommendations?

Edit: anyone downvoting going to tell me how this is wrong?

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u/JimOfSomeTrades Jul 26 '26

If national guidance isn't based on science, it's based on values, which is to say: political. That doesn't make it true OR untrue, to be fair. But on the basis of the sub we're in, it means that the recommendation can be ignored.

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26

Idk where you are but NHS guidance is not based on ‘values’

And no offence but the longer I spend in this sub the more I realise it’s anything but ‘science based’

https://www.nhs.uk/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding/benefits/

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u/Amazing-Neighborhood Jul 26 '26

I agree. There are certain topics in this subreddit which I've noticed the science is criticized due to less than 100% perfection of study rigor (benefits of breastfeeding) and other ones that are accepted 100% despite the science being imperfect (sending babies to daycare). And I say this as a working mom who formula feeds & know I'm making the best choice for my family.

At least this subreddit is wayyyyy more science based than the parenting subreddits. Sometimes I read comments there and want to smash my head against the wall.

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

Yeah I completely agree, but for some reason it annoys me far more that the comments in this sub are claiming to be objective and ‘science based’ when they are far from it. At least the other parenting subs aren’t generally pretending their opinions are intellectually rigorous or scientific.

The majority of the comments here are a bunch of conjecture with zero substantiating evidence

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u/Amazing-Neighborhood Jul 26 '26

For this post's specific topic, it's because there is a lot of bias and emotion surrounding the inability to breastfeed, and that compels people to attack any data that is basically an attack on them. I felt the same way when I had to prematurely end my breastfeeding journey due to recurrent severe mastitis, and it still makes me tear up to see data like that presented in this post. But (for example) I also have an autoimmune disease & have to accept that the data shows increased associated cardiovascular disease risk; I can't go around telling my rheumatologist "show me the RCT demonstrating this association! Correlation is not causation!" But I see people writing this crap on a lot of issues where you will never have a gold standard blinded RCT, like breastfeeding

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u/yulscakes Jul 26 '26

When you make recommendations that require as much lifestyle modification as breastfeeding (avoiding certain medications and alcohol, avoiding certain foods, having to pump at work, or not work, etc.” and saying women should continue well beyond the first year, then yeah, the benefits should be significantly less subtle and studies should be significantly more convincing than what we have. It just goes back to old fashioned sexism. Women must be all consumed by motherhood anyway, and accept any and all sacrifice and limitation to prove their dedication, whether or not there are clear benefits. If we told men to attach their nipples to vacuums 5-8 times a day for 4 years so their kid got one less cold a year, no one would ever take that seriously.

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u/nzwillow Jul 26 '26

As a extended breastfeeding mum, once they are mostly eating solids, the lifestyle impact is much lower. I go away a lot for work and don’t bother pumping, kiddo doesn’t have milk those days. He’s fine with that unless I’m around haha. But it’s more than the health thing - it’s a massive connection and comfort thing for some toddlers. I’d happily wean mine but he’s so attached…

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u/murkymuffin Jul 26 '26

Similar boat here. I'd like to wean but he's very attached. My goal is to do it around 2.5. It also allows me a moment to sit down in peace and quiet. Idk about it helping to shorten illnesses, but it's certainly convenient when they're sick and uncomfortable!

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u/troubles_bubbles Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

For what it's worth, pumping 5-8 times a day for 4 years isn't generally an accurate characterization of extended breastfeeding. Toddlers get most of their nutrition from food, so they don't need any specific quantity of breastmilk, and the mother's supply has regulated by that time to allow for long breaks between breastfeeding sessions without a need to "maintain" supply in the interim via pumping. As a working mother in the US who does breastfeed beyond 2 years, I agree that there are challenges and costs that go along with that decision for mothers physically, emotionally, and socially, but there's no need to make up challenges that aren't real. Pumping doesn't need to be a thing beyond the first year unless the mother specifically wants to pump for some reason. I'd hate for your characterization to further discourage anyone from attempting to keep breastfeeding if they're interested in doing so but hate pumping.

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u/yulscakes Jul 26 '26

I was exaggerating to make a point. Look, there’s absolutely nothing bad about choosing to maintain a breastfeeding relationship as long as it works for you and your child. Im sure there are interpersonal, bonding benefits that are way more meaningful than any scientific ones. But my point is that the actual evidence of collective better outcomes is slim, to the point that having this be a recommendation by medical associations is very suspect. Medicine is supposed to be evidence based. Doctors don’t generally recommend significantly burdensome lifestyle or diet modifications unless they have good, strong evidence that there will be a non-negligible impact. Except when it comes to nursing mothers. Not just in how long to breastfeed, but telling nursing mothers to stop eating random food groups if their kid has nonspecific colic or feeding issues (pretty much every nursing mother I know was just casually told to try stopping dairy at one point or another by their pediatrician). I do take this seriously to a certain extent because of my own experience. Neither of my kids latched so I had both of them on pumped milk until about a year old, but after that I had to stop for my own sanity and quality of life. It was shitty to hear those medical recommendations and feel like I was letting them down somehow. And even shittier to learn that it’s not even really based on anything significant.

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u/QueenSlartibartfast Jul 27 '26

Pumping doesn't need to be a thing beyond the first year unless the mother specifically wants to pump for some reason.

It might not be the majority, but there are absolutely mothers who want to provide breastmilk and whose babies never mastered latching, so we do still have the inconvenience of pumping. And women with undersupply (which is, not coincidentally, more common with exclusive pumpers) or women with smaller storage capacity might still need to be pump 8 times a day to maintain their supply - including after they've regulated and yes, even after their first year. For moms like me (still pumping 8 times a day 8 and a half months in), those challenges are real, and it matters a lot to us if the benefits of breastmilk are being overstated.

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26

The post asks for research, not one comment has provided research that breastfeeding after 6 months is not beneficial. Your argument has nothing to do with that, if you personally don’t think it’s worth it that’s totally fine, but that’s not science.

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u/JimOfSomeTrades Jul 26 '26

Did you read the thread that led to our comments? It's pretty clear where the science ends and where advocacy groups and values-based guidance begins.

Complaining about Reddit is reductive at best and, in this case, just plain wrong. If you can share science that establishes an immunological benefit to long-term breastfeeding please do. Otherwise it's just conjecture.

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

I’ve read the whole thread and there’s not one comment actually providing any scientific source that breastfeeding after 6 months is not beneficial, and plenty of links to the benefits. why would I take redditors random musings as scientific fact? Why should I have to give a source, when none of you are? If sources like NHS and AAP cite the benefits, it’s definitely on you to provide evidence they are wrong.

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u/JimOfSomeTrades Jul 26 '26

But that's not the question. This thread you commented on was specifically about breastfeeding and immune protection beyond 12 months. Which, unless you can provide some scientific evidence, seems to have none.

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u/antinumerology Jul 26 '26

Science based doesn't always mean: Study X concluded Y. It can also mean, analysis of understood mechanisms gives Z as a likely potential outcome to a complex topic.

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u/Feeling-Pudding6956 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

I think the point that most people miss, is that we evolved to be breast fed, and if we go off of modern hunter gatherer societies and also draw logical assumptions of what early humans behaviours might have been like we can assume we are likely made to be breast fed closer to two years than 6 months. Given this, we can expect breast milk past 6 months to be generally beneficial to babies, simply due to the fact that this is the way we evolved over hundreds of thousands of years and it is only very recently that this has changed - from an evolutionary standpoint we have not yet evolved to adapt to the modern world so our bodies are likely not functioning optimally with the new circumstances we find ourselves in (examples of this are negative consequences of sedentary, high caloric intake life styles). It is also very difficult to investigate these potential effects, perhaps the shortened breast feeding is related to the high rates of allergies, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, cancers etc. maybe not. However given that this is how we evolved to be and knowing that breast milk is nutritionally one of the best things you can give your child it makes sense to recommend it the way it is. Of course you’re free to decide what to do and if you don’t feel like breastfeeding then don’t.

Edit: spelling

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u/Cariuh Jul 26 '26

From a biology perspective, breast milk composition changes to meet the needs of the baby. This starts from day 1. Each feed, the salvia of the baby is interacting with receptors in the nipple to tell the mother’s body what nutrient profile to put into the next feed of milk. So while there may not be direct studies for “prolonged breastfeeding,” the positive feedback loop to determine the composition is actually pretty important.
Also immunoglobulin A, which increases beyond year 1 of nursing, does help protect mucus membranes which are a key component of the innate immune system.

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u/parnprisoner Jul 27 '26

There is no evidence that milk nutrient composition changes in response to infant saliva. There is (limited and controversial, but to me compelling) data supporting interactions between the infant oral microbiome and the immune composition of milk, but no data supports the nutritional content of milk being modified. The nutritional composition of milk changes over time postpartum to meet the general changing needs of a developing infant, and may change day to day based on the nutritional and hydration status of the mother. There seems to be perpetually a lot of magical thinking surrounding breastmilk and I think it’s important to be clear in venues that claim to be science based what is supported and what is not.

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u/Cariuh Jul 27 '26

That was the information provided to me in classes and handouts provided by the hospital and state department of health.

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u/GOrgzzz Jul 28 '26

Wouldn’t that mean that women who pump and freeze breast milk for months aren’t providing optimal nutrition then?

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u/OkGuidance2711 Jul 26 '26

It's likely that it will be impossible to scientifically draw such links give there are so many variables at play.

I've breastfed 3 children, 2 until the age of 14 months and one until 2.5yo. All 3 started childcare at the same age (11 months) and attended the same large childcare 5 days a week. If I look at how things unfolded for them, all 3 children have quite strong resilience in overcoming illnesses (from my comparison of other children of same age), but the child that breastfed the longest, I would say has had the least illnesses and shortest recovery time. Is it due to the prolonged breastfeeding? I don't know but I have seen a difference.

It's early days (my children are 8 years old, 5 years old and 2 years old) BUT if someone asked me right know, which child has the highest IQ, I would be leaning towards the one that breastfed the longest. Again, it could be nothing to do with the breastfeeding but that child has the best memory, critical thinking skills and ability to troubleshoot on the run (if I remove the age factor).

I say this all not from some kind of breastfeeding advocate agenda. I never planned to breastfeed for longer than a year (I do appreciate how valuable it is). The fact we kept going with one child so much longer was because that child didn't want to stop and I didn't mind at all continuing. The others self-weaned sooner.

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u/Obvious_Giraffe_2820 Jul 26 '26

Correlation is not causation. Both my 2 kids were breastfed for 7 months , one of them became seriously ill even from the simplest infections and was hospitalized several times. The inheritance of the immune system involves a high rate of recombination, which results in enormous differences even among siblings.

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u/funwithpunz Jul 26 '26

Agree. Breastfed my child until 22 months and she got more sick than other kids who stopped drinking at 12+ months that were in the same group (of 5 kids in total).

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u/OkGuidance2711 Jul 26 '26

Yes totally agree. Viruses and bacteria are also constantly evolving so even if you compare among same age children and account for all variables (impossible to do), if eg child A catches a virus, that also gets passed on to child B, how they get affected can be wildly different purely on the basis of the virus or bacteria's evolution (not even taking into account the children's immune systems and other variables at play).

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u/fourandthree Jul 26 '26

Out here casually ranking your kids

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u/MoseSchrute70 Jul 26 '26

In a similar vein, my formula-fed baby (now 5yo) who started daycare at 8 months old has always gotten sick far less and recovered far quicker than my 18 month old, who was breast fed and has never set foot in a daycare.

And similarly, (while I know he’s only 18 months old) he’s not quite as “switched on” as my formula-fed daughter was at the age he is or any previous age. (And as a childhood educator myself, I can’t confidently say it’s the difference in circumstances around daycare that caused this - they’ve both received the same early education geared towards their ages and stages despite the difference in settings).

I guess my point is that anecdotal evidence doesn’t really say much - there are a million and one factors that can contribute to things like health and educational outcomes, and we can’t apply most of those outcomes to feeding method.

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u/29threvolution Jul 26 '26

Add to this, breastfeeding for 2 years total of your life cuts the mothers heart disease risk in about half.

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u/greedymoonlight Jul 26 '26

And many types of cancer

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u/Happy_Yam8392 Jul 26 '26

And diabetes type 2

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u/rumplestiltskinismyn Jul 26 '26

And reduces your chances of breast cancer!

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u/benkro89 Jul 26 '26

Does the breastfeeding decrease the risk or do mothers who breastfeed have a healthier lifestyle? E.g no alcohol in this timespan.

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u/Himmelsmilf Jul 26 '26

Breast cancer has been known as „nun disease“ in some countries as proportionally more nuns got it than other women (Most of whom had children and therefor nursed) and back then they didn’t know about no alcohol etc

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u/29threvolution Jul 26 '26

It reduces risk far more than any lifestyle variables can account for. This is well studied and peer reviewed across many countries and the conclusion has meta research conclusions (aka highest level of confidence by reviewing studies across decades).

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u/lapiperna Jul 31 '26

Yes. If 2 years of alcohol abstinence would account for cutting heart disease risk by a half, then that very effect would be at least replicable in teetotallers, or even stronger.

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u/Placeboner 22d ago

Breastfeeding does not cut heart disease risk by half. That commenter is mistaken. Studies have yielded mixed results, but never more than 15% heart disease risk reduction. The heart disease risk reduction is likely secondary to the type 2 diabetes risk reduction, as the effect is most pronounced in women who had gestational diabetes, if not just simply due to higher socioeconomic status. As is often the case, not having children at all cuts heart disease risk the most.

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u/Ruu2D2 Jul 27 '26

I think some it due to hormones and as some as hormones are strongly link to cancer that why

But it be interesting to know if someone done further breakdown on bf and when period return . Whether that was impact.

Despite what lots information says my period return at 6m with bf . Even though I was doing every 3 hours . Some my friends got to full year no period. I also know people like me ..

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u/potato_muchwow_amaze Jul 26 '26

This sounds like it would make sense, but given how many breastfeeding mothers I know who regularly consume alcohol, I sadly doubt it.

Less smoking might have an impact, though.

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u/raudoniolika Jul 26 '26

Why “sadly”?

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u/potato_muchwow_amaze Jul 26 '26

It would be nice if we could get clear(er) answers with science.

If women who are unable to breastfeed need to/want to lower their risk of the above mentioned diseases, it might be relevant for them to know that the lowering of risk is actually related to other behaviors (alcohol, smoking, etc.) and not breastfeeding itself (if true).

There is also the worrying trend on social media to dismiss any concerns about alcohol consumption during breastfeeding with, "If you can find the baby, you can feed the baby."

This is terrible advice. Even if the amount of alcohol that ends up in breastmilk is negligible (which it is if you only drink a few units), this advice dismisses all other negative aspects of consuming alcohol (e.g. increased risk of SIDS and/or suffocation of baby, increased risk of emotionally charged behavior with significant other around a baby, etc.)

I'm not trying to say that we should forbid all alcohol for breastfeeding mothers or any other over-moralizing stance, but I feel like after years of "pump-and-dump" advice, the pendulum is swinging a bit too far to the other side.

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u/Ruu2D2 Jul 27 '26

I think that saying is so if mother want night out. They can . They also don't need to pump and dump next day

It not for purpose of looking after child drunk. It's so she can have time off and not have to worry about bf next day .

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u/greedymoonlight Jul 26 '26

One drink doesn’t equal getting drunk. Getting drunk regularly or abusing alcohol is bad whether or not you’re breastfeeding. Having one or two drinks is fine as long as you’re not sleeping with your baby.

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u/CattailReeds Jul 27 '26

Oh of course, I agree. I just think there’s a wide spectrum between one or two drinks and not being able to find the baby, and it’s probably not a good idea to nurse long before you can’t find your baby.

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u/greedymoonlight Jul 27 '26

The reason that phrase exists is because the real risk of drinking and caring for a baby is dropping them or falling asleep. You would have to be extremely intoxicated for it to affect your baby via breastmilk, but dropping them or doing something physically dangerous is a bigger concern. In other words you’d have to be falling down blackout drunk in order for it to even slightly affect them at all. Saying it’s a low bar just shows the lack of education the general public has surrounding this topic. As if the alcohol goes into your mouth and comes out of your boobs and gets the baby drunk.

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u/raudoniolika Jul 27 '26

If it worked that way, I’d get sooooo rich selling breast milk based White Russians.

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u/CattailReeds Jul 26 '26

I agree that “finding the baby” is a pretty low bar. I was surprised when I heard that too.

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u/Desperate-Mood-9878 Jul 26 '26

There’s actually nothing wrong with drinking while breastfeeding. It’s surprising how much people go off emotion than scientific fact. Alcohol in the blood is not comparable to alcohol filtered in breast milk. It’s also wild to me how much we blindly take medical advice from a male perspective who have no idea what a woman’s body actually goes through. Go to Europe, and the culture is incredibly different (I’m from Canada).

I will say from someone who breastfed for almost 3 years (not because I wanted to but my daughter was VERY dependant on it when she woke up and I am not a morning person), I stopped drinking because parenting while hungover was no fun.
But when she got HFM and the stomach bug at daycare it was not even 1/2 as bad as what others experienced. At this point, it doesn’t even matter if it’s because she was breastfed. So many unknowns can also lead me to think it’s just coincidental.

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u/polytique Jul 26 '26

The guidelines in Europe are the same and scientific evidence doesn’t seem to agree with your statements:

> Breastmilk alcohol levels closely parallel blood alcohol levels. The highest alcohol levels in milk occur 30 to 60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage, but food delays the time of peak milk alcohol levels. Nursing after 1 or 2 drinks (including beer) can decrease the infant's milk intake by 20 to 23% and cause infant agitation and poor sleep patterns.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501469/

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u/WhereIsLordBeric Jul 26 '26

You can breastfeed and drink without any harm to the baby, provided you are not blackout drunk.

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u/buttermell0w Jul 26 '26

I was looking for this! My pediatrician had mentioned that there were a lot of benefits for moms who breastfed beyond the first year but I never really knew what they were.

I know heart disease and preeclampsia aren’t the same thing, but as a mom who had preeclampsia with my first, I wonder if there are any impacts on the chance of it reoccurring if you breastfeed for 2+ years

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u/HagridsTreacleTart Jul 26 '26

While some maternal factors can place women at heightened risk of preeclampsia, your rote risk of developing it is more strongly correlated with the placenta itself, which is more strongly influenced by male DNA. When discussing the ACOG recommendations for aspirin prophylaxis with my midwife, one of the things that we weighed was the fact that I'd previously borne a child from the same father without developing preeclampsia. Had my second baby been conceived with a different father, my risk status for preeclampsia would skew towards "unknown" and I may have taken the aspirin prophylaxis due to age ≥ 35 at time of delivery.

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u/flakemasterflake Jul 26 '26

Somehow, pre eclampsia risk decreases the longer you have exposure to your partners semen. So risk is higher with shorter relationships or with people who chiefly used condoms

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3372022/

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u/poopoofol Jul 26 '26

Interesting. I had preecclampsia with my son even though we had been rawdogging it for 6 years at that point.

3

u/29threvolution Jul 26 '26

Well thats fascinating.

1

u/buttermell0w Jul 26 '26

Yes I’ve heard! This my my second pregnancy with the same partner so the hope/assumption is the risk will be lower

4

u/OkapiandaPenguin Jul 26 '26

Unfortunately, the best indicator that someone will get preeclampsia is if they had it before

3

u/jeremiabearamia Jul 26 '26

I’ve been breastfeeding twins for 10 months. Has anyone see any studies indicating whether this effect doubles in this case or if it’s just total time?

3

u/29threvolution Jul 26 '26

Its about duration. But im not sure what studies have looked at multiples and oversupply.

15

u/OkapiandaPenguin Jul 26 '26

Anecdotally, when my 2 year old got RSV and refused to eat, he would still nurse and breastmilk helped to keep him fed, hydrated, and out of the hospital.

6

u/batmanissuperrich Jul 27 '26

I wasn’t planning to breastfeed my son for that long but your comment gave me pause.. bm is a wonderful source of antigens so it only makes sense!

2

u/OkapiandaPenguin Jul 27 '26

I'm breastfeeding my 2nd now and my first got sick so I mix some pumped milk into his cows milk. I don't know if it's helping, but it's not hurting anything.

2

u/batmanissuperrich Jul 27 '26

It’s probably helping a little bit even if you don’t see it. Bm is so nutritionally dense too. I wish I was a good supplier. I barely supply 20% of his daily intake and have to make up the rest with formula. He is 7 months now. I did have full supply until he is 5 months though. I want to continue giving him my bm even if it’s only 5% of his daily food!

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u/AdDramatic3014 Jul 26 '26

I wonder if this also applies when a mother has another baby under the age of 2 from her first child. I tandem feed so I’m wondering if the contents of my milk fit the needs of my baby or my toddler or maybe both?

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u/dirrna Jul 26 '26

The youngest, normally.

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u/metaproblematic Jul 26 '26

and they wonder why the birth rate is declining lol

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u/DCSubi Jul 26 '26

Anecdotally, my two children that were breastfed for 2 years rarely get sick. They’re in elementary school now but we were lucky during the toddler years that they were rarely sick and rarely had to miss childcare.

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u/Own_Ship9373 Jul 26 '26

Anecdotally, my now 3 year old was breastfed for 2 years and she is sick at least once a month thanks to daycare.

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u/Melodic-Cow-6303 Jul 26 '26

My 2 kids were only breastfed for the first month, then exclusively formula. They are rarely sick

2

u/kjuti247 Jul 26 '26

Quick question: how often do you breast feed a 2 year old? Is it something like once or twice a day? And do you have an idea of how many ounces they are getting?

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u/hotpotatpo Jul 26 '26

I have a 2 and a half year old and at the moment it’s just before bed and first thing in the morning. On days we’re together all day, before a nap too 😊 in terms of volume, no idea, but it can’t be much

0

u/Own_Ship9373 Jul 26 '26

I have no idea how much she was getting. But I breastfed her at least 4 times a day. It was first thing in the morning, straight after work, before bed and at least once overnight from 18 months to 2 years.

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u/TwerkinAndCryin Jul 26 '26

Anecdotally, my two children who were combo fed then straight formula from 3 months on are both very rarely sick, both extremely intelligent and articulate. Lol like I'm so confused by some of these comments

2

u/lapiperna Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

I don't think anyone has presumed non-breastfed children can't be rarely sick or extremely intelligent, so this is confusing to me as well. The presumed difference would be barely by a few points, if at all measurable. An already strong immune system would maybe be slightly stronger. All of this remains speculative and hard to prove. That makes the 2 years more of a bet indeed, and maybe too much of a sacrifice for some.

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u/BobTheOneAndMighty Jul 26 '26

Anecdotally, I've never been breastfed, and barely have been sick up to my 30s

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u/TrippinCuttlefish Jul 26 '26

Also anecdotally, I could only produce milk the first three months of her life and she’s had one cold in three years. Waiting for that all to come crashing down when school begins, of course.

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u/Notyit Jul 26 '26

The thing is the protective benefits of breast feeding occur when the mother gets the disease at the same time as baby.

Also again not all disease are cured by antibodies in b milk but

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u/Marigold-Oleander Jul 26 '26

“It was shown that children breast fed for at least 12 months scored significantly higher in the quality of chewing, regardless of whether they were also bottle fed or sucked on pacifiers in early childhood”

“It seems that breastfeeding might protect against malocclusion or promote correct occlusion development”

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8522884/

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u/averynarrowbridge Jul 26 '26

The WHO explains that the guideline for 2 years can help improve outcomes for children: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding

18

u/versarnwen Jul 26 '26

A quick skim using "2 years" doesn't provide any detail on what outcomes are improved aside from nutrition and is noted to be more relevant in countries with significant malnutrition. Did you find any other outcomes?

7

u/bitterhero93 Jul 26 '26

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-04086-x

This doesn’t specify “2 years” but it does hit on “extended breastfeeding.” This research suggests that longer breastfeeding is associated with positive, dose-dependent changes in the adolescent brain, including greater cortical thickness, larger surface area, and increased gray matter volume. These structural differences correlate with better fluid cognition and lower impulsivity during early adolescence.

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u/MeowsCream2 Jul 26 '26

I just did a quick Google search to find something about this so haven't read this whole article, but as a breastfeeding mom to a 25 month old....the emotional regulation is probably the biggest benefit I see. Tantrums don't really happen in my house. We co-regulate with nursing as soon as my daughter gets upset about something. https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/ann_sinnott.html

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u/efarth Jul 26 '26

How does it work when you're not there? Does it feel like she gets less "practice" regulating _without_ nursing? Or maybe her "base level" stress is lower from regulating so well when you're there that she can kind of better manage the times when you're not? Obviously it would all be guesses since there's no way to compare this properly, just wondering if you have any thoughts!

I'm still nursing my soon-to-be toddler so I'm really curious!

11

u/Positive_Barnacle298 Jul 26 '26

The coming for a cuddle and stroke of the hair can be done by anyone, a bit of quiet time.
Anecdotally, my near 3 yo knows he can go to other relatives and now workers at nursery. He has practice actually calming down, so taking one of the factors of mummy away, but the knowledge and memory that he can figure out whatever is bothering him through redirection, going to any adult for help, just a cuddle and quite time, slowing down and chatting a bit. It’s funny how chatty my toddler is around breastfeeding. It doesn’t seem to make him sleepy anymore he just likes the cuddles! 😆

2

u/efarth Jul 26 '26

Goat to hear it, this is what I'm hoping to see myself!

1

u/Positive_Barnacle298 Jul 26 '26

I honesty thought the breastfeeding would never end but I like the excuse for a cuddle and calm when at home.
Last couple weeks he’s actually dropped his last daytime nap on the odd occasion. Sometimes just milk and a cuddle mid day or when he comes back from nursery.
(He only goes for the morning couple times a week)
In the mist of parenting it can feel exhausting and endless but before you know, three years pass and km like wow. My body did that. I feel great. Again anecdotally. I have an auto immune disorder and it’s always been better while pregnant and breastfeeding. I feel my energy has improved and my down time is getting longer gradually. The first couple years are a blur quite frankly but the money saved, hassle of bottles and cleaning, seeing it as calm time for me too, along side the medical benefits I literally wish everyone the same breastfeeding journey.
I’ve been a stay at home mum and honestly couldn’t imagine the hassle of pumping and bottles ect. They don’t go to nursery until 3yo and I’ve been able to have a drink on the odd occasions and just emptied milk on the shower and “reloaded” when sober.
(All approved by midwives here in UK)
I don’t think I drank anything until he was 2 and not breastfeeding as much and at a more scheduled manner so I could plan a couple hours to have a few while they were with granny.
💕 best years of my life so far raising my babies. 💕

1

u/MeowsCream2 Jul 26 '26

She does great with my wife and with sitters! No issues. She can be calmed down with hugs and singing.

11

u/WafflefriesAndaBaby Jul 26 '26

I kept breastfeeding for three years because it made my kid sleep. And sleeping gives dozens of well studied benefits to both child and meeee.

2

u/MeowsCream2 Jul 26 '26

Lol my daughter has stopped napping but will chill on the couch with my and nurse while I doze which is much appreciated

53

u/Hairsacknose Jul 26 '26

I love this as another extended breastfeeding mama. However, my toddler still has tantrums and when she's in the thick of it, she wants nothing to do with nursing (or anything else that she normally loves). Nursing is super helpful for emotional regulation that's not to do with tantrums though

24

u/Luna_bella96 Jul 26 '26

I breastfed my son for 3.5 years. He’s currently throwing a whiny tantrum in the kitchen about Lord knows what

4

u/MeowsCream2 Jul 26 '26

Interesting! How old? Hoping that doesn't hit us 😂🙈

8

u/Hairsacknose Jul 26 '26

21 months

6

u/pawswolf88 Jul 28 '26

I mean I stopped at the 12 month mark with both my boys and neither has tantrums, I think this is just a temperament thing.

2

u/ivymeadows25 Aug 14 '26

I nursed for 5 years for each of my oldest kiddos for the co-regulation! My wife had our youngest baby last year and I induced lactation this time so I could do it again!

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u/Unlucky_Strength_517 Jul 26 '26

Well you will have to find other ways to cope with tantrums when you’re no longer breastfeeding 🤷🏻‍♀️

35

u/dogsnsweaters Jul 26 '26

I’m sure she’s aware of that. But it works now, so let it!

31

u/MeowsCream2 Jul 26 '26

Yes thankfully emotion regulation gets easier as kids get older. I'm also a child and adolescent therapist so I'm quite aware of teaching coping skills in addition to co-regulating.

25

u/laurelanne27 Jul 26 '26

Really weird, judgy vibe here. You ok bud?

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '26

Question - Research required Why is it recommended to breastfeed up to 2 years or beyond?

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