Toddler and Parenting Resources to help you answer your parenting and toddler-related questions.

TTT's Resource Toolbox contains dozens of articles and information - categorised for your convenience. You'll find it at the bottom of this page.

Breastfeeding Toddlers

This photo is licensed under cc by sa 2.0 by viralbus

It doesn't matter how much unwanted advice you receive from outside sources about breastfeeding your toddler of 12 months and beyond.

A lot of this is usually pressure that is geared towards weaning your tot just because she has turned that magical age of one.

Personally I think that you should ignore unwanted advice, especially if people tell you that "it's disgusting" to breastfeed a two year old.

There are some obvious advantages of breastfeeding your toddler and I believe you should continue to breastfeed if you are committed and happy to, and as long as you have the supply!

Some of the advantages of breastfeeding into your child's second year include: -

On the issue of nutrition, remember that at this stage your toddler should be having three meals a day (easier said than done!) and should also be drinking around about 400 ml of full cream cow's milk per day; therefore your breast milk will no longer be her main source of nourishment.

Whatever decision you make as to how long you breastfeed (or when you wean) your child, it is perfectly acceptable - as long as it suits both YOU and YOUR child. Just ignore what others say.

I breastfed my first child until she was about 18 months, and my second until she was around two years old. I weaned her only a few weeks before she started childcare - just in time!

Every mother has her own reasons for continuing or ceasing breastfeeding, it could be due to health reasons, social or whatever.

I don't think that your tot's development is compromised in any way whether you decide to stop breastfeeding early or continue breastfeeding into her second (or even third) year.

In some cultures women breastfeed their babies for three years or more, and this is generally socially acceptable in those cultures. It's not that we find it unacceptable in Australia, we're simply not used to seeing this in our culture.

In many western countries, some mothers may even find it difficult mixing with other mothers who aren't breastfeeding their toddlers because of fear of their disapproval.

However I think you'll find that nowadays mothers (and others) are more accepting of the idea of breastfeeding toddlers due to the well-documented advantages and benefits for both mother and child.

In fact one Australian study concluded that breastfeeding your toddler for a minimum of two years is very beneficial for your child, if you are able to do so, of course.

Some mothers decide not to breastfeed their babies in the first place, and their bottle-fed babies thrive just as well.

The mothers' decision should be valued either way, as long as both mother and baby are thriving and well.

Remember that your mental health is at stake if you allow yourself to be influenced by what others say; even when you know you're following advice that you just don't feel comfortable with.

Even though you should welcome advice from parents, family, friends, health professionals and so on - it doesn't hurt to listen - you should gather the best bits and pieces of information and follow through with it if it feels right for you.

Your motherly instinct will let you know what's best.

Toddler Troubleshooting Tips
Resource Toolbox

Lots of tips and information on toddler health, potty training, toddler tantrums, recipes, picky eaters, sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, fun and games and more!

Select one of the following categories:

Toddler Health Recipes for Toddlers Sleep Issues Potty Training Discipline and Behaviour

Toddler Care Eating and Nutrition Toddler Development Life With Your Toddler