Child-led weaning is loosely defined as allowing a child to continue breastfeeding for an extended amount of time, or until he or she weans naturally. Multiple forms of research have proven breast milk to be the best form of nutrition for babies. Additionally, as the child grows, the composition of the mother’s breast milk changes in order to best fulfill the nutritional needs of the child. It is not uncommon for women to initiate breastfeeding at birth. However, a study performed on over 500 women in Pennsylvania showed that mothers often discontinue breastfeeding around the same time of introducing solid foods. “By the time the infant was six months old, only thirteen percent of these were still breastfeeding” (Samir et. al). The World Health
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However, beyond the benefits for the child, the benefits for the mother seem even greater. For example, the longer amount of time a mother breastfeeds her child, the more she lowers her risk of developing diabetes. One study done by the Nurses’ Health Study was compiled of 157,000 women aged twenty-five to fifty-five. Of those 157,000 women, nearly 6,300 developed diabetes. “After adjusting the results for the patients’ diabetes risk factors, such as body mass index, diet, and exercise, researchers found that for every year a woman breastfed, she lowered her risk of Type 2 diabetes by approximately fifteen percent” (“Clinical …show more content…
If you weren 't being criticized for nursing your child past a certain age, you 'd be criticized for something else that society thinks you are doing wrong. But at the end of every single day, your relationship with your children is between you and them, no one else.
These mothers expressed they would have no personal cut-off age in which they would discontinue breastfeeding. Rather than succumb to “society’s” standards, these moms would prefer to turn a cheek to those in opposition of their choices and continue being a source of nourishment, comfort, and love to their children through
However, beyond the benefits for the child, the benefits for the mother seem even greater. For example, the longer amount of time a mother breastfeeds her child, the more she lowers her risk of developing diabetes. One study done by the Nurses’ Health Study was compiled of 157,000 women aged twenty-five to fifty-five. Of those 157,000 women, nearly 6,300 developed diabetes. “After adjusting the results for the patients’ diabetes risk factors, such as body mass index, diet, and exercise, researchers found that for every year a woman breastfed, she lowered her risk of Type 2 diabetes by approximately fifteen percent” (“Clinical …show more content…
If you weren 't being criticized for nursing your child past a certain age, you 'd be criticized for something else that society thinks you are doing wrong. But at the end of every single day, your relationship with your children is between you and them, no one else.
These mothers expressed they would have no personal cut-off age in which they would discontinue breastfeeding. Rather than succumb to “society’s” standards, these moms would prefer to turn a cheek to those in opposition of their choices and continue being a source of nourishment, comfort, and love to their children through