Understanding that and letting them go can be difficult. However, as one Redditor shares, it is more difficult for some than others. A great example of this is the man’s ex-wife, who, even 7 years after their daughter was born, kept on breastfeeding her, seemingly refusing to stop despite the poster’s efforts to convince her. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info:Reddit
Every parent reaches a moment when they have to let go of their child, and doing so is never easy
Image credits:willsantt (not the actual photo)
Image credits:Timur Weber (not the actual photo)
When the girl was still being breastfed at the age of 2, the father started addressing the issue, but over the next 5 years, nothing changed
Image credits:u/Caramelman
Having exhausted all his options, frustrated and worried, the dad started considering going to court but first came online to ask for advice
When their child reached 2 years old, the dad startedjokinglybringing up the issue, saying how the mom should at least stop breastfeeding once the girl reaches high school or dropping an occasionalGame of Thronesreference.
But as time passed, the situation didn’t change, and the frustration grew. The man considered going to court to solve this issue but first decided to look for answers online.
The OP explained that his ex-wife is an intelligent and reasonable woman, as well as a very caring mother, theorizing that breastfeeding their 7-year-old daughter is the woman’semotional damageshowing through her attachment issues. He also added that part of the problem is the girl never sleeping over at his place because she has gotten used to always sleeping with her mom.
Most of the commenters agreed with the poster’s concerns. They shared a lot ofadvicewhile also asking questions to clarify the situation, saying that if the girl did spend more nights at her father’s place, she would likely grow out of breastfeeding naturally. However, they all jointly advised the man against going to court, as, in their opinion, it was unlikely to help and could actually damage the man’s relationship with his ex and daughter.
Image credits:Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
While situations similar to our story are not very common, this is not unheard of either, and thus, we became curious to learn why these things really happen. To get a better insight,Bored Pandareached out toDr. Erika Stapert, a child, adolescent, and adult psychologist specializing in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.
“Other reasons for extended breastfeeding could be the convenience of it, given the mother’s ability to provide nourishment in any given moment or in any situation, as well as the mother feeling as though breast milk provides additional nutrients and health benefits for the child,” said Dr. Erika, adding that cultural differences might be another factor at play.
When talking about the issues that an overly long breastfeeding period can cause, the psychologist explained that, first and foremost, this is a personal and familial choice. “The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) indicates that 2-7 years old is the estimated “natural weaning age for a child.”
“For this reason, I would not be overly concerned about a child still nursing within these ages unless they were using breastfeeding as the only way to help manage distressing emotions.”
Image credits:Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
However, the problem occurs when a child of this age becomes overly reliant on breastfeeding and is unable to cope without it. Here, the expert highlighted the part of our story where the daughter had difficulty being away from her mother for extended periods, unable to spend nights with her father.
“Also, if the child is nursing in public, they might experience ridicule from peers, as in most Western countries, extended breastfeeding is not seen as the ‘norm.’ The mother might also experience shaming and judgment, and the longer she breastfeeds, the more difficult it might become for her to stop, even when feeling the need to do so, as the experience has become a significant part of the mother-child dynamic,” explained Dr. Erika.
In the end, it’s difficult to properly judge the situation without knowing both sides of the story. But taking into account what Dr. Erika Stapert told us, there is nothing to be overly concerned with yet. And since, as the OP said, his ex-wife is an intelligent and reasonable woman, we can be quite sure that the parents managed to sort this situation out without any bigger issues arising. That is, as long as he managed to approach this intelligently and reasonably, too.
What did you think about this story? Do you think breastfeeding a child up to 7 years old is anything to be concerned about? Share your thoughts below!
Most of the commenters agreed with the father’s concerns, asked questions, suggested options, and shared stories of their own but advised against going to court
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