4/5/22, 5:59 AM 7 Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding | Parents

7 Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding

Pediatricians recommend breastfeeding until baby is at least a year old -- but many moms
keep going beyond that. Discover the pluses of extended breastfeeding.

By Kate Silver
August 25, 2014

CREDIT:
RASSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK

As the mother of eight children and a certified lactation counselor, Robin Elise
Weiss knows just about everything there is to know about breastfeeding. When
she was nursing her own children, she opted for "extended" or "full-term"
breastfeeding, meaning she let each one nurse as long as he or she wanted.
She describes her policy as "Don't ask, don't refuse." That is, she didn't offer to
nurse, but she wouldn't say no if they asked.

"Eventually, I'd wake up and say 'Oh, you haven't nursed in a month.' And it's
not painful for either of us," says Weiss, who writes extensively
about breastfeeding and pregnancy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies breastfeed

exclusively for the first six months, and then continue to nurse, along
with introduction of solid foods, for the first year or "as long as is mutually
desired by the mother and baby."

RELATED: 8 Breastfeeding Problems and Solutions

Weiss regularly tells her patients that nursing has just as many benefits for a
baby who is 18 or 24 months as it does for a newborn. She shares the top
benefits of extended breastfeeding here. 

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4/5/22, 5:59 AM 7 Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding | Parents

1. It provides nutrition for the baby

"A lot of people think there is no nutritive value after a year, and that is just
simply not true," says Weiss. Regardless of how old your baby is, he or she
will continue to benefit from the protein, calcium, fat, vitamin A, and other
nutrients in breast milk. Weiss compares the nutrition benefits to a vegetable,
like spinach. The amount of spinach you eat doesn't take away from its
nutritional value. Spinach, whether it's your first serving or your 1,000th, is still
good for you.

2. It boosts the immune system

Babies who breastfeed have decreased incidences of illness and lower
mortality rates. The immunity benefits improve the longer a baby breastfeeds.
"The longer you breastfeed, the less likely your baby is to have some of the
illnesses that we associate with not breastfeeding, like ear infections and
upper respiratory infections," Weiss says. 

RELATED: Nursing 101: All About Breastfeeding

3. It makes moms healthier

Moms who breastfeed are less likely to have breast cancer. There's also a
reduced risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. The benefits are
cumulative, meaning that if a mom breastfeeds two babies for two years each,
the benefit is equal to that of a mom who breastfeeds four babies each for a
year.

4. It boosts brain development

Studies have shown that breastfeeding helps boost brain development in
babies. And it's not just from the nutrients: Weiss says that babies who nurse
off of both breasts are put into different positions, and have the chance to look
and reach in different directions. When moms bottle-feed babies, the instinct is
to use the dominant hand and put the baby in the same position at every
feeding. Weiss encourages moms who use bottles to switch things up,
changing the position of the baby and the bottle, to help exercise the baby's
reach and mind.
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5. It's soothing to the baby

Breastfeeding is a chance for Mom and baby to connect, but it's also a way of
calming a baby in a stressful situation. Weiss says she'd rely on breastfeeding
when her children fell down and hurt themselves. It gave her a way to distract
and soothe the child, while also checking him or her out for cuts and bruises.

6. It's calming for moms

Moms have a lot to do, and it's easy to get caught up in work, chores, and
family matters. Weiss says that she always loved the break that nursing
brought. She knew it was a time just for her and the baby, and everything else
could wait. "For me, breastfeeding was always my chance to sit down and calm
down," she says.

RELATED: Breastfeeding Myths: Experts Set the Record Straight

6. It's calming for moms

Although extended breastfeeding does take some planning, Weiss says that it
can also be much more convenient than formula. "I think probably the best
salesperson for that is the crying baby and the frantic mom," she says. "It's a
lot faster to unhook your bra and pull the baby close and nurse the baby," she
says. Plus, she adds, when your baby starts eating solid foods, the diapers get
increasingly stinky. "So you have the convenience of a baby who's not as
smelly," she says.

7. It leads to a smaller waist

According to a December 2018 study published in the Journal of Women’s
Health, breastfeeding for at least six months is associated with a smaller waist
and hip circumference for mothers – even 15 years after delivery.

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