While some nosy Nellies may raise an eyebrow if they spy you nursing your toddler, there’s a lot of official support for extended breastfeeding — which means breastfeeding a toddler past age one. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that breastfeeding continue beyond the first year for as long as mom and child want to do it. And both the World Health Organization and UNICEF take it a step further by recommending that babies be breastfed for two years or more. Breastfeeding a toddler is a little different from nursing a baby. After all, by age one, children are getting most of their nutrition from solid foods and most start drinking cow’s milk around their first birthdays as well, so there are no hard and fast rules about how much or how often a toddler should nurse. Most tots will call the shots. Some may like to cozy up for a nice long snack, while others may want to graze throughout the day. Even so, one of the benefits of extended breastfeeding is the nutritional boost it can give a toddler, especially a picky one. In fact, experts believe that the composition of breast milk changes to adapt to a toddler’s nutritional needs. Even if your child eats like a little bird, by nursing he may make up for any deficiencies created by his pickiness. (Just don’t let nursing get in the way of his meals and snacks, and continue to serve up good-for-you foods, like these healthy solutions for picky eaters.) bec.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 17:45:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015