Is breastfeeding beneficial when the baby is over 1 year old?

There is no denying that breastfeeding during the first year of life is very beneficial, but there are still concerns about whether or not to continue breastfeeding when the baby is over a year old.

Breast milk is a valuable source of nutrients and has a great effect in raising your baby at birth. In many places, babies older than 1 year can still breastfeed if both the mother and the baby want to. Are you having a baby younger than 1 year old and still breastfeeding? Is this job good or not? The following article of aFamilyToday Health will help you better understand this issue.

How long should the baby breastfeed?

Experts always encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months of life and then combine breastfeeding with solid foods until the baby is 1 year old. After this time, you can breastfeed for as long as your baby wants.

Experts also emphasized that there is no limit to the length of time the baby breastfeeds, nor evidence of psychological harm, the ability to inhibit the baby's growth when receiving breast milk continuously for more than 3 years. or so.

The benefits of breastfeeding last for 1 year or more

All the benefits of breastfeeding from birth to age will remain the same and will last even longer, including:

Nutrition:  Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for your baby. Although many babies are fed a variety of foods at 1 year old, breastmilk still helps complete all the nutrients they need such as fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Immune system:  Breast milk contains antibodies and other immune-boosting factors that help keep your baby healthy. Even older babies benefit from immune protection through breast milk.

Diseases: Babies who are breastfed for a long time are less likely to experience illness and a shorter duration of illness than other babies. In addition, when your baby is sick, breast milk also helps prevent dehydration and soothe discomfort in the body.

Some other effects when breastfeeding more than 1 year have been described by many mothers such as:

Children have better health

Develop a friendly personality

More independent

Easy to soothe when sick or stressed

Always happy

There is a sense of security.

The downside when breastfeeding more than 1 year

Although most women do not feel any negative effects when breastfeeding long-term, there are some problems that arise such as:

Loss of freedom, loss of time

Sometimes it will be quite exhausting and exhausting

Affect marriage and sex life

You can't spend enough time with your other kids.