Oh boy! I had to come out of lurkdom for this one!
I am very impressed by some of the responses on here
The AAP recommends babies be
exclusively breastfed for 6 months (that means no water, formula, cereal or baby food) and continue to be breastfed for a
minimum of 1 year. There is no maximum. Breastmilk never loses nutritional value. AAP statement
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...rics;115/2/496
The WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years.
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/.../en/index.html
The teeth argument doesn't cut it. Some babies get their first tooth at 3 months, some at 1 year. Having teeth doesn't mean babies stop sucking and start biting.
Teeth are also not a sign of readiness for the intro of solid food. Most babies do not lose their tongue thrust reflex until about 6 months. Some take longer. This is a natural protective measure to keep anything but a nipple out of their mouths. Solid food is
not meant as a replacement for breastmilk. Baby food is nutritionally deficient compared to breastmilk, or formula for that matter. The point is to introduce different tastes and textures. Into the second year of life breastmilk actually becomes fattier. Here is the nutritional breakdown:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
Mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding often do not introduce any artificial nipples in order to avoid nipple preference or confusion. This can lead to a bad latch or refusal to nurse. Some babies can switch easily back and forth but many can't. Many breasfed babies will not take a bottle from their mother, but will for someone else. When you are so close to the source why would you take it from a bottle?! Even if a mother did this to avoid nursing in public, she would need to express her milk at the same time her baby would be hungry. Otherwise you are asking for mastitis or a decrease in supply.
As someone else said, a pump can never extract the amount of milk that a baby can. Some women have a very abundant supply, but "clam up" with a pump.
As for discretion.....has anyone here seen a woman take her shirt and bra off to nurse? You see more belly chunk from a nursing mama than you see breast. You might get a flash of nipple in the 2 seconds it takes to latch a baby on. The entire nipple and most of the areola are in baby's mouth when nursing. I see breasts used to sell clothing, beer, cars all the time. When they are used to feed a child people freak out.
A babies needs come first. Even a one year old cannot understand that they need to wait a few minutes for mommy to get to a private area. A sippy cup does no good, as its not a source of comfort like a mother's breast is. Also realise that a newborn needs to nurse about 10x+ a day. Some 1 year olds even nurse that often. This is called feeding on demand or following babies hunger cues. Scheduling a breastfed baby often leads to low supply as well as an unhappy baby.
I was never one for a "mothers" room as many of them come equipped with a changing table and a nasty smelly trashcan. I do think its a nice option to have though, as some older babies are very distracted nursers.
Here is my personal experience:
I had an unplanned and unecessary c-section with my daughter. I had a hard time latching her on and against my better judgement allowed a few bottle of formulas in the hospital at a nurses urging
It took us about 2 weeks to fix our latch because of that and it was a smooth sail from then on. My daughter never took a bottle after that, and didn't show interest in solids until about 10months. At about 1 year old 90% of her nutrional needs were met with breastmilk. At age 2 I'd say about 20%. At this point nursing fills more of an emotional need than a nutrional one. Some babies have blankies, some have mama's breasts. Nursing a toddler quells tantrums, heals booboos, and comforts in a scary or new situation.
My daughter is just about weaned now at almost 3 years old, mostly due to my pregnancy. Many women lose their milk supply do to hormonal changes during pregnancy. I think it was the perfect amount of time for both of us. She is a very spririted and independant toddler. I believe the security I have given her through nursing and the sort of gentle parenting that seems to stem from it have made her so. She is very aware of babies needs when we are in public and often comments that a crying baby needs "leche mami"
Of all the choices I have made in parenting my daughter, breastfeeding is one thing I have never doubted. I know I did the right thing.
My advice to any future mom and dads is to seek support during pregnancy. Don't wait until you have a problem. Remember that doctors have no formal training in human lactation unless they have sought it out on their own. Its not covered in medical school. Also don't listen to advice from women who never breastfed or have had a bad experience. Many moms are out to sabotage other womens breastfeeding experiences due to guilt or anger. Sad but true.