Why I Practice Extended Breastfeeding

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This is a sponsored post by Evivo, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Often in the United States, breastfeeding is seen as something only young babies do.  But did you know that in the rest of the world, weaning usually happens at the average age of 4 years old? My children range in age from 0 to 18 years old, and I have breastfed all of them well past their first birthday.  Currently, I’m nursing my 8 month old, but with my older three kids I have breastfed everyone of them well into toddlerhood.

In our family, we practice natural parenting which includes child led weaning.  You might wonder what child led weaning means.  Basically, I let my child decide when to wean from breastfeeding.  For my oldest that was 2 1/2 years old, for my son that was 4 years old, and for my middle daughter that was 6 years old.

The breastfeeding relationship between a mother and child is something very special.  When they’re young, nursing was the one place they wanted to be when they were hurt or sick or scared.  This is why I decided I wanted each child to have a hand in deciding when our breastfeeding relationship was over. But it’s not just that. Extended breastfeeding has so many benefits for both mother and child.

5 Reasons for Extended Breastfeeding

#1 It boosts the immune system.  This is truly my #1 reason.  When my babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers nurse, they were not sick very often because they have all the benefits of my antibodies.  Plus, babies and toddlers have lower mortality rates and less illnesses and less asthma and allergies.

#2 Not only is it good for baby, but it also lowers my risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers the longer I breastfeed.

#3 It boosts brain development and not just IQ points.  When you breastfeed, you are switching from side to side so that your baby and toddler face different directions and can see and reach with different hands.

#4 It’s soothing to your child.  I have breastfed my children when they were sick, hurt, or tired well into the toddler years.  Breastfeeding was their comfort that helped them quickly feel better.

#5 It’s relaxing to mom. When you breastfeed you release oxytocin, a hormone that not only allows you to bond with your child but it also is very relaxing. Nursing is often the few times of day I get to relax and sometimes even fall asleep.

A Foundation of Health

My youngest daughter is 8 months old and was born a later term preemie at 35 weeks.  We had some serious complications related to my placenta that required her to be born as early as she safely could, so that I would have the best chance at survival.  Because of her premature birth, breastfeeding is the #1 thing I keep doing to give her a good foundation of health.

Another thing I do to help that foundation of health is give her Evivo Probiotics.  Premature babies are prone to a lot of issues, so I want to help my baby be as healthy as she can be.  Mixed with breast milk, Evivo can substantially and beneficially remodel and protect a baby’s gut. It’s also extremely easy to use and just one sachet a day is needed.

1. Just pour the sachet of Evivo into the mixing bowl.
2. Add 3-5 mL of breast milk and mix well.
3. Use the syringe to suck it up and feed to baby.

In a clinical trial, Evivo was proven to restore infants’ gut microbiome 100% of the time. The infants in the trial showed 80% reduction in hamrful bacteria such as E. coli, staph, strep, and more.  The babies who did not receive Evivo had 4 times the level of these bacteria compared to the babies given Evivo.

We’ve got a special deal so you can try Evivo just for our readers!

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