03/26/2026
Breastfeeding after one year may have its challenges but it also has many benefits…
BENEFITS TO THE CHILD
Research suggests that breastmilk continues to be a valuable source of nutrition after age 1 (Perrin et al., 2016). Breastmilk has higher levels of protein, fat, and calories in the second year of life (Mandel et al., 2005; Perrin et al., 2016) and a toddler can receive ⅓ of their daily calories and protein from breastmilk as well as many essential vitamins and minerals (Dewey, 2001).
Breastfeeding up to 3 years may also reduce risks of childhood illnesses (although this research is from developing countries; Mølbak et al., 1994; van den Bogaard et al., 1991).
There is also some evidence for an association between breastfeeding duration (up to 2 years) and greater maternal sensitivity (although it is unclear whether extended breastfeeding actually causes increased sensitivity; Weaver, Schofield, & Papp, 2018).
BENEFITS TO THE MOTHER
Mothers who breastfeed their child for 13 months or more may be almost two times less likely to have breast cancer than mothers who have never breastfed (Zheng et al., 2001).
Breastfeeding for 18 months or more was also associated with reduced risk of ovarian cancer (Jordan et al., 2012) and women who breastfeed for 24 months or longer had an 18% reduced risk of heart disease and a 17% lower risk for stroke (Peters et al., 2017).
Finally, each additional year of breastfeeding is also associated with a 15% decrease in the risk of Type II Diabetes (Young & Martens, 2002).
TAKEAWAY MESSAGE
If breastfeeding is working for you and your child, keep going for as long as you would like to! Don’t let anyone tell you that your child is “too old” or that there are no benefits after age 1. However, there is no evidence for significant differences in child development as a result of extended breastfeeding, so if you are ready to stop on their first birthday (or sooner), that is great too!
All information provided by Parenting Translator Foundation — parentingtranslator.org
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