There is still considerable debate as to when breastfeeding should be stopped. While breast is best, especially in the first year of baby’s life, at some point your baby or toddler has to give up breast milk. It is usually accepted that stopping breastfeeding altogether by the age of 2 years will be suitable as it will not deprive your baby of any essential nutrition. However some mothers choose to breastfeed till the age of 3 years and this is not necessarily a negative undertaking. Persisting beyond this point could be considered harmful to your young child’s social and emotional development, although the odd suckling, even if you are not producing any milk should not be reprimanded.

Breast size and shape is a common concern for breastfeeding mothers since there are many fallacies surrounding drooping breasts linked to breastfeeding myths. Unfortunately, many new mothers today opt not to breastfeed out of fear that weaning their child will ultimately lead to drooping breasts, and that firming after breastfeeding cannot be corrected without surgery. This reduction in breastfeeding globally has significantly contributed to infant mortality. The World Health Organization estimates that globally, some 1.4 million children would not die in the first year of life if their mothers chose to breastfeed.