http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,18511310,00.html
Breast is best for my son, 3 HANNAH DAVIES 19mar06 JAKE Torepe can barely contain his excitement as he peeps down his mum's shirt to find she isn't wearing a bra. "I wanna feed, I wanna feed," he cries, abandoning his toy cars to pester Rachel for "mummy's milk". He'll be four in August and ready for pre-school, but Rachel said he can breastfeed for as long as he likes. "Both Jake and I really enjoy breastfeeding. It gives us the chance to have a cuddle and bond," she said. "If he wants a feed he pesters me and follows me around . . . it's a real treat and I know it's good for him." Rachel, 38, of Westlake in Brisbane's west, is one of an invisible group of mothers who practise "extended breastfeeding" - defined as feeding a child after 12 months. They believe children should never be forcibly weaned, but should decide for themselves when to surrender the breast. In the US, these mothers belong to associations such as the Militant Breastfeeding Cult and Inciteful Mamas. They breastfeed exclusively to six months, continue beyond a year and hate dummies, cots and prams; while breast, sling and mum and dad's bed are best. In Australia, extended breastfeeders are less aggressive and prefer to hide "behind closed doors", according to Dr Karleen Gribble, a University of Western Sydney researcher, who carried out Australia's first study of mums who breastfeed beyond infancy. She found one of the reasons toddlers enjoy breastfeeding is that they like the taste of breast milk. "The children made comments like: 'I like cuddling mummy, it's my treat' or breastmilk tastes 'as good as chocolate' and 'better than ice cream' ", said Dr Gribble. Three-year-old Grace Moss said she loves the "creamy flavour". And mum Amanda, 40, of Bardon, in Brisbane's inner-west, is only too happy to oblige. "I breastfed my first child Isabella until she was four years and five months so I'm going to see how long Grace will feed for," she said. The Australian Breastfeeding Association recommends that babies are fed breast milk exclusively in the first six months of life, to help prevent them from becoming obese in adulthood. Australian Breastfeeding Association website <http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au> , or 3844 6488. privacy <javascript:windowOpener('/privacy','privacy','toolbar=no,location=no,scroll ing=auto,directories=no,status=no,menubar=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizable=no,wi dth=468,height=400')> terms <javascript:windowOpener('/termsandcondition','terms','toolbar=no,location=n o,scrolling=auto,directories=no,status=no,menubar=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizab le=no,width=468,height=400')> (c) Queensland Newspapers
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