Extended Breastfeeding: Nursing Beyond 12 Months

If you’re still nursing your one-year-old, or you’re wondering whether you can, you’re in good company. Breastfeeding past the first birthday is normal in much of the world, and major health organizations support it. In the US it’s often called extended breastfeeding, though many lactation professionals simply call it breastfeeding, since there’s nothing unusual about it biologically.

Here’s what the experts say, what breast milk still offers in the toddler years, and how to handle the practical and social side.

What the AAP and WHO recommend

In 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its breastfeeding policy. It recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, then continued breastfeeding alongside solid foods for as long as mother and child both want, for 2 years or beyond. The earlier policy, from 2012, said 1 year or longer. The AAP also said that parents who breastfeed beyond the first year need support from their doctors and protection from workplace barriers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond, with safe, nutritious complementary foods from 6 months. The AAP’s policy says its recommendations are consistent with the WHO’s.

Age	AAP and WHO guidance
0–6 months	Breast milk only
6–12 months	Breast milk plus solid foods
12–24 months and beyond	Solid foods plus breastfeeding; the AAP adds “as long as mutually desired by mother and child”

Benefits for your child

• Nutrition. Breast milk doesn’t lose its value after 12 months. The WHO notes that in the second year it can provide about a third of a child’s energy needs. For a deeper look at what’s in it, see what breast milk is made of.
• Immune protection. According to the AAP, breast milk still provides immune factors in the second year and beyond.
• Comfort and connection. Toddlers have big feelings and frequent bumps. The AAP describes nursing for comfort as just as valid as a pacifier or thumb. It can soothe a sick child who won’t eat, ease a tantrum or help with sleep.
• Convenience. It’s always ready, needs no preparation and is easy to digest when your child is unwell.

Benefits for you

The AAP highlights that longer breastfeeding is linked to protection against diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and ovarian cancers for the nursing parent. Many parents also value nursing as a quick way to calm and reconnect with a busy toddler. Our page on the benefits of breastfeeding covers the research in more detail.

What nursing a toddler looks like

Breastfeeding a toddler is usually quite different from nursing a newborn:

• Food comes first. By the second year, meals and snacks provide most of your child’s nutrition, and nursing fits around them. Offer solid foods before or between nursing sessions.
• Feeds vary a lot. Some toddlers nurse several times a day, others only at bedtime or on waking. Some “graze” with short, frequent sessions.
• Your supply adjusts. Your body makes what your child takes, so fewer feeds simply means less milk.
• Care for teeth. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day and keep up regular dental checkups, as for any child.

Practical tips

• Agree on a nursing word. The AAP suggests a private code word your child can use to ask, which can help in public.
• Set gentle limits if you want to. For example, nursing only at home, only in a certain chair or only at certain times of day. Limits can help you keep going longer.
• Teach “nursing manners”, such as no pulling at your shirt or acrobatics mid-feed.
• Working parents: many toddlers happily nurse mornings, evenings and weekends. If you pump at work, federal break-time protections cover up to one year after birth, so check your employer’s policy and your state’s laws after that.

Nursing in public

According to the AAP, every US state has laws supporting a mother’s right to breastfeed in public, and federal law protects breastfeeding on federal property. The AAP page doesn’t mention an age cutoff, but state laws differ, so check yours. Whether you nurse openly, use a cover or prefer a quieter spot is entirely up to you. Some parents nurse publicly on purpose to help normalize it, and others prefer privacy as their child gets older. Both are fine.

Dealing with criticism

Not everyone understands breastfeeding beyond a year. You might hear comments from family, friends or strangers. Some ideas:

• Have a short answer ready, like “Our pediatrician supports it” or “The AAP recommends 2 years or beyond.”
• Pick your battles. You don’t owe anyone a debate. “It works for us” is a complete answer.
• Find your people. Breastfeeding support groups and La Leche League meetings often include parents of nursing toddlers. Our breastfeeding support page lists where to start.

The AAP suggests judging by how your child approaches nursing and how you feel about it, rather than by outside opinions.

When does a child wean?

There’s no fixed age. Some children lose interest around their first birthday or during the toddler years, and others nurse until they are 3 or older. If nursing becomes stressful for you, or you feel mixed about it in a way that’s affecting your relationship, it’s okay to decide it’s time. A gradual approach is gentlest. Our guide on how to stop breastfeeding covers toddler weaning, and our weaning guide explains child-led and parent-led options.

When to talk to a doctor or lactation consultant

Check in with your pediatrician if your toddler isn’t eating much solid food, isn’t growing well or seems to rely on nursing in place of meals. Talk to your own provider or an IBCLC if nursing becomes painful, you develop a hot, red, painful area on your breast or you’re pregnant and unsure about continuing.