In Australia, many first-time mums reach the twelve-month mark and notice the questions begin. When will the baby be weaned? Doesn’t a child only need breast milk for one year? The cultural assumption that breastfeeding stops being beneficial after the first birthday is widespread. The research does not agree.
What extended breastfeeding actually means
Extended breastfeeding refers to continuing to breastfeed past twelve months of age. In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council recommends breastfeeding to twelve months and beyond, for as long as the mother and child desire. The World Health Organization recommends two years or beyond. Globally, the average weaning age sits between two and a half and three years. Yet in higher-income countries, including Australia, mums who continue past one often feel they are doing something unusual.
What the evidence shows
Cognitive development. The most cited evidence comes from a 30-year Brazilian cohort study following nearly 3,500 children. Researchers found that those breastfed for the longest duration had higher IQ scores at age 30, more years of education, and higher adult incomes. The longer a child was breastfed, the stronger the effect. Other studies have linked longer breastfeeding to stronger language development and better executive function in early childhood.
Immune protection. The antibodies in breast milk do not switch off at twelve months. Research published in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that secretory IgA, a key immune antibody, was at its lowest concentration in the first year of lactation and increased significantly in the second year and beyond, peaking after twenty-four months. Breastfed toddlers between one and three have been observed to have fewer illnesses, illnesses of shorter duration, and lower mortality rates.
Maternal and physical health. Longer breastfeeding is linked to lower rates of childhood obesity, reduced risk of type one and type two diabetes, and lower rates of certain childhood cancers, including leukaemia. For mothers, longer cumulative breastfeeding is associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type two diabetes.
Limited research, not limited benefits. Most studies on breastfeeding outcomes only measure to around twenty-four months. This reflects how few mums in high-income countries breastfeed past that point, not a ceiling on benefits.
Practical strategies for navigating extended breastfeeding
1. Know what the guidelines actually say. The NHMRC and the WHO both support breastfeeding past twelve months. Mothers do not need to justify their decision with science to anyone, but having the guidelines on hand can quieten unsolicited opinions.
2. Prepare a calm response in advance. Comments about weaning often arrive at moments when mums are tired or vulnerable. A short response prepared ahead of time is easier to deliver. Something like “We’re following the WHO recommendation” is usually enough.
3. Trust a child-led pace. Children naturally reduce nursing frequency as solids and independence increase. A gradual, child-led approach tends to be smoother emotionally for both mum and child.
4. Recognise the role of nursing in regulation. Beyond infancy, breastfeeding often becomes less about nutrition and more about comfort and emotional regulation. That continues to be a useful function for both child and mum.
5. Find supportive community. Online groups, the Australian Breastfeeding Association, and local mums’ groups can help. Isolation is one of the harder parts of nursing past one in a culture that does not always encourage it.
6. Consider night weaning separately. Some mums want to keep nursing during the day but reduce night feeds. Night weaning can be done independently of full weaning, and often improves sleep for both parent and child.
A real-life example
A mum of a fifteen-month-old finds herself fielding a comment at a family lunch after her daughter nurses briefly for comfort following a small fall. A relative remarks that the child is too old for that now. Instead of debating, she says calmly that she is following NHMRC and WHO guidelines, and the conversation moves on. Later that afternoon, she lets her daughter nurse again before her nap, watches her settle quickly, and lets the comment go.
When to check in with a health professional
Extended breastfeeding is safe and supported by major health bodies. Mums should consult their GP, paediatrician, or maternal child health nurse if a toddler is not gaining weight as expected, is refusing solids consistently, or if nursing has become painful or distressing for either party.
A final thought
Choosing to breastfeed past twelve months is a private decision with substantial evidence behind it. It is also not the only valid path. Whatever a mother decides, the research is clear that there is no specific age at which breastfeeding stops being beneficial.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Australia’s mothers and babies: Breastfeeding. AIHW, Australian Government. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/breastfeeding-practices
Czosnykowska-Łukacka, M., Lis-Kuberka, J., Królak-Olejnik, B., & Orczyk-Pawiłowicz, M. (2020). Changes in human milk immunoglobulin profile during prolonged lactation. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8, 428.
Lawrence, R. A., & Lawrence, R. M. (2011). Breastfeeding: A guide for the medical profession (7th ed.). Saunders/Elsevier.
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012). Infant Feeding Guidelines: information for health workers. NHMRC, Australian Government. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/infant-feeding-guidelines-information-health-workers
Perrin, M. T., Fogleman, A. D., Newburg, D. S., & Allen, J. C. (2016). A longitudinal study of human milk composition in the second year postpartum: implications for human milk banking. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 13(1).
Victora, C. G., Horta, B. L., Loret de Mola, C., Quevedo, L., Pinheiro, R. T., Gigante, D. P., Gonçalves, H., & Barros, F. C. (2015). Association between breastfeeding and intelligence, educational attainment, and income at 30 years of age: a prospective birth cohort study from Brazil. The Lancet Global Health, 3(4), e199-e205.
Victora, C. G., Bahl, R., Barros, A. J. D., França, G. V. A., Horton, S., Krasevec, J., Murch, S., Sankar, M. J., Walker, N., & Rollins, N. C. (2016). Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. The Lancet, 387(10017), 475-490.
World Health Organization. (2023). Infant and young child feeding. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding
