Study: Waiting to Have Kids May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer

[SheilaT]

1. My oldest is turning thirty in less than a week.

Back when I had him there had been a very large rise in breastfeeding for lots of reasons.

I was also reading at that time, that breastfeeding for a decent period of time altogether, something on the order of at least two years, was understood to be protective against breast cancer.

Let's see, I was 34 when I had him, so there were 20 years from when I had my first period to when I got pregnant. I had another son 4 years later. Nursed both of them for about 2 years each.

I know that the fact that (so far at least) I've not gotten breast cancer can in no way demonstrate if late childbearing and long term nursing is a factor, because I'm only one person. But even if I'd been told 30 years ago that late childbearing and long term nursing put a woman at greater risk, I still wouldn't have had my children any earlier, and I still would have nursed them, because of all the positive benefits of doing so.