A mother who breastfeeds her five-year-old son wants to show everyone that it is normal to breastfeed your child for as long as possible, because nursing an older child is even easier.
Amy Hardcastle from Lancashire, England is a stay-at-home mom that encourages more mothers to feel comfortable nursing their children, regardless of their age.
She breastfeeds her five-year-old son Max on a regular basis and even does that naked in the bath together.
Amy wants to break the stigma on extended breastfeeding and show the critics that it’s something very natural and not weird at all.
Amy, however, says that she didn’t initially feel comfortable breastfeeding her son when he was born back in July 2013. She slowly managed to gain the confidence to do it in public whenever he needed it, and she began weaning Max onto baby food at six months old, alongside her breastmilk.
Amy got involved with a breastfeeding festival soon after, and it educated her on the benefits of nursing. It eventually led her to question why she should have to stop so soon.
“He was exclusively fed breastmilk until he was six months old, then introduced to food like any other child after that.”
“We almost quit breastfeeding at four weeks old with latching problems, but someone helped me out just in time.
I have breastfed Max for five years, and he breastfeeds now a few times a week, but neither of us have decided to stop nursing yet.
I try to explain that just because something isn’t the cultural norm here, it doesn’t make it wrong. Breastfeeding makes complete sense since my body continues to produce milk to sustain and nourish my child.”
The mother says that she will stop breastfeeding when both she and her son are ready to. She adds:
“Once you’ve cracked breastfeeding it’s just about going for as long as it works for both of you.
Non-human primates stop breastfeeding around the time of the first permanent teeth, which is around five to six-years-old in human children.”
According to Amy, breastfeeding becomes more comfortable over the years. She says that she was able to wear more maxi dresses or clothing that aren’t breastfeeding friendly because she knew that she wouldn’t need to nurse him until they got home.
Her mission is to encourage others to see breastfeeding as normal, and not to think that it becomes wrong or weird beyond a certain age.
She has received some negative comments, however, after she posted breastfeeding pictures on her Instagram, but she says that it will not discourage her, since it is normal for people not to accept something that is out of the ordinary so easily.