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PSYCHOLOGY

Mom Who Breastfeeds Her 5-Year-Old Son Wants Him To Stop Nursing Only When He Himself Chooses So

Date September 19, 2018

Author By Eliza Carnell

Most breastfeeding moms stop nursing when their children turn 12-18 months. It may be difficult to decide when exactly to stop breastfeeding, but one woman, who still breastfeeds her 5-year-old son, has a clue for other moms: It should be up to the child.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

READ ALSO: Wisconsin Dad Becomes The Internet Sensation For Creatively Breastfeeding His Hours Old Baby, While His Wife Fought For Her Life

Hardcastle, a 27-year-old mom from Lancashire, England, knew she would breastfeed her son Max from the time when she was pregnant. What Amy didn’t know was how long it’s OK to breastfeed children.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

Amy decided to do some research online and found 'natural parenting' groups, where other moms shared their experience of nursing children well past infancy.

Having talked to moms who promote 'natural weaning' (letting the child decide when to stop nursing), Amy chose to let her son nurse until he himself wants to stop. Speaking to CaféMom, Amy said:

That can happen at lots of different ages. And so I thought, 'OK, I'm alright with that'.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

Amy has friends whose children stopped nursing early, but her own son still nurses. Amy told CaféMom:

It just depends on the child, really. My son is just like me, [he] is very sensitive and emotional. He's a very soft little boy, you know, he's not very boisterous. I think it just makes sense with his disposition that he would just happen to be a child who fed for longer than other children who were also left to wean when they want.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

READ ALSO: Mother Defends Her Right To Breastfeed In Public After Being Criticized At Disneyland

Amy added that now, at the age of 5, her son nurses mostly for comfort, not food. She said:

From being a tiny baby, that's what he's done. When he's hungry, when he's sick, when he's upset. It can help him calm down after a tantrum.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

To conclude, Amy added that she wants other moms to know it’s OK to breastfeed for as long or as little as the child wants it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amy Hardcastle (@amy_.winter) on

There are many other moms out there who share Amy’s opinion. One of these moms is Lisa Bridger, a 46-year-old mom from Adelaide, Australia, who breastfeeds her 7-year-old and 4-year-old sons. Both boys have autism and they need to nurse for comfort, according to Lisa.

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It should be up to moms to decide how to breastfeed their kids. Do you think there are any upsides or downsides of nursing older children? Share your opinion in the comments!

READ ALSO: Mom Reveals Why She Still Chooses To Breastfeed Her Sons, Even Though They Are 7 And 4 Years Old