Mum defends decision to allow her three-year-old breastfeed, and she makes a pretty good point
Breastfeeding is constantly a hot topic when it comes to motherhood.
You don't breastfeed – you're a bad mum who is denying your child a natural source of nutrition.
You breastfeed – put it away mums, no one needs to see your breasts as often as you FEED your baby.
And then there's the issue mum blogger, Elaine, alludes to – how long should you stay breastfeeding your child?
In a post on Single Mum Speaks, Elaine, answers the question by remembering that other people's opinions are just that, opinions.
"If he didn’t want milk anymore, I would stop tomorrow, but other people’s opinions are just that, opinions. Ones I don’t happen to share."
Elaine is a single mum (by choice), to her three-year-old son, who she continues to breastfeed, and will continue to breastfeed as long as her son wants to.
The mum-of-one had a challenging start to her breastfeeding journey, but assures other mums that it does get easier:
"We got there. And we got there. And we passed a year. And then two, and now we are on the cusp of three and still going. And still we show no signs of stopping or even, for that matter, slowing down."
In the early days of her journey, Elaine took it day by day, eventually becoming proud of the milestones the pair were achieving, however, stray comments from people condemning her choices can often hurt.
The single mum is often told how she's continuing to breastfeed for her own benefit, she's trying to keep her toddler a baby, or that she's left it so late that she'll never be able to wean him off the breast at this late stage.
"I am in the murky territory of not particularly feeling the need to stop."
"With a child who continues to love his milky pops and requests it frequently, and the only reason to stop seems to be the disapproval of others. And I will not let the disapproval of others dictate my choices."
Admitting it's easy to continue breastfeeding, but that she would stop in the morning if her son didn't ask for 'milky-pops' anymore, Elaine reaffirms her reasoning:
"He still wants it, it calms him down and helps him sleep, and it costs nothing on my part, except the occasional raised eyebrow and some awkward feeding positions."
But here at MagicMum, we believe it is each to their own, and if her tot wants to breastfeed, then why not?
How long did you breastfeed your child for? Does your toddler still love the comfort of breastfeeding?