A mother puzzles that she was still breastfeeding her nine-year-old daughter: "Doesn't want me to stop"
A woman was shamed after she admitted that she still breastfeeds her nine-year-old daughter.
This was reported by SSPDaily.
She shared: "I still let my nine-year-old daughter drink breast milk and she won't stop until she wants to. Does anyone support me?"
The World Health Organization encourages mothers to exclusively breastfeed their newborns for six months and then gradually introduce appropriate foods after six months, continuing breastfeeding for two years or longer.
This is stated in a statement by the Better Health organization: "Stopping breastfeeding is called weaning. You and your baby decide when the time is right. Some parents and babies enjoy breastfeeding so much that they are in no hurry to stop. It is not unusual for children to continue breastfeeding until they are four years old. Family members and friends may feel uncomfortable about continued breastfeeding, so it can be helpful to have information that you can provide to your family and friends about why you have decided to continue breastfeeding. This can include information about the health benefits, safety and comfort for your baby."
Despite this, many parents believe that breastfeeding should be stopped much earlier than four years of age - and condemn the mother for continuing it with her nine-year-old daughter. Commenting on her post, one user said: "Please get help, this is unnatural and unhealthy for your daughter. You really need to turn off your mom and let her grow up."
Another user added: "Even animals wean their babies. It's part of a natural process that helps them grow. That's why we have a special word for this phase. Every mammal does it. By definition, this process involves denying suckling to babies who still want to suckle so that they grow up to be healthy, independent beings. So there's nothing natural about what you're doing. It's quite the opposite. I'm sorry."
A third user said: "Breastfeeding or bottle feeding is how babies get nourishment until they can eat baby food. There is no earthly reason for a nine-year-old to still be fed like a baby. Also, if she doesn't stop until SHE wants to stop, it means you've lost control as a parent. What else does she make the rules on? What other parental rights have you given to a nine-year-old child?"