A mother confessed online that she is still breastfeeding her daughter, even though she is already 9 years old.
The woman wrote that her child did not want to give up mother's milk. She admitted that this was not a problem for her, but described the scale of hate she faced online because of it.
With increasing awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, many mothers choose to feed their children this way until their second birthday.
Some mothers decide to extend this process, which is often met with social criticism and puts mothers in an uncomfortable situation and exposes them to negative comments.
The mother's words divided internet users
One of them, the mother of a 9-year-old girl, decided to share her experience on Quora. "I won't stop breastfeeding until my daughter wants to. Does anyone understand me?" she asked, sparking a heated discussion among internet users.
According to many experts, breastfeeding should last as long as needed by both the mother and the baby. The final decision to wean depends on many factors and is inappropriate to be assessed by third parties.
"Nine-year-old fed like a baby"
However, there are also many critical voices. According to some users of the website, breastfeeding a 9-year-old is unhealthy and unnatural. "Even animals wean their babies. It's part of the natural process of helping them grow up," one person commented.
Another user points out that breastfeeding has many advantages, but only at the initial stage of a child's life. "There is no earthly reason why a nine-year-old should continue to be nursed as a baby," he argues.
According to WHO data, 97% of women start breastfeeding after the birth of a child. After two months, 43.5% of women stop feeding this way. After six months, 4% of women decide to wean their baby, so only 20% of babies breastfeed longer. There are mothers who breastfeed even until the age of three or four, but they are exceptions.
Breast milk is considered the best source of nutrition for a baby, regardless of whether the child is one, two or even four years old. It is important to remember that the duration of breastfeeding is an individual decision of the mother and should not be subject to social judgement because it is dictated by many factors.
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This article was originally posted on Ofeminin Women.