Babies are born and instinctively go to their mother's milk. But at a certain point in time, breastfeeding mothers and babies are facing the first major test of life - weaning.
When domestic mothers are still struggling with how old it is to wean their children, a mother abroad directly announced that she would listen to her child's wishes to feed until she was 10 years old.
The 39-year-old mum, Shirley, from the UK, has two sons, one aged 5 and one aged 6. Although the children have gone to school, they have not been weaned, and the mother is still insisting on feeding them.
Shirley, a hypnotic teacher and midwife, had planned to stop breastfeeding when her eldest son was three years old, but she decided that the decision was not her own, and she hoped that the children would also participate in the decision.
When she and her children discussed when they would stop drinking their mother's milk, the eldest son said to wait until he was ten years old.
Shirley said she would respect the children's choices and would not stop feeding until the children were ready to stop drinking.
Every day before school, when she returned home in the evening, Shirley continued to feed her two sons. While family and friends questioned her behavior, Shirley believes breastfeeding is her "ultimate parenting tool" that helps herself soothe her children and comfort them when they are upset or sick.
In Shirley's mind, she thinks it's "perfectly normal" to breastfeed her sons who are already in school. This is a unique emotional bond shared between mother and child, which makes them "more intimate" and the child can seek comfort from her at any time or when she is wronged.
Shirley said: "I don't think it's right to end it unnecessarily. Even though my behavior is not socially pervasive, it is biologically normal. ”
The two sons treated themselves differently.
The eldest son would be shy and would not ask to do so when he went out, because he knew others would see it.
The younger son is very confident, and even before going to school, he will ask for milk on the playground. Even if Shirley doesn't want to breastfeed outside, she doesn't want to pass on her anxiety to her children and will still do as she pleases.
Why didn't Shirley wean her child for so long?
It turned out that Shirley had experienced a traumatic birth in which she had a very bad feeling and breastfed, and fed two children at the same time, giving her a lot of magical powers, strengthening her connection with her sons and healing her at the same time.
Shirley wishes she could breastfeed until the child chooses to wean herself.
It was a really good experience for the three of us to do this together. The older brother would also reach out and stroke his brother's head or hold his hand.
However, netizens have different opinions and opinions on this:
I'm all for breastfeeding, but it's wrong. Those kids will one day feel ashamed.
This mom, it's time to find another way to calm the kids down or to teach themselves to calm themselves down instead of soothing themselves with milk.
Do you know? If a child is old enough to take selfies of himself breastfeeding, he is too old to breastfeed.
Some netizens also believe that:
Breastfeeding is a very personal thing, it strengthens the mother-child relationship and certainly doesn't cause them any harm, so the family can decide for themselves what they think is best for them.
Breastfeeding is known to prevent infections, diarrhea and vomiting in infants and to reduce the risk of obesity and other diseases later in life. For mum, breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
The World Health Organization, UNESCO and countless other authoritative health agencies have recommended that babies should be breastfed only for the first six months of life, which is good for the health of both the child and the mother.
Of course, not all mothers have enough milk and conditions to breastfeed, breastfeeding is good, and formula feeding can achieve nutritional balance.
In other words, "eating is the best."
Regardless of the feeding method, the most important thing is how the mother feels.
How long should breastfeeding last?
Currently, there is no rule on when women should stop breastfeeding their children. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding babies up to two years of age because of the benefits of preventing breast cancer.
Around the world, some mums continue to feed their 4- or even 5-year-olds until they think their children are old enough to go to school.
However, some parenting experts say breastfeeding for too long can hinder a child's development because it can hinder a child's ability to self-soothe.