A mother who breastfeeds her kids at the age of five and six said that she was developing a life-long bond with them by doing so.
Sheryl Wynne is a 39-year-old woman from West Yorkshire who breastfeeds her two sons, aged 5 and 6, before school, in the evening, and at night.
“I think about when I’ll stop all of the time,” she told Liverpool Echo.
“It’s never felt right to end it unnecessarily. It’s what they’re asking for and it’s biologically normal even if it’s not in society.”
“We started the conversation when Riley was three when they would stop having mummy milk and Riley said when he’s 10 and I told him there’s no chance.” She explained.
“The choice isn’t just mine, it’s a relationship because it’s something we do together.”
“It’s not like I don’t have a choice, a lot of the time they ask for it and I’ll tell them to get off. I do wonder if they’d just stay on there all night.”
“It’s made us closer. It’s the fact they know they can come to me and be comforted at any time.”
She further added, “We can do that without breastfeeding, a lot of people who aren’t breastfeeding will still respond to that but it’s part of my toolbox.”
“It’s formed part of our relationship and that’s my main drive for continuing breastfeeding.”
According to Liverpool Echo, Sheryl often receives negative comments from her near and dear ones for this practice; however, she still does it because she thinks it’s best for her children.
“It’s about comfort. If they’re ill, that’s where they want to be to help them calm down but we don’t live in a society that’s supportive of that after infancy which is why we don’t see it.”
“They want to be with me and snuggle with me even when they aren’t breastfeeding.”
“I’ve been pretty lucky in that I haven’t had negative comments from strangers but family members and people I know have asked if I think I should stop.”
“They question whether the way my children behave is anything to do with them being breastfed. They’re hard work but that’s children.”
“People think they’re experts in other people’s children but I’m not doing it blind even though I am following my instincts in many ways.”
Wynne also said that she had trained the kids well, and they know it’s not something they could ask for in public, so whenever they go out, her boys never bother her.
“Riley and Mylo pick up on people’s opinions. My eldest wouldn’t ask for it when we’re out because he knows other people will see but he will behind closed doors but my youngest is confident.
“Before Mylo went into preschool he was asking for mummy milk in the playground in the morning.
“He took me to the bench and I had to dig deep into myself. I wanted to tell him we weren’t doing it there because people could see but I didn’t want to pass my anxieties onto him. But now he is well trained,” she said.
Sheryl said that the main reason she was so hell-bent on breastfeeding her kids even after the age of two was that she had a difficult time giving birth to her elder son.
“Breastfeeding helped me to keep that connection going and I had it in my head that I wanted to tandem breastfeed. It felt magical and empowering to be sustaining two babies at the same time.”
“I had a traumatic birth and because of that experience, I felt like I was a failure. I felt like I hadn’t done it right so I needed the breastfeeding relationship to succeed.”
“It wasn’t until I started breastfeeding Riley that I learned what it was about. It was a lot harder than I thought.”
What are your thoughts about this story? Do you believe mothers should breastfeed their children even after the age of two?
Sources:
Liverpool Echo – Images & Featured Images via Sheryl the Healing Birth Doula on Instagram
My daughter is about to be 5 and we do still. I’m not going to stop her from something with so many benefits for her if she still wants it. Good job mom.
What’s the point of publishing this story? This it make your ego bigger? Leave that mom be and keep strolling.
It’s a form of pedophilia. These kids are way past needing mothers milk. They can get all the vitamins and nutrition they need from a well-balanced diet. The fact that it’s bringing so much comfort to the mother is all this is about. There’s a reason there’s no father in this story.