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A mother-of-four has shared how she breastfed her youngest daughter until she was nine.

Sharon Spink, from Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire says the extended nursing has cemented a lifelong bond between them and her daughter has enjoyed good health because of the milk’s nutrients.

The schoolgirl decided to stop taking her mother’s milk eight weeks ago, a decision that was supported by Sharon, reports Daily Mail.

The mother says the road hasn’t always been easy, with some people branding her extended breastfeeding as child abuse.

Sharon, 50, says she wants to break down the stigma around breastfeeding older children – believing there are many mums out there doing it.

‘When I came to have Charlotte, I had decided on natural term weaning.

‘It’s nice for the child to be in control of when they want to wean, rather than forcing the issue.

‘She naturally self-weaned earlier this year. It was a gradual process and her choice.

‘She was feeding about once a month if she wasn’t feeling great or was feeling a bit run down, and was going longer and longer without feeding.

‘Now she hasn’t done it for about two months. She told me she would stop when she was 10 which will be in April next year but it seems to have come to a natural end earlier, although I would have allowed her to continue for as long as wants to.

‘As she’s been reducing anyway I don’t feel sad about it. If she would have stopped suddenly I think I would have missed it, but it’s just nice that it’s come to a natural end.

‘It’s how I envisaged it would end. It was her choice and was done in a very gradual way.

‘We have such a close bond and I’m convinced it’s because of breastfeeding her for so long.

‘It cemented our bond and I don’t think that will change now it’s stopped. I think we’re closer because of doing it. I haven’t had any pangs since she stopped and she still comes for a cuddle.

‘With Charlotte it was about the security. Children find a lot of comfort in the breast, and the older they get the more it becomes about comfort rather than nutrition.’

Sharon says she stopped feeding in public when Charlotte was about four or five.

‘Charlotte doesn’t talk about it at school. It’s not something that would come up in conversation with schoolmates.

‘The reaction I get from within the breastfeeding community is one of support. There were a lot of positive comments.

‘Obviously there have been the negatives – usually from typical keyboard warriors who post their opinion.

‘I have been called every name under the sun. I’ve been told it’s child abuse, I’ve been called a paedophile and told it’s wrong and that I’m a freak.

‘The first time it upset me because I wasn’t used to it but now it’s water off a duck’s back.

‘I’m sure it’s more common that people think but mums are too scared to talk about it and are scared of the backlash from people that don’t understand that it’s normal.

‘I feel like my body is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. It’s what breasts are for. We have to support mums. It’s about choice.’

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  • Look…do what you like but I dont see why you would post it on the internet. If this girls school friends or classmates see the posts then you are opening your child up to a lot of teasing. Im not sure why this woman felt the need to post on the internet especially with photos.
    To me thats just attention seeking.

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  • All sounds rather wacky and weird to me.

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  • My first thought was how on earth is she producing milk, does she have younger children that are breastfeeding? Usually breast milk will dry up if it is not suckled everyday. Not sure I believe this story. Otherwise I don’t have a problem as long as they are happy, why do people judge so much?

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  • Bizarre. ONce they are big enough to understand they’re on your boob.. it’s time to stop.

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  • What other Mums do is their choice but Charlotte wasn’t telling anyone and now Sharon has shared it online. Hope she understands she has left her daughter wide open for the bullies to start teasing her.

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  • Well her daughter didn’t mention this to any of her friends at school etc, surprise, surprise, they all now know! Hope she doesn’t get teased because of this.

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  • Ummmm, I don’t have any words for this. I can not imagine that this is a positive for her daughter’s mental health at all and how she fits in with her peers.

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  • Why post it on the internet if your daughter does not want to tell anyone?

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  • Oh I am not sure I would be doing this…not for me.

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  • I read this story earlier and it disgusts me. The mother should have stopped this long ago. It’s not natural or healthy.

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  • If the daughter didn’t feel the need to speak about it with her friends at school, what right does it give the mum to tell the world?

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  • Far too old in my opinion to be breastfed.

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  • I breastfed all four of my kids until around 18 months, and strongly support the right to breastfeed, anywhere and anytime, if you can(fine if you can’t, too, of course), but this is just too weird, sorry.
    If a child is old enough to remember being breastfed, then they are too old, IMO.
    I think having the memory of breastfeeding would be really… WEIRD.

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  • This is a story only this mother could write. I’m confused no stunned no in fact I don’t know how I feel about this story.

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  • Think some things are best kept to your self. Obviously the child didn’t talk about it, so why did the mum.

    Reply

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