Until what age is it worth breastfeeding?
'25.05.2017'
Source: Daily Maily
A touching scene enters the frame of the photographer, where the mother is breastfeeding an already quite large child, 5-6 years, and many turn away, as if they want to say that it is disgusting. But why is such a natural process considered disgusting?
Melbourne photographer Lacey Barratt presented such photos in her research on why breastfeeding of children older than one year is considered a shameful stigma, writes Daily Maily.
“The development of breastfeeding has come a long way in the last 5 years, and even in the last year, but I would never have thought that there would be such a significant difference in perception. Why is it sexy, cute and right to feed a baby up to one year old, and after a year it is disgusting, disgusting? Why are our views so distorted? ”- Lacy wonders.
According to the Australian Breastfeeding Association, the natural age for breastfeeding is from 2,5 to 7 years.
“Yes, you read that right. Exactly from 2,5 to 7. And many mothers don't know this, so they wean their babies when they reach one year, ”says Barratt.
In her photo project, Lacey used photographs and breastfeeding stories of various Australian women.
Vika’s daughters are already 6 years old, and she still breastfeeds her from time to time. Vicki believes in the abilities of her body, common sense, and she likes how wonderful the relationship with her daughter is due to breastfeeding.
A mom named Sarah loves to watch the feeding of her daughter. And after the daughter of Sarah was one year old, she was unable to wean the daughter from breastfeeding.
Melissa gave birth to her first baby, when she herself was just 22, she was going through a difficult period, was lonely, and the child was born rather painful.
“The only thing I had during that period for my baby was breast milk. And it was the best and most natural thing that I could give him. It’s a pity that I didn’t understand how important it was and stopped feeding when the baby was 2,5 years old, ”says Melissa.
Now her child is already 6 years old.
After the first child, Melissa gave birth to five more children, one of them is a pair of twins, and she breastfed all of them up to 7 years.
“While nursing all the following babies, I decided to listen to my body and my babies. So it worked out for me. I was able to feed them until they were 7 years old, ”says Melissa.
Eloise always believed that breastfeeding after one year was normal.
“I know that there is a rather negative attitude towards breastfeeding after one year, but I see that my point of view does not interfere with my daughter's development in any way. She is smart, independent, socially developed and rarely gets sick, ”says Eloise about her daughter.
Eloise does not breastfeed her daughter every day, but if her daughter is angry or upset about something, then it happens every day.
After hard labor, Tanya fought with postpartum depression. Breastfeeding and enthusiasm for informing young mothers about the correct timing of such feeding helped her cope.
Amberley, who worked as a midwife, still feeds her two-year-old child, because she sees only positive moments in this for both herself and the baby.
Daughter Amberley calls her mother's milk - "happy milk."
“Breastfeeding is one of the most precious moments in the life of a mother and child, and I would like all women in the world to understand this and enjoy these pleasant moments as long as possible,” says Barratt about his photo project.
