An Australian mother-of-two has shared why she continues to breastfeed her five-year-old son beyond what’s deemed to be the ‘normal’ timeframe.
Lauren McLeod, from Perth, is open and honest about her parenting decisions on Instagram with hope to inspire and reduce the stigma centred around breastfeeding.
But the 29-year-old doula – a person who provides support during childbirth – has been labelled as ‘sick’ and an ‘abuser’ for breastfeeding her son Bowie.
Lauren told FEMAIL she chooses to breastfeed because it’s what has ‘always worked best’ for herself and two children.
‘I’ve been very fortunate to have had a relatively smooth breastfeeding journey with minimal issues along the way, and the benefits outweigh any tough times we may come across,’ Lauren said.
‘My children and I have a beautiful bond, and I’m so grateful to be able to support their growing bodies and brains with my breastmilk, as well as providing that comfort and safety they feel while breastfeeding.
‘I’m sure we would have had just as strong a bond if we weren’t breastfeeding, but this is just what works for us.’
She also shares photographs on Instagram of herself feeding Bowie, five, and daughter Tigerlily, two, and says she has ‘no time’ for hate.
On Instagram Lauren outlined that as her children have aged, she has ‘set boundaries along the way’ and now only breastfeeds Bowie at bedtime.
She said the children find comfort in breastfeeding and it also ‘soothes them to sleep faster’, calms them if they’re upset, offers pain relief and supports their immune systems.
Despite the nasty comments, Lauren turns her head to those who criticise her.
‘I just don’t read the comments sections on social media posts that aren’t my own, so I don’t see the majority of nasty things that are said about me,’ she told FEMAIL.
Lauren said if someone’s being negative online, she simply blocks them and deletes the comment.
‘It’s not worth my time and energy to respond to someone who has made up their mind about me already, and takes time out of their day to be nasty,’ she said.
‘At the end of the day, if someone doesn’t agree with my choices then that’s fine, that’s their opinion.
‘A lot of the negative opinions people have about breastfeeding are often based on cultural bias and lack of education on the topic, which is part of the reason I share my story – to help people understand that natural term breastfeeding is biologically normal.’
She added how the positive impact left on other parents who choose to breastfeed ‘outweighs the negativity’.
And hundreds have praised Lauren for having the courage to sharing her story.
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