According to the World Health Organisation, infants should be nursed as long as they request it, starting at 6 months old and continuing until “up to 2 years of age or beyond.” According to journalist Allison Yarrow, who is adamant about continuing to nurse her 4-year-old kid, her justification is remarkable.
She can forge a solid bond with her son thanks to it.
In Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood, the author stated that she breastfeeds her son “once or twice a day.” She continued, sometimes going even further “if he’s hurt or sick.”
Yarrow said of her unconventional choice, “Breastfeeding works for us.” She highlighted how it serves as a means for her and her son to “connect and communicate with each other.”
The devoted mother continued by praising the emotional benefits of prolonged nursing, stating, “We feel terrific. It is closeness. It involves gazing at each other in the eyes. It is hugging. There is a physical connection there. And that improves the overall quality of our relationship.
She claimed that she genuinely does enjoy the procedure, saying that if she didn’t really love it, she “wouldn’t be just sacrificing” herself at this point. “My 4-year-old has other food, right?” she continued. He isn’t seeking food from me.
She claims it’s good for the mother.
According to Allison, prolonged breastfeeding has several advantages that affect the mother’s health in addition to the unique link that it forged between her and her kid. She asserts, “Research indicates nursing can lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. When you breastfeed, the hormone oxytocin is released, thus it genuinely feels pleasant.
According to the Mayo Clinic, breastfeeding is connected with a reduction in acute infections as well as chronic adult illnesses like obesity, cancer, heart disease, and allergies. It is also linked to minor neurodevelopmental benefits in children.
She didn’t breastfeed her older kids this long.
Yarrow also has an older son and daughter in addition to her 4-year-old. Additionally, the mother adds that each child will require different amounts of breastfeeding.
Although the mother of three acknowledged that her youngest kid “is a very cuddly, physical guy” who still seeks comfort in breastfeeding, she stopped nursing her older two children before they turned two. She is unsure when asked if she has noticed any differences between her son, who breastfeeds, and her other children.
She won’t stop anytime soon.
The author is adamant that she does not now have any plans to quit nursing her kid, saying, “I don’t have any parameters or plans to stop breastfeeding him.”
She does acknowledge passing ideas, however, such as thinking of kindergarten entry as a potential weaning milestone, although she is aware that this “feels like a very kind of socially imposed deadline.”
The loving mother continued, “This is a connection. This connection has two parties, just like any other relationship. So, she added, “Any decisions we make around this intimacy that we share will be decisions that we make together.”
Some famous people, like Mrs. Yarrow, have been ardent proponents of nursing for a lengthy period of time. Read their justifications for doing so here.
Preview photo credit aliyarrow / Instagram, aliyarrow / Instagram
