Mum defends breastfeeding her four-year-old

A British mum has defended breastfeeding her four-year-old son in the hopes of trying to normalise extended breastfeeding.

Sharing videos on her YouTube channel, Sophie Emma Rose, 40, who lives in Chiang Mai in Thailand, films herself breastfeeding her son Shaye and says she will continue to do so for as long he wants.

"Breastfeeding older children is so important. As well as the nutritional value of breast milk, you also let your child know in a very physical way that you are there for them. It's about the comfort and emotional connection," she says in a video. 

She hopes that her videos help other mums to feel more confident about feeding older children. 

“I also want mothers to not feel shame and to feel they could do it wherever they want and have no negative comments or fear," she said. 

Speaking to Mamamia, Rose said she created videos to show that extended breastfeeding is “a normal everyday thing for our family, not something strange or controversial."

She adds that her milk is "almost like a perfectly formed multi vitamin and mineral supplement."

“As well as the nutritional value of breast milk, you also let your child know in a very physical way that you are there for them. It's about the comfort and emotional connection” she explains.

"I know that breastfeeding does end - children eventually lose the latch and are not physically able to breastfeed past the age of about seven or eight-years-old.

As for the criticism she receives,  Rose says: "I deal with the criticism by remembering why I choose to continue feeding Shaye.

I know I am in integrity, I'm inline with all the best research and I'm certainly doing my best as a parent."