Proud Mum Reveals Why She STILL Breastfeeds Her Five-Year-Old Daughter Twice A Day
Mum-of-two Emma Shardlow Hudson, 29, breastfeeds her daughter Alex as well as her two-year-old son Ollie - sometimes at the same time.
Emma usually breastfeeds once in the morning and once in the evening, claiming her daughter finds it comforting to latch on.
And while Emma does often get positive reactions to her breastfeeding in public, she says it is the less frequent negative ones that stick with her - with some even saying 'urgh' to her.
The NHS recommends all babies are exclusively breastfed until at least six months old, while 73% of new mums choose to nurse from birth.
However, by the time a baby reaches their first birthday, just one in every 200 babies is still being breastfed.
Emma, from Grimsby, Lincs, said: "It's one of the biggest achievements of my life for sure, being able to nurture a child with my own body.
"It's a completely selfless thing to do, but it's probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life too.
"Before Alex was born, I wasn't sure if it was a normal thing to breastfeed for so long.
"But it wasn't even a conscious decision to keep feeding for so long - I just thought why stop when it's good for them? My attitude has changed over time.
She added "When she started nursery there were quite a few bugs going around and she had nothing in comparison to her classmates.
"My kids are rarely ill, and I'm almost 100% positive that that is because of the antibodies in the milk.
"She's always been a comforted baby and wants milk when she's upset but I do think there's a lot about the antibodies which is really good for her.
"It's nice for me to be able to provide that for her.
"My husband Stuart [who is a chef] is quite happy with it all. He can see it helps her so he's like whatever's best for her and you, which is what it is.
