Breast milk is called “liquid gold” because of all the nutrients it brings to the infant. Lauren McLeod, a 29-year-old mother from Australia, believes in the health benefits of breastfeeding and actually still does so with her 5-year-old. However, she was criticized by people who thought it was unacceptable for her to breastfeed for so long. But McLeod defends her actions and explains why society needs to remove this negative stigma.
McLeod is a doula and became a mother for the first time in 2017 when she gave birth to her son Bowie. She then gave birth to her second child, Tigerlily, in 2020. She breastfed both of her children from birth. In a video, McLeod shared, “I never considered bottle feeding. Not because I mind, I don’t. Breastfeeding just worked for us and was easy.”
McLeod also works as a doula, a trained professional who provides expert guidance and support during childbirth, miscarriages and other reproductive health events.
She believes that breast milk boosts immunity and would not hesitate to share her “liquid gold” with those in need – such as her friend’s newborn child. “It was a little weird feeding a baby that wasn’t mine, but not in a bad way. It felt so natural and it was really nice to help my friend,” McLeod shared.
Both McLeod and her husband, Anders McLeod, were breastfed until about age 2, and that was Lauren’s original plan for her children. “We thought our son would be on his own by the age of two. But now he’s 5 and only nurses at bedtime and a few times a week,” the couple shared.
When Tigerlily came into their lives, McLeod began setting boundaries for Bowie and tried to feed him less. At one point, she said that she felt overwhelmed by too many touches.
“There have absolutely been times when the kids have grown up where I’ve just thought, ‘I just can’t. I can’t do this anymore. I have to stop,” the young woman shared. Like any mother, she has her bad days, but said she’s generally happy with the way they’re going. McLeod is ready to stop breastfeeding her son when the time comes for a change.
Although no one has directly said anything negative to her face-to-face, McLeod has received a lot of criticism online for breastfeeding her preschooler. “It’s not weird… It’s completely normal and I’ll keep going until he wants to stop,” she replies. McLeod adds that they give Bowie proper food, along with milk.
She says she feels a little sad just thinking about it ending because breastfeeding is such a huge part of their lives. “I believe we are doing the right thing for us. It’s a beautiful thing for us to connect and reconnect after a long day,” explains McLeod. She also believes that her son will stop asking for breast milk when he is 6 years old.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding is one of the best ways to ensure a child’s health and survival. Institutions recommend breastfeeding from the first hour of birth and ideally for the first 6 months.
Babies should also be breastfed as often as they want. Regarding the age limit, the WHO says that breastfeeding can continue even after the first 2 years.
Lauren says most of the messages she gets are actually supportive. Many people also ask her about her experience with tandem breastfeeding and the logistics of it.
“A lot of the negative opinions people have about breastfeeding are often based on cultural biases and a lack of education on the subject, which is part of the reason I’m sharing my story – to help people understand that natural breastfeeding is normal,” she explains. McLeod.
She also wants to reach out to other parents who are going through a similar journey. “Everything they do is completely normal and natural. “It’s just that a lot of this modern Western society has put a stigma on it,” says the young woman.
