A TV presenter has told how she still breastfeeds her five–year-old daughter despite the stigma attached.
Ciara Whelan, 39, said the media’s portrayal of the natural act and the lack of awareness means Irish society deems it strange.
The Dubliner told the Irish Mirror: “You’re not sitting down feeding a five-year-old like a newborn.
“I feed my five-year-old Bo and our 10-month-old Blaise. My three-year-old Edie is pretty much weaned.”
Ciara said it’s still considered odd to feed an older child in public, adding: “I wouldn’t even dream of feeding my toddler in Costa coffee shop.”
The brave mum admitted she has questioned her journey but the comfort it gives her kids is unrivalled.
She said: “It just made me realise that what I have done works.
“I do question myself thinking, ‘I’m feeding a five-year-old’ and think, ‘Is it weird?’
“But the only problem with nursing a five-year-old is society’s view on it.
“You don’t put your newborn to bed one night and they wake up as a five-year-old, so as they grow the weaning process is so gradual.”
The brunette added we don’t question why animals feed their young and she wants to normalise breastfeeding.
She explained: “There’s nothing negative about it, in this country we have so many problems, everyone suffering with their mental health.
“We’ll bring our toddlers to Dublin Zoo and see the gorillas feeding their toddlers and nobody bats an eyelid.”
Ciara won Celebrity Mum Of The Year at the Friends Of Breastfeeding annual awards ceremony over the weekend at the Clontarf Castle in Dublin for raising much-needed awareness on the topic.
She said: “The issue is nobody sees anyone doing it, I’ve never
seen a five-year-old feed.
“I do think people are doing their research and realise how far we’ve gone in the wrong way.
“The portrayal of breastfeeding mums in the media is awful, the more normal it gets the better. In our house it’s normal.
“It’s the best parenting tool we have, it’s our superpower, breastfeeding is like a tranquilliser gun except it’s your boobs doing the work.”
