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13th Nov 2018

This Morning viewers criticise mum who breastfed her daughter until she was NINE

Orlaith Condon

The mum received harsh criticism.

One mum has been the subject of much online debate today after she revealed she breastfed her youngest child until she was nine years old.

Sharon Spinks appeared on This Morning today to defend her decision to keep feeding her daughter until only a few months ago.

The mum-of-four said that it was research that led her to the decision to continue breastfeeding her youngest child until she was ready to stop, claiming that her milk continued to give her daughter Charlotte multiple health benefits.

“If they’re allowed to feed, they will carry on feeding for much longer than is seen as normal,” Sharon said.

“They’re still getting those benefits, there’s nothing in breast milk which suddenly changes because a child gets to a certain age.

“Actually it improves and gears itself towards that child.”

Sharon defended her decision by admitting that it’s her daughter who asks to be fed rather than her demanding it, saying she doesn’t “offer or refuse”.

Journalist Rachel Halliwell spoke against Sharon’s decision, saying she felt it was selfish.

“As parents, as mothers… we’ve got one job, and that one job is to raise our children to grow up to be people who can live without us, who can be individuals and live independently and who aren’t reliant on us as their mothers.

“I think that if you are still breastfeeding a child when they’re nine, that flies in the face of that basic job that we have.”


And it seems like many viewers agreed with Rachel, taking to Twitter to criticise Sharon’s decision.

“Breastfeeding a nine-year-old is not comforting, it’s disgusting and that poor kid will now be bullied if she’s not already,” wrote one viewer.