Any mammal on earth has the ability to breastfeed. It is a natural act of providing nutrients to newborns through breast milk by mothers. The breastmilk has all the nutrients necessary for the baby to grow and develop.
The World Health Organization says that breastfeeding is only beneficial for the child until 2 years of age. The infant solely depends on breastfeeding until 6 months of age, after which other food sources can be given along with breast milk.
However, some mothers have rejected these findings and decided to breastfeed their kids for longer periods of time. There are no proven medical drawbacks to breastfeeding toddlers, but it is not much accepted by society. So, hold on to your hats; here are the 3 oldest known breastfed children. You’ll find some popular names here!
3. Fred Bialik
Last Age Known to Have Been Breastfed: 4 years old
Mother’s Name: Mayim Bialik
Country: USA
photo source: Daily Mail
The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that babies should be nursed exclusively for the first six months or so, after which nursing should be continued while introducing supplementary meals until the kid is 12 months old or older.
For the past four years, however, Mayim Bialik has been nursing her son Fred, but that time for bonding is now over. The Big Bang Theory actress, who recently divorced, described how she finally weaned her young son in a blog post for the Jewish parenting website Kveller. According to Bialik, it offered the finest nourishment, caring, and connection ever.
Did You Know?
Since Mayim Bialik was prone to obstructed ducts throughout most of her nursing relationship, as she recounted in an interview, Fred often nursed from both sides toward the conclusion of breastfeeding.
2. Chanel Austin
Last Age Known to Have Been Breastfed: 5 years old
Mother’s Name: Coco Austin
Country: America
photo source: US Magazine
In 2021, Coco Austin affirmed that she had no immediate intentions to quit nursing her 5-year-old daughter, Chanel, and said it served as bonding time for them. Austin responded that Chanel still enjoys her breasts when questioned in an interview about her prolonged nursing.
According to the model, she occasionally breastfeeds her baby and lets her eat solid things like steak and hamburgers.
In the lengthy description of an Instagram image posted in March 2020, Austin previously responded to critics of her prolonged breastfeeding by stating that Chanel, who was 4 at the time, feeds “simply for comfort.” At the time, Austin’s snapshot of Chanel nursing garnered a mixed response on Instagram.
Some of her 3 million fans thought it was “great” that she was still nursing Chanel, while other internet users said it was “not healthy” for the kid to nurse on.
Did You Know?
Ice-T, a rapper, has been Austin’s husband for approximately 20 years.
1. Charlotte Spink
Last Age Known to Have Been Breastfed: 10 years old
Mother’s Name: Sharon Spink
Country: UK
photo source: Yahoo
For this list, a child named Charlotte Spink is considered the oldest known kid to have been breastfed.
Sharon Spink, a mother of four, argued that nursing daughter Charlotte up until earlier than 10 years old was quite normal, which solidified their relationship for the rest of their lives.
Despite having breastfed for over ten years, she said she is glad that her daughter decided on her own to quit.
Sharon, a proponent of natural-term weaning, asserts that Charlotte is healthy and seldom gets sick because of the advantages of breast milk. Additionally, Sharon wants to erase the stigma associated with nursing older children since she knows many moms are doing it despite criticism from others who have accused her of abusing children.
There was no most recent information about them since the last news about them surfaced in 2018.
Did You Know?
Charlotte was nursing thrice a day by the time she was five years old, but this has decreased to only once a month over the past four years.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is absolutely normal and is necessary for an infant’s growth. But when it crosses the medically recommended age, it is often looked down upon. However, extending breastfeeding is also said to be beneficial for the mother’s health as well. Children who are breastfed for a longer time are often said to be more immune to certain illnesses.
While the benefits of nursing your child till 10 years old are not proven, we cannot say anything for sure. It is always optimal to follow your doctor’s instructions. One day, more studies might come to back up these facts. Until then, it’d be wise to follow what WHO says as healthy!
