“I will feed wherever I choose!” Denise Sumpter says. (Twitter)
One mom in the U.K. is getting a lot of attention this week for her decision to breastfeed her 6-year-old daughter.
“I’ll feed Belle as long as she asks,” Denise Sumpter, who is also mom to an 18-month-old son, Beau, tells the Mirror “I don’t know how long that will be. It will be the same with Beau. I don’t think there’s anything weird about it.”
The Mirror says Belle is the oldest child in the U.K. who is still breastfeeding. The paper also claims that she hardly ever gets sick and is gifted at playing the violin, singing, dancing, and school work — which Sumpter credits to “mama’s milk.”
“I have two healthy, bright, confident children who I truly believe have benefitted from breast milk, and continue to do so,” says Sumpter, a PhD student. “There are things I get out of it – like calm, happy children. But I can say with certainty I’ve done this entirely for the benefit of my kids.”
There is no shortage of studies about the health benefits of breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it can help prevent SIDs. It’s been linked to higher IQ scores, lower incidences of childhood obesity, and may decrease the risk of cancer. (Meanwhile another study found little difference between siblings who were breastfed and formula-fed.)
Credits: Yahoo News, Mirror