Mom Shamed Online For Breastfeeding Her Four-Year-Old Son

People are constantly shaming moms for every little thing they decide to do. It's not a surprise that breastfeeding is something that people shame them for, too. Even fellow moms will shame one another, or get into arguments online over the "best way" to feed your baby.

Many moms opt for breastfeeding because experts agree that it's a great way to get nutrients from the mother to the baby, and encourages bonding.

Other moms use formula because they are unable to breastfeed or choose not to. However, there's no "right way" to feed a baby. A doctor will help moms decide the best feeding plan for their baby.

Some moms choose to breastfeed up until their child starts solid foods, and other moms keep going well into the toddler years. There are many moms who are curious as to what the "right" age is to stop breastfeeding altogether.

Riona O'Connor, a mom from the U.K., posted a photo that showed her breastfeeding her four-year-old son on Facebook.

Using her background in the performing arts, O'Connor's Facebook page features blog posts, original memes, and videos about O'Connor's life as a mom.

Even though O'Connor gives her 160,000 fans on Facebook a humorous take on motherhood, she's also not afraid to show the raw truth.

A number of her posts have tackled issues related to postpartum life, body image, and — breastfeeding.

In July 2019, O'Connor posted the photo to wish her son a happy birthday.

“I never thought that when the midwife first laid him on my breast that I would still be doing this 4 years later," she wrote in the photo's caption.

There were many moms who applauded this momma for continuing to nurture and feed her baby, despite breastfeeding being so difficult and tiresome. They wrote in to wish her son a happy birthday, too.

Some people commented on this mom's Facebook saying that continuing to breastfeed her son is almost "abusive behavior." One person said, "If the child is old enough to tell you that they are thirsty, then they are too old to breastfeed."

Overall, O'Connor's post generated about 3,500 comments on Facebook.

Despite the backlash, O'Connor stood by her decision to continue breastfeeding.

"It's just nobody's business really," she said in an interview after her photo went viral. "I'll just stop when my little boy wants to stop."

Over a million people saw O'Connor's photo, and thousands reacted to it on Facebook. She took the time to thank those who sent her positive words of encouragement.

O'Connor took the attention in stride and said she was glad that her photo helped normalize extended breastfeeding.

"I never thought I'd get to help [normalize] breastfeeding and extended breastfeeding or natural term weaning," she said in a Facebook post.

O'Connor added that, after seeing her photo, many breastfeeding moms reached out to her and thanked her as they had been shamed for breastfeeding, themselves.

In July 2020, she revealed that she is still breastfeeding both of her children, who are now one and five. She said she has no plans of stopping until they are ready.

"It was never my intention to breastfeed this long, nor did I have an end date in mind. It’s just happened this way and I’m so happy that it did," she said in a Facebook post.

While we may disagree with how some parents choose to raise their children, it's not always our place to judge them. As long as a child is healthy and thriving, who are we to judge, right?