Dayna, who has been breastfeeding for 13 years, exclusively told Express.co.uk that she breastfed her older children until they were three years old.
She explained: “I first began breastfeeding 13 years ago, and in that time I’ve noticed a cultural shift in the way people view breastfeeding.”
However, breastfeeding in public remains a controversial topic and the mother of five has had negative experiences in the past.
She said: “I would often have people ask or suggest that I go breastfeed in another room if I fed my baby in front of others. I would politely decline.
“I would just give people the energy that they give to me; I’ve had friends experience awful comments which is just shocking as mothers are already going through enough than to hear somebody else’s opinion that has no effect on them whatsoever.”
Dayna believes breastfeeding should be normalised well into toddlerhood as it is “biologically normal”.
She said: “Continuing breastfeeding past two years old has so many benefits if both mum and child are happy to continue their journey together.
“The best part of breastfeeding into toddlerhood include prolonged bonding, nutritional benefits, ability to evoke a sense of calmness and winding downtime quickly, reduction of risk to certain childhood illnesses, protection from illness.”
The worst part for her is that “there may be a delay in the return to your cycle which would delay falling pregnant again”.
“Also, breastfeeding a toddler while pregnant for me personally was difficult as I had hypersensitive nipples and the act of feeding him hurt and was very uncomfortable and in which case we cut down feeding a lot.”
Dayna explained that she will continue breastfeeding her children “until we’re ready to begin to wean or one of us is ready”.
She added: “Breastfeeding is a mutual relationship and the mother or child may no longer wish to continue feeding for whatever reason.
“Breastfeeding your child into toddlerhood is completely biologically normal and in fact what nature intended us to do.
“Of course, some mothers may choose not to breastfeed or are unable to and that is their journey but breastfeeding into toddlerhood are other mothers and their children’s journeys as well and is completely normal.
“Mothers need more support and acceptance for their decisions to breastfeeding into toddlerhood.”
