A mum breastfed her son until the age of six and had a 'bye bye boobie' party to celebrate stopping. Lauren McLeod, 31, thought she'd stop breastfeeding Bowie, now seven, aged two - but he didn't want to stop. So she breastfed him and sister Tigerlily, now four, at the same time until her and Bowie made a "joint decision" to stop last year.
But she still breastfeeds her daughter twice a day - and says she won't stop until the little girl is "ready". Both Bowie and Tigerlily began having solid foods and water from six months, but Lauren sees breastfeeding as an "added bonus" so continues with feeds too. She believes breastmilk to be a strong immunity booster and a great comfort.
Lauren, a doula, from Perth, Western Australia , said: "Bowie finally finished breastfeeding last year after he turned six. "I wanted one last feed with him and made a cake saying 'bye bye boobies'. It was the end of an era, and it was very emotional, but we both knew it was time.
I wouldn't be surprised if Tigerlily also went on until she was six like her brother, but I will follow her lead." Lauren gave birth to Bowie on August 10 2017 at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, and he weighed 9lbs 3oz. She planned to breastfeed until two, as both she and her husband Anders, 34, a science teacher, had done as babies.
But when Bowie's second birthday rolled around, he was eating solid food and drinking water in the daytimes, but still wanted milk in the evenings before bed. On May 27 2020, .