Written by Veronika Robinson, Editor, The Mother magazine ~ as seen on Richard and Judy, Channel Four, February 1st, 2006
“My family’s story is simple. We chose to let our daughters wean themselves when they were ready. They both weaned at a similar age. Bethany was seven (despite stating on the documentary that she was five) and Eliza was a couple of months shy of her eighth birthday. Bethany drew huge media attention by the fact she requested to breastfeed for a 9th birthday present. The media played on her statement that breastmilk is better than a million melons. Better than mango, even.
In the media frenzy around the publicity, there were many factual errors. The Daily Mail, to whom I gave an interview, fabricated quotes left, right and centre and in one particular quote, wrote the exact opposite of what I said. They hounded me for a family photo on the day of my mother in law’s funeral. Not only was my story fabricated, but the other two women involved also had their stories altered in favour of how the Daily Mail thinks their stories should be! In Sophie’s case, they stated (wrongly) that breastfeeding caused the break-up of her first marriage.
I also gave an exclusive interview to NOW magazine by email, but they too, sadly, managed to misquote and change the tone of what I said, despite it being written in black and white.
It was an honour to be a guest on the Richard and Judy show a few hours before the documentary went to air. They publicly stated that they could find no medical or psychology expert to come out against full term breastfeeding. Of course they couldn’t! Studies show that it is psychologically beneficial to breastfeed this way.”
The longest I have breastfed a child was my oldest daughter Allison who was four and a half when I pried her off. I would have let her continue, but I was expecting my fourth and still nursing Jeff, and just felt like I was overwhelmed being pregnant and nursing two children. She did NOT want to wean, but we convinced her it was best for the new baby.
I am still nursing three year old Ben. He just loves to nurse all day long.
I was a columnist for Veronikas magazine for a couple months. Subscribe if you can, it is an excellent introduction to all facets of natural Mothering.

Jenny Hatch
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“Helen Neumann remembers running into her parents’ bedroom during a nighttime thunderstorm and climbing into their bed. Four years old, she opened the snaps of her mother’s flowered flannel nightgown and nursed. “I remember it as warmth,” explains Helen, who lives in Iowa City. “The flannel was soft; I felt safe there.”
Although her older sister weaned herself at 11 months, Helen continued to nurse at night until she was about five years old. Now, at age 30, with a baby of her own, Helen is still close to her mother, talking to her on the phone almost every day and visiting frequently.”