I had a 'bye bye boobie' party for my 6yo breastfed son

"Western society has made mums feel like they are doing something wrong for continuing this act."

Lauren McLeod hosted a party when her son stopped breastfeeding, Source: SWNS

An Aussie mum has marked the end of her breastfeeding journey with a party for her son. After six years of breastfeeding him, it should have been a party for her!

Lauren McLeod, 31, had assumed that her first child would wean himself off breastfeeding at around two. Bowie, now seven, had other plans. He continued breastfeeding even after his sister, Tigerlily, came along three years later. 

So once the mother-of-two, in conversation with her son, decided to close the chapter on their breastfeeding journey, she couldn't help but mark the occasion. She made her son a "bye-bye boobie" brownie cake- with nipples - to commemorate the end of the era. 

“We both knew this day was coming, and we were ready, but it was still really sad for us both to say goodbye to such a special time in our lives,” she said as she presented him with the brownie cake.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

RELATED: Mum holds ‘weaning party’ after three years of breastfeeding

"I would still be feeding him at the age of five"

While her son was only feeding for a few minutes once a week at bedtime, she realised that their journey was ending. They discussed the date, and she shared that she was happy "we ended on a positive note."

After having the cake, Bowie had his final feed, where they talked about their favourite memories. 

When Lauren became pregnant with her second child, she said she was" open-minded" about continuing her breastfeeding journey. 

"My milk did dry up at around 15 weeks pregnant, but he just kept feeding like nothing had changed.

"When I had Bowie, I had no idea that I would still be breastfeeding him at the age of five — not that there was anything wrong with it, I just never imagined myself doing that," she said. 

"I need to stop...but that's just on a bad day"

Lauren never considered formula feeding, not because she was against it, but because tandem breastfeeding "just worked" for her family and both kids. 

“There have absolutely been moments where the kids have been older where I’ve thought, ‘Oh my god, I can’t do this anymore. I need to stop,” she said.

“But that’s just on a bad day. I’m happy with our journey and open to it changing whenever it needs to change.”

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

RELATED: I want to breastfeed my husband, so considered a fourth baby

"I can't watch this reel in full"

Another reason for documenting her journey was to help normalise breastfeeding past infancy, adding that "Western society has made mothers feel like they are doing something wrong for continuing this act."

Lauren said she usually gets supportive messages and has never had negative comments in person but gets comments online labelling breastfeeding past infancy as “gross”, “disgusting”, and “perverted”.

A brownie to mark the end of an era. Source: SWNS

"Six months post-weaning, and I can’t watch this reel in full just yet! Sending you so much love, what a journey," one supportive mother wrote. 

Another reconsidered weaning after seeing Lauren's journey: "Right in the feels! Thought I was certain I was ready to wean my 4.5 yo, now second guessing."

While Bowie is no longer breastfeeding, her daughter still is, "so we’ll see whether she keeps going for as long as her brother did."

Originally published as I had a 'bye bye boobie' party for my 6yo breastfed son