Tegan Hartley from Pimpama called disgusting for breastfeeding five-year-old calls for women to stop tearing each other down

A Gold Coast mother-of-five has been the victim of a vicious online attack for her stance on breastfeeding. Now she says the “horrific” and “shaming” comments have to stop.

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A YOUNG mum labelled “disgusting” for breastfeeding her five-year-old is calling on women to “stop tearing each other down” and be accepting of each other’s differences.

“You can have an opinion but there’s no need for name calling, especially when it comes to breastfeeding, there’s already enough stigmas around it and it has to stop,” said Tegan Hartley.

The mother-of-five shared an online post on a mother’s group celebrating five years of breastfeeding her daughter Sahara, who was born premature at 34 weeks weighing just 1.5kg. Unable to breastfeed her baby, she was formula-fed until she was eight weeks old.

“My three older children, including a set of premature twins, were all formula fed but I really wanted to get Sahara on my breastmilk and although it wasn’t easy, I did and it’s been amazing,” said Mrs Hartley.

“She’s only on every other day and mainly for comfort, but I am a big believer in self-weaning and she doesn’t want to yet. I’m not doing this for me, in fact I can’t wait until she no longer wants to but she will be the one who decides when to stop.”

Tegan Hartley with her children Jayden 10, Sahara 5, Jameson 2, Indigo 7 and Zakariah 7 at Pimpama. Photograph: Jason O'Brien.

Her youngest child Jameson, who is two-and-a-half, is also still breastfeeding, but more regularly than his sister.

Mrs Hartley said reactions to her post were “horrific and shaming”, with a comment calling her “disgusting” liked by 60 other mothers in the group. Hundreds of others supported her “choice” but said they wouldn’t do it past the age of two.

The Pimpama local said she believed the hate was coming from people who sexualised breasts, when in fact their sole function was to supply milk.

“Boobs are overly sexualised, particularly by younger generations, but they are literally feeding tools, lumps of fat in your chest that contain milk for our children,” she said.

Mrs Hartley said having her first child at 16 to her childhood sweetheart meant she had “thick skin” and was no stranger to unsolicited opinions.

“But there’s others out there like me, I know there is, who might not have the courage to carry on breastfeeding because they’re worried about what others think,” she said.

“I don’t want to encourage people to do something they don’t want to do, but I just want to normalise breastfeeding for longer because it’s not as weird as people think.

“Women also need to stop shaming those who formula feed, when we tear each other down it gives some men more power to do it.”

The World Health Organisation and UNICEF strongly encourages early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that solids be introduced at six months “together with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond”.

Tegan Hartley with her children Jayden 10, Sahara 5, Jameson 2, Indigo 7 and Zakariah 7 at Pimpama. Photograph: Jason O’Brien.

Australian Breastfeeding Association Queensland Branch president Kath Angus said it made sense to build children’s bones from the milk that was designed for them.

“Breastfeeding is a parenting factor which has been associated with child emotional development, in particular the attachment between children and their mothers. It’s an all-purpose mothering tool you won’t want to be without,” she said.

Ms Augus said governments at all levels undervalued breastfeeding to the point that they didn’t even collect statistics on how often it occurred.

“We do know, from experience with many families, that breastfeeding beyond two rarely happens out in the open. It’s often first thing in the morning or right before bed,” she said.

“It’s not usually in shopping centres and public parks and offices. As a society we don’t see it and as a result, many people believe it isn’t normal.

“But it is definitely normal, it’s definitely healthy, and we’re here to support women, no matter where their breastfeeding journey takes them.”

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