Breastfeeding Her 7-Year-Old Autistic Son Is Helpful, According To This Mom
Lisa Bridger, an Australian mom of five, has been breastfeeding for a long time.
Lisa Bridger / BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed spoke with Bridger who said, “My kids all tandem-fed, and this is how I’ve been breastfeeding for over 20 years.” She is the mother of a 22-year-old daughter, and sons aged 20, 17, 7, and 4.
Bridger – who had her first child 22 years ago – decided to let her kids decide when they were ready to stop.
Lisa Bridger / BuzzFeed
“I have never set a time frame to breastfeeding, it’s not like I just started feeding a 7-year-old. It’s just flowed since birth,” Bridger said.
Now, at seven years old, Chase – who has been diagnosed with autism – regularly breastfeeds at night to help him sleep and after meltdowns to help him reconnect.
Lisa Bridger / BuzzFeed
She said, “Chase has many sensory issues. It assists him with emotional regulation. It’s no different than finding time to give any other attention or affection.”
Bridger, who works for the organization Occupy Breastfeeding, said breastfeeding is “a lot more than just the milk.”
Facebook: OccupyBreastfeeding
“It’s bonding, comfort, and security for the child.”
But, Bridger has faced a lot of pushback. “I have had a lot of criticism. I attempt to educate or ignore,” she said.
Lisa Bridger / BuzzFeed
“Some of the worst say it’s pedophilia, I’m sick, or I should put it in a cup.”
Bridger said she is proud to breastfeed her 7-year-old. You can follow Occupy Breastfeeding on Facebook or Instagram to learn more.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.