Serena Williams asked mums on Twitter how long they breastfed their babies, as the thought of stopping made her feel “emotional”.
The new mum, 36, asked the question alongside a tender snap of her cradling her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. who was born on 1 September.
“Fellow mums: How long did you breastfeed?” she tweeted on 6 December. “Is it weird that I get emotional when I even just think about when it’s time to stop?”
The replies to the tweet, which had nearly 10,000 likes, showed that Williams was most definitely not “weird” for feeling emotional about this decision.
Many agreed that every child is different, and there is no “right age” to stop.
The NHS recommends that you breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first six months of their life. The World Health Organisation agrees, recommending: “Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.”
“There is no right or wrong way to stop breastfeeding,” the NHS states. “For lots of mothers and babies, stopping breastfeeding happens gradually as the child grows and eats more solid foods.”
For more information on how to stop breastfeeding, read our guide here.
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