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Coco Austin says she still breastfeeds her 5-year-old daughter

"You know what? The boo boo makes me sleep," Chanel said.
/ Source: TODAY

Coco Austin doesn't care what other people think, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.

The mom, who welcomed daughter Chanel with husband Ice-T in November 2015, revealed she is still breastfeeding her 5-year-old and doesn't plan on stopping.

"Chanel still likes my boob. She's 5 years old," Austin told Us Weekly. "A lot of people are like, 'Oh, you're not getting the nutrition after 2 years old. Why do it?' And I'm like, My child's eating steak and hamburgers. She just likes a little snack every now and then and more of the bonding between the mother. Why take that away from her?"

Austin, 42, said the routine is less about nutrition and more about comfort.

"She loves on it and it's not like she's getting milk from it, but she's getting her little snack and it's kind of soothing her to sleep," Austin said.

"I don't want to deprive her of something she wants just because society says you need to stop after 2," Austin shared.

There's no "magic" age when moms should stop breastfeeding, said labor and delivery nurse and internationally board certified lactation consultant Hillary Sadler: It should happen when both mother and child are ready.

Sadler told TODAY Parents that there is a stigma about breastfeeding beyond the first year in the United States.

"I hear all the time moms feel pressured or moms who stopped breastfeeding early because they felt the pressure of the world judging them," she said.

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re weaning at three months or three years, if you’re not mentally and emotionally ready, you’re going to regret it," Sadler said. "But it does get harder to wean the older they get."

It's not the first time Austin has talked about her views on breastfeeding. In November 2020, the television personality posted a meme to her Instagram account indicating no end in sight.

Little Chanel even shared her own opinion of the situation.

"You know what? The boo boo makes me sleep," she said.

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