My e/mail was read out on This Morning today!

[emkana]

Am very excited!

This is what I had written:

I saw with interest that you?re planning to discuss extended breastfeeding on your programme tomorrow.

I have now been continuously breastfeeding for nearly four years ? I breastfed my first daughter, who is nearly four, until she was two years four months ? until she herself decided that she didn?t want to breastfeed anymore. I am still breastfeeding my second daughter, who is 21 months old, and will probably continue until she, too, decides to stop of her own accord. I tandemfed my two for six weeks after my younger daughter was born.

Both children are extremely healthy, happy children. Contrary to the popular prejudices about extended breastfeeding they are not particularly clingy or dependent on me. My older daughter attends playgroup and preschool four times a week, and she has never once cried when I left her.

Unfortunately I feel that I can no longer breastfeed my toddler in public, as I am aware of the negative feelings that exist against extended breastfeeding in this country. I think this is such a shame, especially considering the fact that the WHO recommends breastfeeding for at least two years, and after that for as long as mother and child wish, because of the many many health benefits that extended breastfeeding offers to mother and child.

I look forward to seeing the discussion on your programme tomorrow, and sincerely hope that it will present a balanced and well-informed view of the subject matter.

Fern Britton just said how long I had been feeding and then quoted the sentences about them being independent and not very clingy, contrary to popular prejudices, and about not feeling happy to feed in public.

The rest was left out, which is fair enough.

I was very pleased that they presented such a balanced, altogether positive view of extended b/feeding.

[MarsLady]

Well done you!

[hunkermunker]

Fantastic! I missed the bloody programme after all that! Tell me more about it!

[handlemecarefully]

Good on you emkana. Can I have your autograph?

[nailpolish]

that is exciting! im sorry i missed that, i meant to watch it

[Aragon]

What a pleasant change after that bloody "Loose Women" programme.

[pixiefish]

Excellent emkana

[emkana]

hunkermunker - they had three longterm breastfeeders there who talked about their experiences and a psychologist who breastfed for over 2 years. All very positive, apart from a couple of loony e/mails they read out ( no, not mine ).