NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

British mum posts videos to encourage others to let older children breastfeed

Daily Mail
7 Nov, 2016 08:16 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Source: YouTube: Sophie's Joy Breastfeeding Mama

A British mother is encouraging other women to consider breastfeeding older children by posting videos of her feeding her four-and-half-year old son.

Sophie Emma Rose, 40, is originally from Blackpool, but now lives in Chiang Mai in Thailand with partner Danny, and son, Shaye.

Rose said her mission is to "normalise breastfeeding older kids" and "wanted to expose it until it becomes part of normal reality'.

"I want other mothers to feel confident about feeding older children", she said.

"I also want mothers to not feel shame and to feel they could do it wherever they want and have no negative comments or fear."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said: "Breastfeeding older children is so important. As well as the nutritional value of breast milk, you also let your child know in a very physical way that you are there for them. It's about the comfort and emotional connection.

"When I look at some of the negative comments on my channel, I'm amazed that some people still feel strongly about how wrong it is to breastfeed a child and share that over YouTube. But I'm going to continue uploading videos.

"I think the work I'm doing affirms other mums who want to breastfeed older kids or babies. I feel the act of me breastfeeding without shame on YouTube sends the message out that it is OK.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Whilst most of my friends think it's ordinary to breastfeed older kids, other people in the world think breastfeeding is crazy, exhibitionism, porn, shocking and ridiculous.

"I want to work with that schism and bring breastfeeding more into the public eye through my videos."

The mother said ending breastfeeding would be 'a withdrawal of my love and nurturing'.
The mother said ending breastfeeding would be 'a withdrawal of my love and nurturing'.

She added: "We have been conditioned in western culture to see breasts as a sexual part of the body, so you see it as sexual when really it's not sexually intimacy at all. I don't feel sexual pleasure when Shaye feeds, it's a nice sensation but not a sexual act."

Rose's YouTube channel Sophie's Joy Breastfeeding Mama has amassed more than eight million views.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Mother harrassed for breastfeeding baby

17 Jun 10:10 PM
Lifestyle

Breastfeeding older children: Is it wrong?

01 Aug 02:00 AM
Lifestyle

The irony of being told not to breastfeed in this mall

09 Aug 11:52 PM
Lifestyle

Mums share awkward ways their children mispronounce words

11 Nov 03:20 AM

As well as breastfeeding Shaye on demand, the 40-year-old regularly shares a bed with him and home schools him.

She commented: "As a child, I wasn't breastfed and was given my own room fairly early on. My parents did their best but they weren't aware of the things we're aware of now in psychology.

"Attachment parenting is about treating a child with dignity and respect and meeting their emotional needs fully. Practices like co-sleeping and breastfeeding make a child feel close and reassured.

"I'll breastfeed Shaye for as long as he wants it - that is the goal. I know that breastfeeding does end - children eventually lose the latch and are not physically able to breastfeed past the age of about seven or eight years old.

"I have no fears that I'm going to be feeding Shaye at 18 years old when he's at university!"

In one video Rose explains how distressed she would be when she no longer breastfeeds Shaye.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said: "It would be upsetting...a withdrawal of my love and nurturing. It would be a significant change for him.

"It would be upsetting and traumatic that time where we have no way of understand or rationalising what's happened and why a mother would withdraw that wonderful supportive loving connection from us. [So] I am going to stay with it and keeping feeding him until he decides he's ready to stop. I am going to continue as it feels like the most loving thing to do."

As well as home-schooling Shaye, Sophie has also raised him on a high-raw vegan diet.

"Homeschooling Shaye involves a lot of play, following his interests and answering his questions. If I can't answer his question, we'll look online or read a book. But I am open to let Shaye try school clubs and activities and see if he likes it.

"Shaye's diet is very healthy and we follow a high-raw vegan diet. For breakfast and lunch, he'll have fruit something like a watermelon followed by a mango and banana smoothie. And he can have as many fruits as he wants all through the day.

"Whilst for dinner, he might have something cooked for example, a curry with rice or potatoes with corn and beans. Or he might have a salad. He likes to take lettuce leaves and wrap them up with tomato, hemp seeds and avocado in."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Addressing questions from her followers about whether Shaye may get teased for her videos, she said: "I hear the concerns but what I want to address is the ease that people accept this bullying exists as though they are powerless against it.

"My question to the people who say Shaye may get bullied...would you accept a situation if your child was getting bullied? Would you continue sending them to same school or do something about it?

"I would not want my child to attend any place where bullying was going on...if I found he was being bullied I would seek a solution or take him out of the club or class where he was getting bullied. I do not have unsafe people in my life.

"I would work with what was happening at the time not some vague fear in the future. Nothing is more important than my child being safe."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

The complex emotions surrounding Mother's Day for many Kiwis

11 May 03:19 AM
Lifestyle

Words of wisdom: Parenting tips from seasoned Kiwi mums

11 May 01:00 AM
Lifestyle

Easy cafe-style French toast with brioche, bacon and berries

10 May 11:00 PM

Sponsored: Top tier tiles - faux or refresh

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
The complex emotions surrounding Mother's Day for many Kiwis

The complex emotions surrounding Mother's Day for many Kiwis

11 May 03:19 AM

The second Sunday of May is painful for many. Here's how some cope.

Words of wisdom: Parenting tips from seasoned Kiwi mums

Words of wisdom: Parenting tips from seasoned Kiwi mums

11 May 01:00 AM
Easy cafe-style French toast with brioche, bacon and berries

Easy cafe-style French toast with brioche, bacon and berries

10 May 11:00 PM
Author Trent Dalton on coming back to NZ and the power of optimism

Author Trent Dalton on coming back to NZ and the power of optimism

10 May 07:00 PM
Sponsored: How much is too much?
sponsored

Sponsored: How much is too much?

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP