Coco Austin Defends Breastfeeding Daughter At Five Years Old

It seems to come up about once a year, with Coco Austin having previously defended her decision to continue breastfeeding her daughter Chanel when she was three and then four years old.

Now, Coco is speaking out yet again with Chanel five years old and still breastfeeding in a new interview with Us Weekly. She also revealed at what point she intends to stop, while emphasizing that her breast milk is by no means Chanel’s only means of nourishment at this point.

According to Coco, her daughter eats “steak and hamburgers.” At the same time, “Chanel still likes my boobs,” said Coco, so breastfeeding is available because she “likes a little snack every now and then.”

“It’s a big bonding moment for a mother and your child,” Coco explained.

Breastfeeding beyond a certain age can be a controversial choice, but ultimately is a decision between mother and child and any involved healthcare professionals. For now, Coco seems to be letting her daughter make the call.

“Why take that away from her?” she said of breastfeeding. “If she doesn’t want it, all right, that’s where you stop it. But I’m not just going to say no.”

While defending her family’s choice in March 2020 — she occasionally shares breastfeeding photos to her Instagram page — Coco said that Chanel was mainly nursing at that point “just for comfort,” while also saying that some European moms don’t wean their children off the breast until seven years old.

In October 2019, Coco spoke about her decision to continue breastfeeding Chanel with InTouch, telling the outlet that she fully expects Chanel to know when it’s time to stop. “When she doesn’t want me, she’s going to not want me,” she noted.

“Believe me, she’s not going to be like 16 and be like, ‘Mom, can I have the boob? and then a car,” Coco continued. “She’s going to go through a time in her life where she’s like, ‘Okay, I got this Mom, I don’t need you.’ And right now she still wants me so I’m just going to accept it.”

Nearly two years later, Coco clearly has the same attitude about it.