TV chef Jasmine Hemsley has revealed she breastfed her daughter until she was four and a half years old, while continuing to breastfeed her toddler who is nearly two-years-old
A TV chef and author has ignited debate online after admitting she breastfed her daughter until she was four-years-old.
Jasmine Hemsley, 45, also reveals she still occasionally nurses her toddler son, triggering strong reactions from praise and support to fierce criticism.
In a video posted to Instagram, Jasmine described her journey in detail: “It’s been 4.5 years of continual breastfeeding, including 1 year 7 months of tandem somewhere in the middle.”
She explained that her daughter, Mahi, stopped nursing just weeks before her fourth birthday. Meanwhile, her two-year-old son, Dash, continues to breastfeed too, though Jasmine said he also eats three meals a day and doesn’t rely solely on breast milk.
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Jasmine defended her decision, arguing that breastfeeding beyond infancy is “biologically normal” and pushing back against online trolls.
She said, “Extended breastfeeding of a four-year-old and older is pretty unremarkable in many parts of the world today.”
But not everyone was supportive. Some brutal comments on social media labelled her decision “disgusting,” while others questioned her life balance.
When one critic asked: “Do you not have a life? Make sure you have school-age children nursing on your body until you have your next baby,” Jasmine responded sharply: “Yes I have a life, I have a family, I cook, I clean, I have a job… where on earth have your opinions come from?”
According to the NHS, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for around the first six months, after which formula or complementary feeding can be introduced.
The guidance adds that, should mothers want to continue, there is no fixed age when breastfeeding must stop.
Similarly, the World Health Organization suggests exclusive breastfeeding for six months and recommends continuing breastfeeding along with appropriate solid foods for two years or beyond – though it leaves room for personal choices.
This leaves much of the middle ground open to interpretation and personal beliefs, which can lead to debate.
Jasmine’s followers were divided. Some called her a “supermum” for confidently sticking with what she believed was right for her children.
Others found her choice unsettling or unconventional. The wellness influencer said she has mostly found support from her candid breastfeeding post and is edging only slowly towards stopping.
Other followers penned: “Love this! What a wonderful breastfeeding advocate you are.”
Another wrote: “This is beautiful and so amazing. WTAF is wrong with some people.”
Jasmine added: “I’ve had quite a positive experience, bar the odd glances, but I’ve probably shamed myself more than I’ve been shamed.”
The TV chef, who shot to fame a decade ago with her sister Melissa as the glossy Hemsley + Hemsley duo, said she had never expected to feed her children for so long.
“I honestly thought I’d be done at the one-year mark if it went to plan,” she said.
“Then I kept thinking Mahi would wean when I was pregnant and the taste changed – but nope! Didn’t concern her once.”
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