41-Year-Old Nicole Curtis Says She’s Still Breastfeeding 3-Year-Old Son Harper

Nicole Curtis, 41, told PEOPLE she is still breastfeeding Harper, who turned 3 in May and continues to co-sleep with him.

The Rehab Addict star is breastfeeding him less frequently, though, as a result of her practicing baby-led weaning, which is the practice in which children who are still breastfeeding or taking a bottle are encouraged to self-feed appropriate finger foods rather than being slowly introduced to purées with a spoon.

While some moms might prefer to breastfeed until their baby decides to self-wean, the courts don’t always agree. Rehab Addict star Nicole Curtis told People she will breastfeed her toddler until he’s ready to stop. The courts, however, awarded her ex, Shane Maguire, visitation, despite her desire to breastfeeding exclusively. Maguire claimed she was using breastfeeding to limit his time with their son. The courts agreed, viewing his right to spend time with his baby as more important than her desire to breastfeed. source

According to the World Health Organization, exclusive breastfeeding for six months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter, infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.