52 Year Old Mum Under Fire For Breastfeeding Her 7 Yr Old in Public (Photos)

The 52-year-old mother who proudly breastfeeds her six-year-old child by day during school hours has admitted that she has 'been called a paedophile' because of her extreme breastfeeding practices.

But Maha Al Musa, who lives in Byron Bay with her three children and Scottish-born musician partner John Hamilton, says she has never been personally attacked when sitting in public with Aminah openly breastfeeding.

But she believes the criticism of her on Facebook and elsewhere online is an attack on females.

'People can say whatever they like. I know what I am doing as a mother,' Ms Al Musah told Channel 9's Inside Story.

'I've raised three beautiful healthy intelligent well-adjusted children and that's all that matters to me

'I have never had anyone come to me when I am an breastfeeding and say a nasty word against me.

'My heart goes out to people who criticise me and I respect people's criticism. [But] this isn't about breastfeeding children. This is about attack and disrespect of the feminine.'

Mother-of-three Maha Al Musa has caused a storm of comment since she was pictured in Woman's Day in May cradling her primary school age daughter Aminah as she was being breastfed in a park in her school uniform.

Ms Al Musa wrote on her Facebook page at the weekend that daughter Aminah was in the process of making her own decision about breastfeeding.

Aminah, who told Woman's Day her mother's breast milk 'sometimes ... tastes like candy canes. It tastes like a lot of things', is about to turn seven years old.

'My daughter a couple of weeks ago said she felt ready to stop breastfeeding but only maybe do it at night ...!!,' Ms Al Musah wrote on her Facebook page at the weekend.

'I told her to do what works for her ... and I fully support her decision ... this week she has 4 loose teeth.

'She has been breastfeeding at night sometimes for just a minute or two and other nights a little longer and occasionally no breastfeeding.

'In a few months she will be 7 ... how interesting that the natural wean age often corresponds with teeth loss and the age of 7-8?. 'Love this journey in to allowance and acceptance'.

Ms Al Musa, who says she hasn't immunised Aminah because she believes the power of breast milk will protect her, says she would breastfeed her in the school playground if her daughter asked for it.

And Aminah describes breastfeeding as 'my favourite thing to do when I'm not at school. More kids should because it's good for you.'

While Aminah is normally breastfed before she goes to bed, Ms Al Musa said she will feed her wherever and whenever her daughter wants as she was just responding to her natural desire.

Ms Al Musa, who is also a bellydancing while pregnant advocate and has released a book and DVD entitled Dance the Womb, features on The Discovery Channel’s Extreme Breastfeeding series.

Ms Al Musa, who openly posts photos of her breastfeeding Aminah on Facebook, enjoys the bonding time with her daughter and says it keeps her vital.

Aminah told Woman's Day she enjoyed 'sleeping and sucking' her mum's breasts so much that she would probably keep going until she's eight.

Her mother told Facebook followers in February that breastfeeding her school-aged daughter was normal.

'Let child and mother choose what's best for them, their circumstance and family. If we are all choosing then we are all equal,' she wrote alongside a photo of her feeding.

'4-8 (years) is NORMAL age for self weaning.'

Ms Al Musa runs creative arts spiritual birth preparation classes, along with her prenatal belly dance classes.