Breastfeeding case ends as mother regains custody.(Chicago Tribune)

URBANA, Ill. _ A mother who lost custody of her 6-year-old son for allegedly breastfeeding him against his will was legally reunited with the child Wednesday by a Champaign County judge, ending a controversial case about what constitutes appropriate parenting.

Circuit Judge Ann A. Einhorn returned legal custody to the mother after a 6-month separation, finding that it was in the boy's best interest. The ruling allows the child to remain at his second-floor apartment home in Champaign, where he has been since Friday on an extended, unsupervised visit recently granted by the court.

Though extended breastfeeding and co-sleeping were central themes in the unusual custody battle, Einhorn said the case was really about "a parent helping a child to be appropriately independent."

She added: "I'm prepared to let them (the mother and child) go forward."

The mother, armed with several thick binders with information on breastfeeding, smiled and afterward thanked the judge with a nod from her chair. But she declined to comment on the decision. Einhorn has asked those involved in the proceedings not to talk about the case outside of court to protect the child's identity.

"We're pleased he's home with his mother where he belongs," said Julia Rietz, one of the mother's attorneys. "Our client will cooperate with the orders for the court and do what is best for her son, which is what she has always done."

On Wednesday, the boy, a bright, engaging 1st grader, went to a friend's house to play after school, while his mother was in court. Since returning home on Friday he has been playing inside because of the weather, his mother said, watching Pokemon videos, reading and playing with new Christmas toys, including a Batman figurine.