Ok ladies, I think this thread has gotten off topic! The real topic was the actual picture. Many of us, like myself, have no problem with extended breast feeding, even if it is not necessarily for us. Personally I would express at that point, but I don't think a mother is wrong for choosing to breastfeed instead. However, I think putting your almost 4 year old son in a shock value photo on the cover of a magazine is wrong. And I feel that is what we are debating here, the picture.
I don't think it is right to judge or call people disgusting (although I used that word to describe the mother putting her child in a shock value photo-and that had nothing to do with her BFing him..just putting him in that photo) and I also hope people realize how much crap us FF moms get. I couldn't breast feed past 7 weeks. I drove myself insane and spent a fortune trying and felt awful about myself, and will never get back those 7 weeks with dd. And I was so tired of people saying "you can do it, you just have to stick with it...don't supplement, it will make it worse" Lucky for me I had friends whose little ones ended up in ER due to them listening to the extreme pro breastfeeders and didn't want to disappoint. What is also bad about that is since people keep pushing us and telling us we can do it, we feel like even more of a failure when we can't. I still get people asking me every day if I am breastfeeding, and sometimes dh and I lie because I hate having people judge me for formula feeding and I am sick of having to explain myself. I am also embarrassed to feed dd in public because I dont want people to see me using a bottle of formula. So please ladies, the judging goes both ways and don't think it doesn't....just let's please do our best not to judge each other. We are all good mom's and are trying to raise out children the best we can. As for this thread, let's try to keep it about the picture/article rather than putting each other down.
As for reporting one of the posters, again I think things need to be fair wobbles. I have seen other threads of people getting attacked where you have said nothing(actually took their side) because it wasn't something you disagreed with. If you allow people to attack someone for putting rice cereal in a 3 month old's bottle, then you shouldn't freak out when someone makes rude comments about EB. All attacks are wrong and should be handled the same way, whether you agree with the subject or not.
Erm, you've mentioned this going off topic, but have then started talking about FF, which is absolutely not relevent to the discussion.
Lets not make this into
another BF v FF debate...
The child in the photo is 3. Would it be more acceptable if the child were a baby in arms?
I know, I mentioned FF to discuss that on both sides we have negative comments coming our way and it should stop.
I think the photo would have been more appropriate if it looked more natural and loving. Not a kid staring at a camera. The photo was done for shock value, and in my opinion to use your son like that is not right. I would have been perfectly fine of a natural breast feeding photo of a mother and three year old.
Of course the photo was done for shock value. I am not sure why (on your later post) the editor's comments come as any suprise to people. They are in the business of selling magazines, they exploit anyone they feature in their magazine in order to make money, man, woman, child, celebrity or 'average' person. That is how it works. They want a catchy headline and they want to grab people's attention, either in a positive or negative way, whatever will get the biggest reaction and get the most people to buy the magazine.
I can't see how a more 'natural' photo would really be any less shocking (because most of the naysayers have a problem with a three year old being breastfed full stop) or likely to result in the child being bullied less. As it happens and as I have said, I don't think this will result in bullying for the child, so if no harm is coming to the child then I don't think it really matters whether they are being 'exploited' or not. Strictly speaking, we're exploiting our child every time we ask them to smile for the camera and any sort of pose for a photo for a magazine is certainly exploitation.
Good or bad publicity, this gets it into the public eye that three year olds (and older children) actually get breastfed and as the Mother's aren't being arrested for child abuse, then it's clearly not a welfare issue, so it gets that in the public eye too. I think the photograph is much better publicity for breastfeeding than if they'd shown a 'stereotypical Mum' breastfeeding looking all lovingly at her child, because it not only challenges people's views of the 'sort' of Mums who breastfeed, but shows all types of women do it.
It's the lack of tact in how she said it. I'm fine if you don't agree with extended breastfeeding, formula feed, push your child, wear your child. I won't say you're poisoning your child by FF though.
) If people are shocked by the fact that women BF their children 3+ then you not really softening the blow with this highly provocative picture 
The lady in the picture has fab boobs (envy 
As i have said in my last post,i think the fact this women is BF still is just wonderful but the picture just wasnt that nice and adds to the superfical society we have now...
