Time Magazine and AP

[highhopes19]

Another thread out of control and people attacking eachother. These past couple days on here have been INSANE! All I can say on this topic is that I don't agree with it, but if you want to BF a child til that age then go right ahead. It's not like giving a child drugs or beating them.


What has this site turned into??? This should be like the Baby & Drama club

It gets ridiculous on here at times really does , people afraid to write things Incase they get attacked, called sexual for bf, many more but to long to list

 

[leelee]

I don't like the picture at all. I feel the mother did it for the schock value and the child had no say in whether he wanted to be in it. Something also doesn't sit quite right with me with regards how model like the mother looks. Most of us don't look so polished. It just looks fake to me!

I think there are fantastic benefits to breastmilk and if someone wants to feed their child beyond a certain age, then that is great. However, if it were me, I know I would feed the child at home (our special time) and either express or give them water/juice when we were out and about. I'm not saying that's what people should do, but it's what I would do.

Also, I hate the way people label the way they parent. It is a bug bear of mine. I parent using my instincts and love. All I am concerned about is having happy and healthy children. Society seems so obsessed with putting people in boxes and labelling them. It does my head in!

 

[Wantingbbbump]

I breastfeed and I nursed my son until he was 4 months away from being 6 years old!! He loved it and so did I. I loved the bond we had and we still have a huge bond. I will be nursing Airyonna for as long as she wants as well. I feel that if people has a problem with it then it's their issue NOT mine!!

 

[highhopes19]

I'd rather see a baby fed. Seen too many abused children left to starve. I don't know why FF moms think all BFing moms are judging them.

Im a ff mum ive never once felt judged, it's a long decision why I ff, I did choose to but then got to the hospital and changed my mind and wanted to bf but in the end the decision was taken out of my hands when I was very ill after c-section .

Tbh I've seen more bf mums judged on here...

 

[highhopes19]

I'd rather see a baby fed. Seen too many abused children left to starve. I don't know why FF moms think all BFing moms are judging them.

Im a ff mum ive never once felt judged, it's a long decision why I ff, I did choose to but then got to the hospital and changed my mind and wanted to bf but in the end the decision was taken out of my hands when I was very ill after c-section .

Tbh I've seen more bf mums judged on here...

The only thing about the article that may offend ff mums and did make me feel a bit shitty was the title "are you mom enough?" but other than that never felt it before

 

[patch2006uk]

Why should you express for an older child? The actual physical act of BFing encourages the jaw and mouth to develop properly. The whole package of BFing is beneficial, not just the milk.

My 16 month old has asked for milk all his life. Lip smacking as a newborn, rooting, sniffing, crying, and now he signs milk and says 'muh muh muh'. It's no different.

I don't understand why it's such a problem that BFing at an older age is 'just for comfort'. Humans need comfort, closeness. BFing gives it.

 

[Lil_Pixie]

My 5month old asks for milk. By rootin or trying to get his head right into my top

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I think it was a play on "Are you man enough?" Poor choice on the part of Time, but we all know how the media works these days.

 

[CatandKitten]

Yep, there is a lot more to breast feeding than the feeding part. When my little girl is upset nothing calms her as fast as a few suckles at my breast. It makes my DH jealous that I can do that!

 

[Menelly]

I think the picture is Fab! ... I follow some AP techniques but I stopped BF when LO was 15 months old as I felt that it was long enough for us, however I have no opinion on people who want to keep going x

However, the picture looks bad. That is not how mothers breastfeed .

I know and have seen people in our local toddler groups feed their children like this (okay, not with the stool but they do run up to their mothers and pull their tops up for a feed, whether standing or sitting).

that last bit IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!!!

you nurse a baby not a child that can speak.

IMO when the child starts tuggin at the top, liftin it, even physically askin for it is TOO OLD (little britain BITTY comes to mind...) i think its a selfish thing to do. coz that woman wants to prove to everyone about breastfeedin n how its best. Yes agreed, up until around 6 months. there cannot be any benefits in the breast milk (if they still get any) at 3. that poor child as a pp said will be bullied in school for this unfortunately.

I dont have a problem with bf'in infact i regret not bein able to keep it up but at that age.... its gross

Just my opinion. n i no ill be riddled for this...

Gross? Seriously?

Newborn babies "ask" for milk by crying. By 6-9 months they can ask for milk by signing and by tugging at the mother's top. By 1 year they may be able to ask verbally. Why on earth does how they ask make any difference?

And actually there are still lots of nutritional, immunological, neurological and psychological for continuing breastfeeding into toddlerhood and childhood. The WHO recommends that all children should be breastfed until at least 2 and then as long as mutually desired.

Heck, my newborn asks by rooting around and throwing herself to the side, trying to get near my boobs to latch. She's been doing that since she was days old... should I not breastfeed her anymore because she can "ask" for it? (Cause launching herself and opening her mouth is incredibly clearly "Mommy, feed me!")

/sarcasm

Ugh. I hate seeing how people are responding to this. Our local news station had people saying they wanted to have her reported for sexual abuse. Breastfeeding a toddler is NOT sexual abuse! Our society is so weird. Boobs to sell beer is OK. Paris Hilton in a sheer top? HAWT! Baby/toddler using boobs as food source? GROSS!

WTF is wrong with us as a society?

 

[painted_pony]

Just imagine if this were true....

 

[VeryHopeful]

Just imagine if this were true....

I FF and laughed hysterically at that picture.

 

[Menelly]

perhaps it is a sexual thing... i no that my OH likes to 'play' when it comes to intimate time with them. just wouldnt feel right after 2,3,4 or more years i still had a child suckin on them... a significant child, totally different but not the same one

I guess I'm lucky. My boobs are dual function. When my baby is nomming off them, they're a food source (and the best one available for my baby!) When my husband is playing with them, they're play toys and it feels completely different.

So glad I got the dual function variety. Must suck to have single function boobies.

 

[feedindy]

wait that cow has horns... isn't that a boy cow then???!?!?

 

[feedindy]

perhaps it is a sexual thing... i no that my OH likes to 'play' when it comes to intimate time with them. just wouldnt feel right after 2,3,4 or more years i still had a child suckin on them... a significant child, totally different but not the same one

I guess I'm lucky. My boobs are dual function. When my baby is nomming off them, they're a food source (and the best one available for my baby!) When my husband is playing with them, they're play toys and it feels completely different.

So glad I got the dual function variety. Must suck to have single function boobies.

Oh mine are triple function! They look great in a shirt so I can also call them a fashion accessory.

 

[SerenityNow]

Even though I don't really care for the "look" of these photos I don't think it is quite fair to extend that to saying that the mom is exploiting her child or doing it for shock value.

I've never been featured in Time magazine (for some reason ) but I imagine they asked these women if they would be willing to be photographed for an article on EBF and they could only say 'yes' or 'no'. I'm sure they had no say in how they were posed, etc.

I heard an interview this morning with the woman who is tandem nursing in her picture and she took exception to the "Are you mom enough?" headline. I hadn't picked up on the play on words with "Are you man enough". I get it, but either I'm a bit slow or it doesn't read the way Time intended.

 

[Lil_Pixie]

perhaps it is a sexual thing... i no that my OH likes to 'play' when it comes to intimate time with them. just wouldnt feel right after 2,3,4 or more years i still had a child suckin on them... a significant child, totally different but not the same one

I guess I'm lucky. My boobs are dual function. When my baby is nomming off them, they're a food source (and the best one available for my baby!) When my husband is playing with them, they're play toys and it feels completely different.

So glad I got the dual function variety. Must suck to have single function boobies.

It does! Since having LO my dh is scared of them "getting him"

 

[painted_pony]

Now don't freak out, some female cows have horns too, lol

 

[Menelly]

I don't know why FF moms think all BFing moms are judging them.

Well, magazine covers like the one featured here are a good reason/example as to why. It basically says if you aren't breast feeding or attachment parenting then you're not "mom enough." That you're not as good as those who are able to or choose to bf/ap.

I know that my first reaction to seeing the cover was geared toward the title more than the image itself. I could care less about the image, whether I support EB or not. But the title??? It just screams that those of us who choose not to AP are not as good of a parent as those of "you" who do.

That I wholeheartedly agree with. I consider myself pretty AP and I was offended reading it. The "Mommy wars" really should stop. Someone can easily be "Mom enough" with a bottle, a stroller, a crib, and CIO. I hate that the magazine made people feel otherwise.

 

[Menelly]

perhaps it is a sexual thing... i no that my OH likes to 'play' when it comes to intimate time with them. just wouldnt feel right after 2,3,4 or more years i still had a child suckin on them... a significant child, totally different but not the same one

I guess I'm lucky. My boobs are dual function. When my baby is nomming off them, they're a food source (and the best one available for my baby!) When my husband is playing with them, they're play toys and it feels completely different.

So glad I got the dual function variety. Must suck to have single function boobies.

Oh mine are triple function! They look great in a shirt so I can also call them a fashion accessory.

Ooh! Too true. Mine look great in a shirt once I hoist them up with an industrial sized crane bra. I'll go for triple function too!