People Magazine Article about Breastfeeding after 12 Months

[Chocolate Cake]

I breast fed my children. I am a strong supporter of breast feeding. But taking pictures of "school aged" children in their underwear while sucking on their mother's breast is just wrong to me.

I think People dropped the ball here.

http://www.people.com/article/moms-breastfeeding-after-12-months

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm always surprised by the deep entrenchment around the idea that the child will decide when they're done with it, as if that is or should be the definitive pronouncement. Is this truly the defining measure of the issue -- or the multitude of issues in parenting? Somehow I don't find it the decisive argument closer it's clearly intended to be.

Note: I say this as a mother who breastfed both children beyond 12 months myself.

 

[emer95]

I breast fed my kids too, for one year. I also am a huge supporter of breastfeeding. I agree that the pictures (especially with the oldest child) are a little much. Those kids are going to hate those pictures when they grow up.

 

[tzolkin]

There is a huge stigma associated with breastfeeding beyond a year, so I can see addressing that.

 

[KateP85]

For the most part, I don't care how long people breastfeed for (if they choose to at all), it's none of my business. I breastfed my son for 12 months, my plan is to do the same with the baby I'm carrying now, and that's my choice, no one else's. However, I do think perhaps these mothers should think before allowing these photos to be taken. Some of those are NOT going to be happy with these photos being out there when they're older.

 

[KateP85]

Just wanted to note that nowhere in the article does it say any of these children are "school aged." The only age mentioned is an "almost 3 year old". Maybe I missed something?

There is a huge stigma associated with breastfeeding beyond a year, so I can see addressing that.

I agree, it's good for people to talk about this. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, although I never would do it (I was desperate for my body to be mine again after being pregnant for nine months, then breastfeeding another year!) I just think perhaps the parents should think about how their kids might feel about the photos when they're older.

 

[gwynne]

I breast fed my children. I am a strong supporter of breast feeding. But taking pictures of "school aged" children in their underwear while sucking on their mother's breast is just wrong to me.

I think People dropped the ball here.

http://www.people.com/article/moms-breastfeeding-after-12-months

Pieces like this help sell magazines. The moms get widespread attention to themselves and to an issue that seems very important to them.
The kids? Gosh, I think some of these children will be quite embarrassed by this article in the many years to come. It's out there for good. Sad that no one cared to protect their privacy.

(And for the record I'm not anti-BF. I just think that this kind of exposure of the children wasn't necessary.)

 

[tzolkin]

Pieces like this help sell magazines. The moms get widespread attention to themselves and to an issue that seems very important to them.
The kids? Gosh, I think some of these children will be quite embarrassed by this article in the many years to come. It's out there for good. Sad that no one cared to protect their privacy.

To be fair, the photos were taken as a part of The Honest Body Project (which features things like birth, bottlefeeding, cancer, scars, etc) not for People magazine. The photo series was also from August of last year, but the article just came out in People yesterday.

I'm sure the mothers don't think there's anything to be embarrassed about, and don't believe the photos will cause lasting issues for their children.

 

[cabanafrau]

Pieces like this help sell magazines. The moms get widespread attention to themselves and to an issue that seems very important to them.
The kids? Gosh, I think some of these children will be quite embarrassed by this article in the many years to come. It's out there for good. Sad that no one cared to protect their privacy.

(And for the record I'm not anti-BF. I just think that this kind of exposure of the children wasn't necessary.)

IMO it flies in the face of the firm stance of following the child's wants/needs, being so in tune with the child's wants/needs. I feel it's likely to cause a feeling of betrayal in the future as the child comes to understand the parent made this choice while being in the position of having an adult capability to consider not only their current agenda, but also a capability to understand the great likelihood of the conflict of the agenda's needs with that of the growing child's right to have their image protected as the primary interest, surpassing any agenda.

 

[mnrose]

I am a big supporter of breast feeding as long as it is mutually agreeable to mother and child, but taking photos of older kids? Probably not the best idea.

 

[kidshop]

IMO it flies in the face of the firm stance of following the child's wants/needs, being so in tune with the child's wants/needs. I feel it's likely to cause a feeling of betrayal in the future as the child comes to understand the parent made this choice while being in the position of having an adult capability to consider not only their current agenda, but also a capability to understand the great likelihood of the conflict of the agenda's needs with that of the growing child's right to have their image protected as the primary interest, surpassing any agenda.[/QUOTE

I totally agree! This is nothing wrong with or sexual about breastfeeding even past 12 months. I ended up nursing well past my goal of 2 years. But to put a picture in people magazine? I think the pictures are sweet, they make me a little teary. But not for everyone's eyes.

 

[Turn the Page]

I'm always surprised by the deep entrenchment around the idea that the child will decide when they're done with it, as if that is or should be the definitive pronouncement. Is this truly the defining measure of the issue -- or the multitude of issues in parenting? Somehow I don't find it the decisive argument closer it's clearly intended to be.

Note: I say this as a mother who breastfed both children beyond 12 months myself.

I have to say, I agree. I can understand letting the child decide when to give up things like breastfeeding and pacifiers and diapers and cosleeping to a certain degree but at some point it can get a little ridiculous. My stepdaughter being a prime example. She was given a bottle until she was 3 because she would scream if they took it away and she was not potty trained until about her 4th birthday because she didn't want to and nobody felt the need to push it. Unfortunately, by then, the bottle feeding and pull up habits had become habits that were even harder to break.

I truly believe at some point it becomes necessary for parents to make decisions like that.

 

[Andtototoo]

For the most part, I don't care how long people breastfeed for (if they choose to at all), it's none of my business. I breastfed my son for 12 months, my plan is to do the same with the baby I'm carrying now, and that's my choice, no one else's. However, I do think perhaps these mothers should think before allowing these photos to be taken. Some of those are NOT going to be happy with these photos being out there when they're older.

They agree to have these photos taken because they think it will help prove that they win The Best Mother Ever Award.

 

[EMom]

DH was not raised around little kids and knew very little about them, while I had tons in my family. We'd been married a short time when he came home from work and asked out of the blue how long you should breastfeed a baby. I said doctors were going back and forth on it (because they were at the time) but that a year seemed a good amount of time, and jokingly replied that my personal belief was that I'd stop as soon as the kid bit me pretty hard. I asked why he was even bringing it up and he said he was working with a guy whose wife was still breastfeeding their kid at almost FIVE. We were treated to that visual at a company party not too much later, so I was happy for the warning. Boy, did she know how to clear a space.

I'll be the wet blanket here. If there are worries that the child will be embarrassed by the photos when they are older, then the child is too old to be breastfed. By 3, 4, and 5, this is almost never about nutrition. I don't even think it's usually about the child's need to bond. I think it's usually about the mother's need.

 

[Turn the Page]

DH was not raised around little kids and knew very little about them, while I had tons in my family. We'd been married a short time when he came home from work and asked out of the blue how long you should breastfeed a baby. I said doctors were going back and forth on it (because they were at the time) but that a year seemed a good amount of time, and jokingly replied that my personal belief was that I'd stop as soon as the kid bit me pretty hard. I asked why he was even bringing it up and he said he was working with a guy whose wife was still breastfeeding their kid at almost FIVE. We were treated to that visual at a company party not too much later, so I was happy for the warning. Boy, did she know how to clear a space.

I'll be the wet blanket here. If there are worries that the child will be embarrassed by the photos when they are older, then the child is too old to be breastfed. By 3, 4, and 5, this is almost never about nutrition. I don't even think it's usually about the child's need to bond. I think it's usually about the mother's need.

Now I have that scene from Grown Ups running through my head where the kid comes up to the mom and says he wants milk so the mom whips out her boob and starts nursing him right there and all the dad's friends are asking how old the kid is and express shock when Kevin James says he is 48 months.

 

[emer95]

I have one or two very discreet pictures of me breastfeeding my daughters when they were babies, and my girls hate them. They are safely tucked into a photo album, and when we look through pictures together they see those and say, "Eww! Why did you have to take a picture of THAT?" Lol.
They are special to me but I certainly wouldn't be posing for a magazine doing it. I really do feel badly for those kids in the article.

 

[emer95]

Ok, is it "discreet" or "discrete?" Driving myself crazy trying to figure out if I used the right one. Even dictionary. com didn't clear it up.

 

[Turn the Page]

You use the right form. Discrete means "inidivdually separate and distinct."

 

[emer95]

You use the right form. Discrete means "inidivdually separate and distinct."

Thank you.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I don't really care how long a mom breastfeeds for--for me personally, between 12-18 months is a good time to wrap things up in that department. There are some women that have a real "look at me! I'm "normalizing" breastfeeding" type mentality and love sharing photos of themselves breastfeeding, be it Facebook or that magazine. That is SO not me and something I don't relate too. And yes, I do think those photos will embarrass the children when they are older.