The story in Woman’s Day
“I breastfeed my four-year-old 4 times a day!” shouts the headline of this week’s Woman’s Day magazine. And accompanying the headline is a photograph of 50-year-old Maha Al Musa wearing a low cut firefighter red dress and holding her almost-school-age daughter Aminah – who is latched onto her breast.
Is this even shocking anymore? You’re probably remembering the controversial Time magazine cover story, featuring US woman Jamie Grumet breastfeeding her three-year-old son. The story explored the whole issue of attachment parenting, a style of child rearing that’s attracted a whole wave of fresh attention in recent years thanks to confronting magazine images like these.
And just as Jamie Grumet’s breastfeeding choices prompted an outpouring of ‘Is this appropriate?’, ‘But what about her husband?’ and ‘Won’t the child be damaged’ and ‘Mummy wars!’ claims, there has been a similar response to the Australian Woman’s Day story.
This from iVillage.com.au:
The Time cover
My opinion is pretty sophisticated and consists of three words: Seriously, who cares?
Who cares if the child is four years old? Who cares if the woman’s 50? A 70-year old being breastfed by another elderly resident in the nursing home – now there’s a story (Do they take their dentures out? Is the time for a feed before or after the time for a sherry?) Similarly noteworthy is this story about a woman who breastfeeds her dog (and yes, you’re welcome.) But a mother breastfeeding her child? I repeat: who gives a shit?
It never ceases to amaze me how worked up people get about women using their breasts for their intended purpose. How easily advertising, music clips, movies, and Dolly Parton have made some of us forget that a lady’s fun-bags are, in fact, functional. That’s right: THEY’RE THERE TO FEED THEIR KIDS. To read the rest of this post click here
Have we moved past caring how long (or short) people breastfeed their kids? Or will there always be stigma? If you have kids and you breastfed, how long did you go?
Comments
91 Comments so far
bitty …
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well judging by many of the comments below.. Yes, I would say, Australian’s are still hung up on this issue. It’s ridiculous. I completely agree with you. WHO CARES. I think people must have real hang ups about the human body and warped ideas about sexuality if they find these images confronting and disturbing or wrong. However, I applaud the women who are doing these stories lately and putting the images out there. It’s finally making extended breastfeeding normal again, rather than something people associate with being from a third world country or being an earth mother hippy type. I think as time is going on a) we are recognising the real benefits of breastmilk and b)the “Scheduled” feedings and cry it out techniques are no longer recommended so women are having a lot more success with breastfeeding and allowing their children to self wean. I say thank god the stress is being taken off mothers to train our children to do everything according to some man made time line..
My daughter is nearly 18 months and still breastfeeding. There is of course still nutrition in it. I’m happy to feed her through until she is over it. I sat next to a lady yesterday who was breastfeeding a child of about 3. I thought it was awesome. Good on her
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My mother in law did this in Perth back in the sixties.
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Oops post was in response to Neola.
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Would all of the pro-breastfeeding mums please make a point of going to their local milk bank and donating their surplus? Sometimes it’s not about a mother’s choice at all, but what the body is able to provide. I know that King Edward Hospital in Perth has a milk bank and assume most other capital cities would, too. Put your boob where your mouth is, if you will!
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Lucinda- in regards to our posts below. It’s not magic it is science and not a fallacy. If the baby or god forbid a toddler/ child gets an illness that the mother has not previously been exposed to, then he will transfer this organism through his saliva to the breast, where antibodies are manufactured on site and then sent back to baby via the milk to help them cope.
And the 7 years is up to 7. Average age is around the 3.5 years and that is going historically through first and third world countries.
Boobs don’t magically know they are living in this day an age and your child has had a birthday, they keep producing all that goodness which you seem to think should be denied to children? Huh?
Oh an it provides comfort to the child as well, gee how shameful?
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Sarah I’m sorry to jump in, but this is not how the concepts of immunity are taught in universities currently. You’ll need some peer-reviewed research to back up a statement like:
“If the baby or god forbid a toddler/ child gets an illness that the mother has not previously been exposed to, then he will transfer this organism through his saliva to the breast, where antibodies are manufactured on site and then sent back to baby via the milk to help them cope.”
I do however agree that there are plenty of valid reasons for breastfeeding to whatever bloody age you choose.
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Works both ways. The mothers own antibodies from her immunities and the one’s that are made in response to the saliva on the breast.
Look up cue feeding and the research is there which also clearly states that science can’t replicate it.
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Sarah, I have never said I don’t believe in breastfeeding or denying babies and children their health. I said I don’t believe the immunological benefits after the age of 4, -even if it is the case that the mother can produce antibodies through exposure to a virus through saliva- outweigh the social implications or the implications on the mother’s lifestyle. I believe a by school age a child is able to produce antibodies for most things on his/her own. Historically babies/toddlers have been breastfed for 2-3 years. We’ve established that. I have no problem with this. I am all for breastfeeding. Just not 4 year old children. If it makes you feel better about breastfeeding your nearly 4 year old to think about all the goodness they are getting, then go for it. But it’s not for me. Not at that age. After the age of 4 my children will get all the goodness they need, just not from my boobs.
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Ive clearly stated the physical health benefits is not why I still breast feed my 3.3 yr old, that’s just a bonus. I have said its more for comfort for him as an individual whilst my oldest daughter was weaned at 18 months because she was ready then, he is not quite there yet. He certainly doesn’t think it’s weird, the opposite in fact. Next month he might of had enough or it might be 6 months, but I am not going to deny him this source of comfort just like I wouldn’t deny a hug or kiss.
Each family and person are different and whilst I respect what you would do in your family this is what works for us with many added benefits.
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Who wants memories of sucking your mother’s tit!?
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As someone who is young and doesn’t have kids get, looking at this image is just…a bit off putting. I just don’t get WHY a 4 yr old needs to be breastfed. They can eat normal food, and they have a perfect set of chompers! And if it’s a comfort thing, that might be a BIT tricky once they hit preschool/school.
I was breastfed (until 6 months) and I plan on breastfeeding my future children- just maybe for a quarter of that time!
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I don’t care that she is 50; however, I am not sure that I can wrap my head around breastfeeding an (almost) 5 year old. How does it benefit the child? Aren’t there other ways to comfort a child? However, I strongly disagree with these breastfeeding parents putting their breastfeeding children on the cover of magazines. They have no choice to be involved in the controversy. It seems like such attention-seeking behavior (from the moms, of course).
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breastfeeding can be so rewarding and it can also be hard work drinking sooo much water and keeping your milk supply up for a chosen length of time!
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This is so munted. If your kid has teeth and is physically able to open a refrigerator, then they are old enough to eat real people food. .
We are not cows or pandas. We are human beings and we should act as such.
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I’d like to point out that breast milk is real people food. You couldn’t get more real if you tried and never will be able to.
Older children do need nutrients from other sources such as iron but nothing is digested better than human milk for human children.
So we should give a human child milk made for a cow then?
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Why don’t you drink breast milk then?
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Grow up. I don’t drink it but use it for it’s healing properties. And if you weren’t trying to be such a smart arse git then you would know that everyone weans from their mothers milk.
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No one knows your child better than you do. Some kids require that comfort and closeness that breastfeeding gives them. My two kids are different. My youngest at three years still needs it. Sometimes he can come a cropper like boys seem to only do and I can cuddle him and he can handle the hurt. Same scenario on a different day and a cuddle just won’t do that for him, he asks for milk.
My older daughter who weaned at 19 months has a different personality but brought up very similar just didn’t need it anymore. I respected that just like I respect his need at times too.
So whilst people say there is no nutritional benefit, when there is! There is also comfort as well and that is not a bad thing.
You can not force a child to breast feed, no friggen way. So to say that the mother has issues and doesn’t want to let go, I’d like to see you try to put your boob in a kids mouth.
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I honestly do not know how women breastfeed their children past around say 18 months. I don’t think it’s wrong, I just don’t understand how they get the child to agree to it!! For me, when my child hit around 12 months, he didn’t have 10-15 minutes in his schedule to have a breast feed! He was more interested in playing, fooling around with his dad or feeding himself food. I look at my nearly 3 year old now, who is independent and only 50cm shorter than me and I can’t even comprehend how I could cradle him to have a breast feed!! He would think it was hilarious!!
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Funny and I understand what you mean. I was so uncomfortable watching my sister breast feed her two year old. I was embarrassed that she coslept Fast forward a few years and I cannot get my nearly two year old off me. He sleeps only on my body. If he has been somewhere without me the first thing he does when coming home is run up screaming mama bee and jumps on for a suckle. He still wakes and feeds every three hours and falls asleep on one nipple only to hold the other like a security blanket. Funny as I am not naturally physically affectionate but my boy is so I just roll with what he believes he needs. I have been judged for feeding in public but I honestly don’t care. I am a pretty conservative working professional and don’t subscribe to any parenting style. Each to their own I say.
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There is no nutritional benefit to breast feeding when the child is clearly old enough to be eating a well balanced diet. So, why would you do it? It’s going to have social implications for the child plus the fact that they’re on a magazine cover is disturbing for me. The poor kid will have to live with the media attention/ judgement from others and I find that sad.
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I know of women whose sole reason for continuing to breast feed (when the child is 2, 3 and 4 years old) is, they say, for the weight loss! Um, at that age, maybe just express the milk and let them have it in a cup?
Everyone’s different and I don’t impose my views on them. Mums can decide for themselves what’s best for them & their babies. They can do it their way and I’ll do it my way.
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It is an interesting topic and many will say each to their own, however I will say, in the ancient world it is documented that the average length of time for breastfeeding was 24-36 months, that is 2-3 years. Even Aristotle and many others recommend breastfeeding for 2-3 years. We know that children have their first full set of teeth including canines and molars by 3 years. We know that children’s immune systems are fully developed by 4-5 years – between the ages of 3 and 5 a child’s immune system does not strengthen greatly; most development of the immune system happens prior to 36 months.
Biologically and historically, this tells me that provided your child is getting adequate nutrition from solid food, there is no real benefit to breastfeeding beyond 3 years, other than perceived bonding and attachment. In this day and age, I would not be putting my child at risk of ridicule or struggling to detach/wean at school age by breastfeeding beyond 3 years. No matter what someone says, the social implications matter, and in a perfectly healthy child, breastfeeding at 4 years old when the kid is in Kindergarten and learning to develop relationships with his/her peers, is nothing more than attention seeking on the part of the mother.
Anyone who insists on significant immune benefits in breastfeeding beyond the age of three years needs to do some more reading. Because quite frankly there is very little benefit unless your child is sickly or you are living in times of famine. I feel sorry for the poor kid thrust into magazine spotlight uneccessarily for the benefit of this attention seeking mother.
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Antibodies are very beneficial and always will be. You don’t need to be sickly or starving to reap the benefits.
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Sarah, a 4 year old body has a pretty well matured immune system. You do not need to keep getting antibodies from breast milk after your body is making them itself. This is not a valid point for a 4 yrs and up child in my opinion.
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It is not until you are 7 that your immune system is completely developed. So yes it is valid as the antibodies change in the milk to meet what is required for the child.
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Actually I am fairly certain the composition of breast milk changes in terms of nutrition but as far as antibodies go, the only ones that get passed on are whatever the mother might be fighting or exposed to at the time. They call it passing on passive immunity. The immunity only lasts for a short length of time, it is not like immunization. The most important time for breastfeeding is in the first year when the infant immune system is very weak, by three years a child has adult immunity to many things, and certainly even more by 4 years. Some science indicates that the immune system continues to strengthen right into adolescence but I don’t see this as a good argument to keep breastfeeding. I don’t think the minimal immunological benefits provided to a four year old outweighs the social implications – I think it is important for young children to develop autonomy early, it’s a tough world out there and encouraging independence promotes good confidence and a sense of identity. In my experience working with children, the ones who are still drinking from a bottle and wearing a nappy at 4 are usually quite spoiled and wrapped in cotton wool and they are usually behind in social development. I put breastfeeding at this age into the same category – it is more about mothers not wanting their babies to grow up than it is about any benefit to the child.
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I’m certain that the antibodies in the mother change to adapt to what ever germ the child has and then gets passed through the mothers milk, not just the mother’s own immunities. Some antibodies and nutritional benefits actually condense to a higher concentrate with the less milk they consume no matter what age the child is. This is not why I still breast feed my youngest at 3 yr’s and 3 months old. It’s because he as an individual is not ready yet. Different to his older sister who weaned at 18 months. To say it fosters dependance is not true. Just the opposite in fact. My son is more than happy to leave me for a few days at a time where only now at 6 years , my daughter is happy enough to leave me to go to school, but before then she wouldn’t leave my side. We don’t try and hurry up a child to crawl/walk/talk which makes them independent so why does the feeding have to be pushed on them? It’s just a natural part of gaining independence, all of which have a different time line.
Research also shows historically that 2.5 yrs up to 7 yrs is the time that children weaned, which also goes in conjunction with when they get their molars (milk teeth start falling out) an immune system is developed.
If there was no extended breastfeeding as you claim in your first post then we wouldn’t of survived as well as we have as a species. It’s only in the last 200 yrs that we as a western culture have made it ‘icky’ and ‘lower class’ to breastfeed. Combined with the invention of formula with it being pushed after WWII has generations grown up not knowing any better.
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Well I’m telling you that is a fallacy Sarah. It is not magic, it’s science. The mother produces antibodies for things SHE has been exposed to which is most often what the baby has been exposed to (and in the first few months it is mostly natural probiotics and antibodies for digestive health). This is no longer the case for Kindy or school aged children. The 7 years that people bring up when talking about historical or global breastfeeding is mostly due to periods/countries of famine and disease. In THIS day and age, and in THIS part of the world, the benefits of breastfeeding an older child are virtually non-existent. Science tells me this.
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Sarah, where are you getting your “facts” from? I’ve worked with mothers and babies for over a decade and have never heard of child induced immunity/antibodies. Your statement suggests a bio feedback system that just doesn’t exist.
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I breastfeed my daughters, mainly because it was the most benifical way for them to get the nutrients and food source they required to live, but yes it was lovely to hold them and gaze into thier eye, the bonding time with my small baby was amazing. but like all other animals, once they were old enough and evolved enough for thier food to be delivered in another way, a way that meet thier expanding needs, we both moved on – I think it is called growing. Breastfeed till they are a hundred for all I care, but lets be honest, at a certian point it becomes about a want rather than a need and I think maybe the way to comfort or bond needs to mature and evolve with the child
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Yes growing is the way to evolve but not all kids are the same. Some do it earlier than others. At that age it’s a need for them not a want.
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I think the initial reaction to the Time magazine cover will hopefully allow this type of ‘sensationalist’ story to sell mags become ho hum from now on.
Also it’s pretty hard to breast feed a child of that size standing up and cradling them so it’s not even a real scenario of how a breast feed is usually done anyhow with a toddler/young child.
To put the mother/child in the context of how a baby feeds makes it hard for people who aren’t educated and are ignorant about long term breastfeeding to be shocked by photos like this.
Really does it really bother people that a child is feeding from it’s optimum source. Just because they are not babies doesn’t mean the health benefits are not there for them.
I weaned my daughter at 19 months old and my son who is 3 an 3 months old is still going strong at least 1-2 times a day. Sure he can chew steak and loves a good square meal but there are days he will would be on and off the breast all day if I was around.
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Amazed at te comments below, apparently it’s ok to breast feed until the cows come home, so long as the children aren’t going to be damaged by pics in magazines etc.
If your 4 year old is appy to drag a booby out at play group or kindy, go for it, if yoou have to hide it, maybe it is for the mother not the child.
I loved brestfeeding our 2 children, but for me personally I couldn’t imagine feeding them that way at 4….geez they were way too busy to be latching onto a tit.
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The scrutiny and debate over extended breastfeeding doesn’t serve women at all, it only further irritates and creates negative buzz for all mothers, their choices and anyone who bfs past the perceived norms.
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I’m a little envious-I love breastfeeding my little guy, and he loves it too! He is 15 months at the moment and going strong. His second word (after ‘mamamamamama’) was boo! (booby). Yes, I get something out of it. No, I don’t see that as a problem. W will continue feeding for as long as we both want to.
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All those who think a woman should stop breastfeeding once a child reaches some random milestone – one year old, gets teeth, learns to talk – have obviously you have never breastfed.
You don’t just wake up one morning, check the calendar, and say “OMG it’s time I stopped breastfeeding!”
One lovely day leads into another, if breastfeeding is going well. Hopefully, the decision to end feeding is based on the individual mother’s and child’s needs – not on society’s expectations!
If you don’t approve, keep quiet and look away. It’s no one else’s business!
Enjoy every minute feeding your little guy!
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Oh Blimey….This kid is going to have issues. And I’d hazard a guess that the mum already has them. She clearly has a needs to be needed thing going on. At 4 a child should be eating a healthy meal not sucking on a boob. And if it’s a comfort thing, same. She shoukdn’t be doing it. My 2 year old gets comments about havin a dummy for comfort but a boob for comfort is ok? Double standards much?
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I’m so sick of this debate. Do what you want. I’m loving BFing my 4 month old and have no plans to stop before 18 months at the earliest. Unless she weans and if so, then so be it.
But seeing people saying BFing is revolting makes my blood boil. It is so lovely, which I didn’t expect at all.
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Breast feeding a four year old is not the issue in my eyes. Putting that child on the cover of a magazine to illustrate your own choice IS. Those children may not want to be poster children for attached parenting techniques when they are older . I feel for them.
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Agree 100%!
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Good on her!
She and her child seem very well-balanced and loving.
I hope no one judges her. Each to their own.
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As the mother of a four year old I find the idea of breastfeeding her (at her current age) repulsive! Each to their own but it is DEFINATELY NOT for me!
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It is revolting & women should stop breastfeeding once the child is around 15 months.
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Why is it revolting? They are both happy and not hurting anyone?
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You think a woman should stop a woman “should stop once the child is around 15 months”?
Obviously you have never breastfed.
You don’t just wake up one morning, check the calendar, and say “OMG it’s time I stopped breastfeeding!”
One lovely day leads into another, if breastfeeding is going well. Hopefully, the decision to end feeding is based on the individual mother’s and child’s needs – not on society’s expectations!
If you don’t approve, keep quiet and look away. It’s no one else’s business!
15 months, says who?
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Who are you to tell people what they can and can’t do?
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Oops, apparently I didn’t get the memo. I’ll unlatch my 16 month old right now*.
*sarcasm font
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I am guessing you haven’t breastfed as if you had, you would never use the word revolting to describe it. When my baby gazes up at me or smiles on the boob I want to explode with love. Cheesy? Sure, but no one is telling me to give it up at a predetermined time!!
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That seems like a really random number – why 15 months? Especially as the WHO recommends until 2 years old
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The WHO recommends BF for AT LEAST two years, not ubtil two years!
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This is not about breastfeeding, it’s about the age of the mother. 50 year olds (according to media) should be buying pensioner insurance and counting the days to retirement – not breastfeeding.
It wouldn’t even be a story in WD if she were 35.
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I’m well past caring. Does it stop me from sleeping at night? No. Will my kids be scarred if they ever witness a 4 year old being breastfed by her 50 year old Mum? No. Do I even care if the Mum gets ‘something’ like a feeling of usefulness or some weight loss out of the breastfeeding arrangement. Hell no. Relationships are a two-way street.
My first reaction was laughter at the total tabloid-ness of the headline … and that is why I read Mamamia instead of Woman’s Day
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Who are we to judge?
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Like a lot of people are saying on here, I don’t think its that big a deal to still be breastfeeding your 4yr old. I wasnt being breast fed at that age myself, but I definitely remember still using my bottle at nights. Not that different, and I definitely don’t think it was weird.
I’m not really sure why the mum’s age is given centre stage in this story either. I feel like the original Woman’s Day article is taking a subtle jab at older mothers with its headline, as well as mothers who breastfeed longer than others. So what if she’s 50? My mum was exactly 50 when I was 4, she had me at 46. Older than most mums, but my mum looked 30 at that age, and still looks 10-15 yrs younger (and has equivalent health).
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I don’t understand the relevance of the mother’s age!?!
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Maybe it’s because she’s 50 and still able to hold 4 year old in that position (however heavy a 4 yr old is)!! She has good tone in her arm.
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Where is the like button?
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While I wouldn’t breasfeed my own children that long, really whatever other people do, so long as they are not abusing their children, is their own business.
Their OWN business.
I do not think that they should be publicising photos of children who are no longer babies or toddlers that may cause these kids grief at school. I don’t think it is fair on the kids. There are a number of ‘Mummy bloggers’ who stop, or very much limit what they post about their older children out of respect for their privacy, and I think this is the right thing to do for the kids.
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Not fussed what others want to do…..raise your own child as you see fit. What I really object to is the self promotion…….it seems to me that sometimes it is more about the mother, look at me!
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I don’t care really except for the child having no say in being in a national magazine. in my neighbourhood there was a boy who was breastfed till he was 5 i wasn’t even born then but we new who he was well into adulthood and whilst breastfeeding is great to kids and teens it’s icky.
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I know I will get shot for this but here goes. I find looking at that picture a bit gross. Not sure why, but just doesn’t sit right with me.
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Not getting shot from me because i agree with you!
Sorry everyone but to me it looks odd, no sorry, i must be honest, it looks weird.
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I don’t like looking at it either. I couldn’t care less how long a child is breast fed for. It’s none of my business and we all have better things to discuss. Surely! But I would be mortified if that was my mum. why put your child on the front of a mag? Is it for money? or proving some point we all got over a long time ago….”I just wanted to get people talking about it” blah, blah, blah. Great, talk about it mum, but why have a photo? It screams self promotion to me.
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It’s not my cup of tea, but I could care less if it’s yours. To each his own….
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I have no issue with how long someone chooses to breastfeed as I would have continued for as long as I could but my son self weened. However, my issue with all these stories are the use of the actual child in the photo being breastfed. In an age where we try to protect out children from life’s trials and difficulties and the prolific use of the internet the child’s future should be considered. Imagine when she is older and may google herself or family and there’s a picture of her being breastfed. She may not mind and why should she but what if the photo gets spread around school. No matter how much we try there will be people who will pick on her for being breastfed at 4. I know my partner hates being reminded that he was breastfed til he was 4 but there aren’t any public photos of him.
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I have no issue with how long someone chooses to breastfeed as I would have continued for as long as I could but my son self weened. However, my issue with all these stories are the use of the actual child in the photo being breastfed. In an age where we try to protect out children from life’s trials and difficulties and the prolific use of the internet the child’s future should be considered. Imagine when she is older and may google herself or family and there’s a picture of her being breastfed. She may not mind and why should she but what if the photo gets spread around school. No matter how much we try there will be people who will pick on her for being breastfed at 4. I know my partner hates being reminded that he was breastfed til he was 4 but there aren’t any public photos of him. By all means shout it from the rooftop but keep your child out of the press.
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My personal opinion is if the kid can ask for it, they are too old. That said, im not going to shake my head in horror if I see a 4yr old being breastfed. Thats totally up to the individual and has nothing to do with/no impact of me or my child.
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Sorry for offending you then. My daughter is 19 months and asks for “booby”.
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Why get all defensive Kris2040? bee said nothing about being offended by parents who breast feed their children?
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Bee said if the kid can ask for it they’re too old. I took that as they’d be offended. It was one of the first things my daughter said.
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Saying “booby” in baby talk or grabbing/motioning towards the breast is a whole lot different to when a 4 year old can quite easily say “Mum I want some milk from your boob please.”
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Babies “ask” for breastmilk from the moment they are born by crying and bobbing their head towards the boob.
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But asking for a breastfeed is really just asking for a milk drink or for some nurturing – so I don’t reckon being able to ask for it is an indicator a child should be weaned or encouraged to wean themselves. Kids ask for a bottle of milk well into their toddler and pre-school years. It’s just milk in a different package
Totally appreciate its not for you – its not for me either (both mine finished feeding at 11mths), but i respect people’s choice to breastfeed as long as they & their child want – my take is that you can’t force a kid to breastfeed, so they’ll bite back (literally) when they’ve had enough.
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Whilst I fully appreciate every mothers choice to breast feed or not. Pls remember that it’s not as easy for some mums verse others. For eg: my first 2 children I struggled to breast feed, very big babies, but my 3rd I was “more successful” (if u will) smaller bub – feed for 4 momths, whilst our last I chose not to breast feed as I had four under 6 and opted for bottle so hubby could help. They have all grown up healthy, happy, loved, adored, I am bonded with all equally as is my hubby. My personal view is that I believe breast feeding is great, but challenging and I only had a 25% success rate with it, but always thought that around 12 months I would stop. I think that mums feeding 3 and 4 Yr olds is unnecessary – I ask the question is this more for the mothers benefit or need than the child’s, i could understand the need if the mother and child were in a famin or country where children were starving, then do what ever u need to to sustain your child, however in byron bay i guarantee u if you asked that 4 or 5 Yr old “would you prefer a chocolate milkshake instead” they would say yes please!
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God I wish my son would prefer a chocolate milkshake sometimes. Give him a choice he would want the boobie thank you very much and really it’s much more nutritionally beneficial too.
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Clearly a 5 year old doesn’t require this type of “nourishment” she should be sitting at a table eating a steak and 3 veg. Where do u draw the line, shes old enough to be at school, is the mum going to turn up at recess and lunch time so she can have a drink, or is she perhaps taking a poppa or something else in her lunch box. this is more about the mum trying to hold onto something. There is nothing lovelier than seeing a mum feeding her baby, yes, her baby, not a school aged child.
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The story says the child is 4 not 5. So not technically at school yet. Even so do you really think a mum would go to school to feed their child? At that age your child can understand there is a time and a place to breast feed. My boy does and knows there is only certain times when he can have a breast feed. Still at 3 he tries it on when we are out and about ( sitting in the seat of a shopping trolley my boobs are right at his eye level) and thinks its a perfect opportunity to get some milk. But I use that experience as a discipline lesson which he understands the reasoning.
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The interesting question is whether breastfeeding in these highly-publicised cases is for the benefit of the mother or the child. The four year mentioned above is most likely gaining adequate nutrition from food. He doesn’t need to be fed for the same reasons as a newborn.
I think in most cases, mothers extend it to quell their own anxiety and extend their thoughts about their usefulness as mothers.
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I don’t really see the problem with Mums getting something out of the breastfeeding relationship, because I see how it harms the child.
The only harm I can foresee is teasing, but I don’t think that the answer lies in changing everything about yourself that might cause teasing … that means the bullies win.
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The thing that irks me with this and the Jamie Grumet one is the look on their face of absolute superiority. I don’t care if you breastfeed your kid until they’re a day old or until they’re ten, but it doesn’t make you superior to anyone else. That is what I don’t like.
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They don’t get to choose which photo goes in the magazine. Many photos are taken in a shoot so imagine how many facial expressions they will pick up.
If you look into Jamie Grumet’s website (blog) she explains why she is looking that way. Tired mostly of it all by the end of the shoot when that pic was taken.
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And the need to publicise it. I don’t go around saying “I feed my daughter last night’s leftovers for lunch” and then trying to look all superior. It’s just feeding your kid.
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Yes it is just feeding your kid but not the way that society deems as normal, even though it is.
Education on long term breastfeeding needs to be advertised to make it a part of everyday society so mothers don’t feel it’s wrong to do.
I don’t see them looking superior and why should they? You don’t get any awards for it.
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I’m not fussed what any of you do, as long as you’re comfortable with it. As for me – breastfeed both kids until they were 13 months. Anyone care? No, didn’t think so.
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I’m 34 and I breastfeed my 8 month old a number of times a day.
Any mags out there want to pay me to tell “my story”?
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I so agree – I just don’t care whether, or for how long anyone breastfeeds their child. I only just stopped breastfeeding my 16 month old this week – and it wasn’t my choice, she suddenly refused to feed. I would have kept feeding her for longer.
There are so many neglected an abused children out there, breastfeeding for an ‘extended’ period of time should be the least of concerns.
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My partner and I were discussing this last night and both agreed that we didn’t see a problem with any woman breastfeeding a four year old. He then posed an interesting question, “At what age would I consider breast feeding inappropirate?” I seriously couldn’t answer him. Would most children ween themselves?
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I read somewhere once (wish I could find the link for you!) that the average world weaning age is between 5-7 years old. Most children will wean themselves when they are ready. & afterall, that’s what ‘milk-teeth’ are for right?
I’m glad to see that your husband has the same views as you! I’ve been trying to show mine that it’s normal but he thinks it’s gross & inappropriate to breast feed a child above the age of 1!
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I thought the same thing when I saw this. It’s as shocking to me as reading a heading that says, ” OMG this guy eats a sandwich every day at around midday!” Accompanied by a photo of a guy in a fancy suit eating a ham sandwich.
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