"Extreme breastfeeding"

[Saffron]

When I saw "extreme breastfeeding" in the title, I was slightly disappointed to learn that it wasn't b/fing underwater or up a mountainside! Tee Hee. Reality was somewhat less exciting...

BBC article--

Extreme breastfeeding:

Should children be nursed for years?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18032390

The latest cover of Time magazine has caused outrage. Under the headline "Are you mom enough?", a young woman is pictured having her left breast suckled by a boy who appears way beyond usual breastfeeding age.

The woman, it turns out, is Jamie Lynne Grumet, a 26-year old mother from Los Angeles, and the boy is her son Aram, aged almost four.

It's easy to squirm at the cover {of Time}, says Sheila Eldred at Discovery News, but says this is more about American "squeamishness" than anything else. And a related article in Time shows that the World Health Organization recommends breast-feeding until at least age two, and the average age of weaning worldwide is around four, she points out.

Hmm, funny but, I think I would have preferred an article on b/fing underwater or up a mountainside.

[Convex]

I wonder if underwater is even possible? Maybe with a nose plug like a synchronised swimmer....

You are right there needs to be an article on that. I will start a blog if anyone is willing to give it a go!

[Ruth_Baldock]

FGS, I really wish the world's media would realise they're flogging a dead horse when it comes to breastfeeding SHOCK stories.

Saw some of the Daily Mail comments about it on their

website; topnotch as per.

[Saffron]

Given two straws and half a chance, I'm sure Little Saff would snorkle for a b/feed in the bath! I like the funny side of b/fing. We've had so many hilarious moments. When Little Saff bumped her head on the table, she told us it was a beeboo (that's her word for booby or b/fing) emergency. When I picked her up, she started making noises like beeeeebooooo-beeeeeboooo-beeeeeboooo (you have to imagine that sounding like the old-style emergency siren). Needless to say we all fell about laughing. :)

[Otta]

That cover photo was horrible though. Didn't look like a loving mother / child relationship, but rather something intended to shock, and sexualising a 3 year old boy.

[Convex]

I didn't think it was sexualising, but agree it was intended to shock.

but there was a much nicer photo with a woman bf 2 children which i thought was less in your face.

I dont know why they couldn't use a pic showing the mother bf her child how she would actually feed him, eg lying down or him on her lap or however they do it.

I was quite surprised reading some comments on articles (I read a few sites so not sure which ones) at people being 'shocked' or 'disgusted' at children being bf past 1 or 2. I get why someone might choose not to but I don't get the attitude towards families that keep going.

[Fuschia]

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2012/05/time-mag-cover-perfect-or-porn.html

[bluesuperted]

Love the Analytical Armadillo.

Thought this was an interesting response too:

http://dianaibclc.com/2012/05/11/yes-shes-4-and-yes-shes-still-breastfeeding/

[gillandjoe]

Whilst breastfeeding up a mountain by a waterfall I thought I'd love to see a website devoted to extreme breastfeeding! My sister sent me a cool photo once of a roller derby player breastfeeding on the sidelines at half time!

[Bumpkin]

That picture made me so cross for an entirely different reason. Whatever the arguments for and against breastfeeding in public / private / past a certain age are etc, one very definite fact is that that boy is going to have that article held up against him in school for a very long time and is never going to live it down. He's going to be bullied and laughed at and I can't believe that any sane mother would do that to her child. Why are some mothers so stupid and selfish to want to make a political point at the expense of their child? In fact, how dare Time do that to a child, surely that's exploitation in a way, selling more magazines at the expense of a 4 year old who can't consent to an article that's going t make his life a misery.

[Saffron]

Nah, he'll probably go to a school where all the kids were breastfed to 4+ yrs. He'll be the uber-cool kid who got his pic on Time. ;-)

Not saying I think much of the pic obviously, but it's different strokes for different folks.

Now, anyone see a waterfall round South London? No. Hmmm, guess we'll have to settle for b/fing while watching nature documentaries. That's about as extreme as I'm getting... today. xx

[Convex]

Some of the streams in Peckham rye park get mini rapids when it rains. Perhaps you could perch on a rock next to those....?

[Fuschia]

Have breastfed in a dive boat, in my dry suit

[minder]

I'm left handed (cack-handed to some) but it's never caused me a problem. Really couldn't be bothered if that's what this mum wants to do but the child is at HER right breast.

[minder]

Uh oh! Just scanned down to the Time picture and it is her left breast! Although in the original picture it isn't.