Controversial 'Time' Breast Feeding Cover: Moms And Experts React

Fri, May 11, 2012 2:45pm EDT by Lorraine Chow 72 Comments

Moms around the country have erupted over the controversial magazine cover. Do YOU think you should breast feed your kid until he’s nearly 4 years old in order for him to feel attached to you, or is it too much? Find out what moms and experts are saying!

When the explosive Time magazine cover of blogger Jamie Lynne Grumet nursing her nearly 4-year-old son Aram hit stands on May 10, it spurred intense debate all over the country. Is the idea behind “attachment parenting” too much?

More that 122,00 people responded a TODAY poll with 27 percent answering “It’s great”, and 73 percent saying “I don’t really want to see that.” Here are some expert reactions to the cover.

“It’s immediately shocking, and it’s meant to be shocking,” said Harvard sociologist Levey Friedman to New England Cable News.

“When you give a child the feeling that the whole world revolves around them, it’s not good training for the real world because the whole world doesn’t revolved around anybody,” said psychologist Robi Ludwig to the TODAY show on May 10.

“The idea of a mother breastfeeding a grown boy is both outlandish and disturbing, which is also a good way to characterize what Time magazine has become,” said Dan Gainor of the Cultured Media Institute said to Radar Online. “But people have to realize this is biologically normal. It’s not socially normal. The more people see it, the more it’ll become normal in our culture. That’s what I’m hoping.”

“We understand that Americans are uncomfortable with [the Time cover], but in cultures where babies wean themselves normally, usually somewhere around age 3 or 4, it is perfectly acceptable,” Bettina Forbes, co-founder of Best for Babes, a group dedicated to educating moms about breast feeding, to TMZ.

Time Magazine ‘Are You Mom Enough?’ — Are You CRAZY Enough?

What are YOUR thoughts HollyMoms? Check out Jamie’s video, and tell us what you think!

[RadarOnline.com]

[TODAY]

[TMZ]

[New England Cable News]

– Lorraine Chow

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Different poster here:
I also resent my mother for not breastfeeding me.
Do you know the amount of PUS there is in Udder milk? (AKA cow’s milk?)
Well said Amanda, our mothers fed our fat bodies but not our brains….hence why I am not surprised by the ignorance some people are reflecting about this subject

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Amanda-deluded, get a purpose to your life. The benefits of BFing are good but it is not a cure for all you list. I know more BFed babies on a professional basis with ear infections, asthma and allergies than you could comprehend. I am working with a speech impediment child of 5 right now who it has been conclusively determined that BFing until age 4 caused-

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this is all about her, kid doesn’t need it for nutrition and if the way you can be attached to your child, remember he is NOT A BABY is having him hang off your boob, get ready for a lifetime of maladjustmnet, As Seth said on SNL…”REALLY???”

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Also, everyone keeps saying that this is more for the mother than the child. NOT TRUE. A mother will enjoy breastfeeding, whether it is a day old baby or a 7 year old child. it’s a special bond. but apart from that, have any of you EVER tried to FORCE a child to breastfeed????? it is physically impossible. and bottle feeding is discouraged after the age of one because bottles interfere with a child’s dental development and can cause rotten teeth. breastfeeding on the other hand, improves a child’s speech development, improves their tooth alignment etc. And for the record, breastmilk does not all of a sudden become useless after a certain age. Breastmilk continues to contribute antibodies and immunological factors throughout a child’s breastfeeding relationship with its mother. the world health organisation recommends breastfeeding beyond two years and says that a child’s NATURAL (not FORCED) weaning age is between the ages of 2 and 7. the immunological and anti bodies benefits of breastmilk INCREASE in concentration during the second and third years of breastfeeding, so really, 6 months of breastfeeding is JUST enough to keep your child alive. extending beyond that, is enough to ensure they become smart and healthy people. stick that in your pipe and smoke it all you weird what-nots giving your kids milk from a different species of mammal altogether!

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Amanda,

Seriously?!? Your relationship with your mother sucks because of something other than being formula fed. You sound more ignorant than the people you are trying to bash. I was formula fed and I am very close with my mother as are my siblings.

And your “mumbo jumbo” about breastfed babies are ensured intelligence and health is a load of crap. Breast milk doesnt have magical powers to make you smarter.

While you’re busy spouting off about breastfeeding and it’s magical powers, did you ever consider that some woman CAN’T breastfeed? So are you saying that those children are stupid and sick and will hate their mothers? Are you also saying that sucking on a tit is the only way to bond with your mother? What about the dads? Since they can’t breastfeed the children won’t bond with them ever?

The problem with this magazine cover is that breastfeeding doesn’t need to be thrown in people’s faces. We get it, woman breastfeed, that’s the beauty of our bodies. We can nourish our babies naturally, we dont all need to see it! It’s private, it’s between a mother and child. I breastfed my daughter and I kept it private for many reasons, 1) I dont need my boob hanging out for the world to see and 2) I respect others and know they don’t want to see that, natural or not. That’s the problem with you breastfeeding natzis. Get over yourselves. If you want a teenager hanging on your tit sucking on it…that’s your deal. But you’re not doing your child any more good than if you stopped at 1 year old. Get off your high horse.

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Bf improves speech developement and tooth alignment?!? That’s the biggest crock of $hit I’ve ever heard!! Lmfao!!

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God you people are idiots. You all act like you know it all. Extended breastfeeding is NORMAL and is both nutritionally and psychologically beneficial to the child. The child may seem clingy to you on this clip but the fact is, his mother hasn’t FORCED him into premature independence like so many of you other ‘mother’s’ have. he is not emotionally secure enough yet to behave in a manner that you deem appropriate and that is perfectly ok. why force children to grow up before their time? they’re only little for a little while, what’s the rush? and by the way, i’m currently nursing my 19 month old and if he is still having a drink every now and again before bed by the age of 7, then that’s fine by me! breastfed, attachment parented children are more secure in their independence (when they become independent) than kids who are forced into independence prematurely. surely what we all want are well adjusted, happy and well behaved children? spanking your kids, and weaning them too early are trauma’s that affect who they will become as a person. i have a terrible relationship with my mother and she formula fed me, left me to cry and spanked me (although she used wooden spoons and shoes for that). my child will have a much better relationship with his parents and the world than i do with my parents and the world. really, you nut jobs should educate yourselves before you start spouting some clever sounding psychological mumbo jumbo that has NO BASIS IN FACT.

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Ok Amanda…when your kid it’s getting in trouble in school and getting brought home by the police in high school because he is never disciplined then tell us how you are the perfect mother…lol. You’re quite clueless…

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Amanda, first of all you’re not basing your “clever sounding psychological mumbo jumbo” on fact either. You’re basing it on only your personal experiences, and no one else’s. Second, maybe you’re not close to your mom because she ABUSED you? It has nothing whatsoever to do with whether she breastfed you or not. You’re basing the “negative effects of not breastfeeding” on physical abuse and spanking, not the breastfeeding itself.

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After 2 years thers is no nutritonal value to do this. yes the bond is strong but is that such a good thing? I can only imagine what this will do to your kids. breastfeeding is a beautiful and natural thing why turn it into something for you instead of the child think of what you are doing to his degree of intimacy with you and the women in his future

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you are wrong on SO many levels. first of all, have YOU ever tried to force a child to breastfeed???? no. it’s physically impossible. second of all, breastmilk doesn’t automatically become useless after a certain age. the immunological factors of breastmilk INCREASE in concentration during the second and third years of breastfeeding, it is also still a big part of a child’s diet, providing more than a third of daily vitamins, minerals and proteins. breastfed children are generally smarter and healthier and faaaar more confident than children who are formula fed and/or forced to wean too early.

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My mom stopped breast feeding when i was 1yr old and that was enough.Or any one can do until 2,not more than 2yrs.I am just surprised that this world famous magazine used this photo which is a mark of holy relationship for their business.Shame!It will effect badly on little child and our society.Proper authority should ban this.

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We Americans see this as something sexual, that is why we get upset with it , it is like incest to us, we look at it and see ourselves doing some that is dirty, and at the same time sexual, we do this to our wives and regard the child over a certain age as a sex act, in other countries this is no big deal, the breast is for feeding the child, not a sexual thing, like in America, where the breast is a sexual object even when women are feeding their off spring we still look at a women’s breast and we want to have her, that is just the way it is in America, that is the only reason we think of it as dirty or nasty or too much to see, cover up we say, do not show it in public we say, Why? It is normal, but we make it sexual, it turns us on, so we try to put it down and stop it happening, we like it but at the same time we hate it, America get over it, it is a fade who’s time has come, and it will go like all fades do!

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where i come from, the way that kid was seeking attention from his mother during the interview is considered misbehavior. kids are supposed to be taught by their mothers about what is appropriate and what isn’t. and clearly, the mother doesn’t think it’s inappropriate for her attention to be divided while giving an interview on national tv about this very controversial topic. that kid already thinks he’s the center of everything, and i think the extended breastfeeding just reinforces that. children are already conscious of the surrounding world at 3, and i think it would be more devastating to them to be weaned from the boob at such a later age than at 1 or 2. why do that to a child?

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Am I crazy or is this kid crying for help, “do I have to suck on this boob for one more minute?!?! I have bugs to catch and forts to build!!!”
Nursing mom to three. 18 months was more than enough for me and my kids. Moms know when enough is enough. It’s as easy as saying: you’re all done with the boob.

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Its like you read my thoughts! You seem to grasp so much about this, such as you wrote the ebook in it or something. I think that you just could do with a few % to drive the message house a bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.

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DOES SHE KNOW THE LONG TERM OF WHAT THIS MAY CAUSE LATER IN HIS FUTURE? IS THIS REALLY FOR HIM OR HER? LOOKS LIKE SHE IS ENJOYING THE MORE THAN HIM!!!!!!

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Clearly you would be considered pretty stupid where i come from. The long term effects of this will mean that her child will be much smarter and much healthier than any kids you may unfortunately have.

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Healthier and smarter?? You people are hilarious!! My brother is a law student at Harvard University and has a perfect 4.0 gpa…guess what!! He wasn’t breastfed at all!! So for you that think it will make your kid smarter…you are quite mistaken.

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Obviously adhering to attachment theory is not giving great results, as the kid wanted all of his mommy’s attention during the interview and would not let her talk!!

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Simply want to say your article is as amazing. The clarity to your publish is simply spectacular and that i could suppose you are knowledgeable on this subject. Well along with your permission allow me to grasp your feed to keep updated with coming near near post. Thanks one million and please continue the enjoyable work.

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Regardless of whether breast milk is more nutritious than other food, psychologically maintaining the mother-child bond in this way could be damaging. There’s a reason children start to pull away from their mothers at a certain age (usually around two or so). It’s a natural psychological boundary. Children need to be taught autonomy and responsibility for self for their own future benefit. Pulling away from their parent(s) is how they express independence and become their own person. To deny them this expression by continuing to bond with them in such an intimate way creates barriers to a psychologically healthy childhood and eventual adulthood. This child’s future can’t be predicted, however, as a mental health professional I wouldn’t be surprised if he has problems dealing with all the independence, responsibilities, and issues that come with normal adulthood. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he struggles with defining his sexuality and/or has problems getting his mother to accept any partner he brings home.

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I take it you’re a psychologist then?

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I think it’s wonderful that mom and child share this bond. I also hope the husband and father accepts breastfeeding. I had the same experience. I breastfed my daughter until we mutually decided to stop at age 5. My husband was very supportive and we are a very close knit family. It was good to see this photo on Time magazine..

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You are a pedophile pervert. Do you sleep with her and satisfy her sexual needs as well when she is a teenager??
You are sick and twisted.

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Wow, to think like that says much more about you than a breastfeeding mom. I think you should evaluate your own line of thinking. There is nothing sexual about a mom breastfeeding, it’s why women have breasts to begin with. I think everyone who finds something perverted about breastfeeding are themselves perverted, and to attack women for doing what is a biologically natural thing is sick and twisted.

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This is DISGUSTING…any doctor will tell you that when a baby becomes 1 years old they are to be weened from the bottle!!! So why is the Boob any different! I truly think these breast feeding mothers are putting their own kinky spin on this. Sick, simply sick!

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OMFG how stupid are you? there is a reason why bottles are discouraged after the age of one! they cause dental health problems, including rotten teeth and tooth misalignment! breastfeeding provides valuable nutrients and anti bodies and also improves a child’s dental health. you won’t find a breastfed child ANYWHERE with rotten teeth. i think YOU are sick for thinking that breastfeeding a toddler is kinky. clearly you have deep psychological issues and you’re probably a child abuser and/or a terrible parent in general. people like you are disgusting. perhaps your mother didn’t breastfeed you for long enough if at all??

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