Would you breastfeed this long (video clip)

[PineFarmMom]

That was very disturbing. It was rather obsessive on all fronts, the mom & the girls. Drawing pictures and naming them? That gave me the creeps!

 

Teresa

[Soph the vet]

That's crazy. I breastfed until 14 months or so with each one. The mother on this video has gone over the top, IMO, with a child-led decision here.

[gandpsmommy]

I was looked at as quite strange by my family when I continued to bre*stfeed my daughter until she was three years old and my son until he was nearly two-and-a-half years old. My personal cutoff is three, but obviously everyone is different. I did find this video disturbing to me emotionally, though, mostly because of the girls' obsession with their mother's br*asts: the drawings, the names, etc. I personally think that nursing is for babies, toddlers, and in some cases maybe preschoolers, but not for children as old as that little girl.

Edited October 8, 2008 by gandpsmommy

[TammyinTN]

I just couldn't nurse a child that long I don't think. By 3 years old...I'm done.

[Annabel Lee]

That gave me the heebie-jeebies! I've never bre*stfed past 18 months, and while I don't pass judgement on anyone who makes choices about it that differ from mine based on the child's actual needs, this is over the top. The girls' obsession with it is disturbing. The drawings, the squishing of (feeling) the bre*st while "nursing", all of it. I think 7 - 8 is far too old. Blech.

Edited October 8, 2008 by Annabel Lee
added the word "who" - grammatical error

[HRAAB]

I breastfed all my 5 children: the longest 4 years, the shortest 2 years. I am 100% pro-breastfeeding. Could I do it at the age of 8, in our culture? No. As far as the mom on the video, I think it's their business, not mine. That's a choice between the mom, dad and child.

 

I don't believe in natural circumstances that a child at the age of 8 is sexualized; that's an artificial outcome of the society we live in. Also, I find it sad that breasts are so sexualized in our culture. But there's a lot of things in our culture that make me sad.

 

Janet

[beansprouts]

There is a separate issue of developmental psychology which has nothing to do with breasts but rather has to do with the development of identity. I'm particularly biased towards Erik Erikson's developmental views & I think that somewhere around the age of 6, there should be a shift in the child's identity which would make this specific type of bonding less important than the development of a different relationship with the family. Understand, I am a proponent of attachment theory so I'm not advocating a detached manner of parenting but rather suggesting that the relationship needs to move beyond this stage.

 

This is very insightful. While I weaned my own children much earlier than this, I did so for similar reasons. With my ds2 especially, (at 2 1/2 with a new baby brother) I felt that breastfeeding has reached the point where it was holding back his emotional development. All of my children matured and became more independant after weaning. I would never impose a date on anyone for weaning. I think any mother who is in tune with her child will know.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I would love to see all children bf'd until 2 or 3 years old. I'm sorry all kids aren't. It is what would be best for them. However, going into school-age is just too much for me.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I agree, Janet. It's our culture that has sexualized breasts and breastfeeding. Children do not see it that way at all. I am fully supportive of extended nursing, but I wasn't always that way:).

 

With my first child, I had planned on weaning at 4 months and going back to work at 6 months. Well, nature intervened. At 4 months, he started to refuse bottles of pumped breastmilk. Dh had been giving him bottles from 4 weeks on. I started to rethink the going back to work thing (and not just for that reason). I thought I would wean at a year. Then we found out that he was terribly allergic to cow's milk. I just couldn't see giving him formula when I knew that I made the good stuff. When he as a year old, I was offered a part-time job in my field and money was getting tight. I pumped for him, but he refused to drink my milk out of a bottle or a cup. He "knew" it didn't belong there:). I might have weaned him then, but he contracted pneumonia and was hospitalized. They told us we would be there a week to 10 days. He recovered so fast that they released him after 3 days. They said that my round-the-clock nursing is why. We did have to supplement with soy formula while I was working. When ds was 2, I became pregnant. Nursing hurt ... alot! I slowly weaned him.

 

My new threshhold was 2 years old. With my second child, he seemed to need nursing so much more. He was a fussy baby, he didn't sleep well (sometimes 8 - 10 times a night) - we tried many of the CIO methods, to no avail. He would scream so hard he would turn purple and I was throwing up due to my distress at hearing him. My mommy heart told me that this was not what he needed. He just had so much trouble coping with everyday stuff that nursing was his only comfort. Although I was ready beforehand, he self-weaned at 3 1/2 - due to my milk changing due to being pregnant with #3. Those next 6 months were a nightmare. Tantrums, more sleep difficulties. Later we found out about his sensory issues. We had lost the no-fail nursing solution and he just couldn't cope. Many criticized me for "using nursing as a crutch", but I truly believe that he really needed it.

 

With dd, I planned on weaning by 3 but she just loved the closeness of nursing. She probably would still be nursing if I was open to it. She weaned at 3 1/2 after I had to have surgery and was in the hospital for 5 days. She is my cuddle bug.

 

All my children had names for the "mommies." My oldest, who was a precocious drawer at 2, would draw all women with really big "mommies" (and I am not that big.) My sister was disgusted by it, but then, she was disgusted by anything to do with nursing. To him, "mommies" were for feeding babies and he fondly remembered it. If he heard a baby crying in a store, he would would be very distressed if the mother did not nurse the baby right there.

[Tracey in TX]

I would love to see all children bf'd until 2 or 3 years old. I'm sorry all kids aren't. It is what would be best for them. However, going into school-age is just too much for me.

It's not feasible to bf every child that long. I had kiddos back-to-back, first 12 months apart. Twenty-two months later triplets. SO not gonna happen! DH disliked nursing past 6 months and I really am not a big fan. Heart, spouse, and physical ability need to be there in order to nurse beyond the first few weeks.

[cathmom]

I think the REAL question is, is that huge child still in a five point harness? :D

[Lovedtodeath]

I would love to see all children bf'd until 2 or 3 years old. I'm sorry all kids aren't. It is what would be best for them. However, going into school-age is just too much for me.

 

It's not feasible to bf every child that long. I had kiddos back-to-back, first 12 months apart. Twenty-two months later triplets. SO not gonna happen! DH disliked nursing past 6 months and I really am not a big fan. Heart, spouse, and physical ability need to be there in order to nurse beyond the first few weeks.

 

:iagree:With all of the above. While most children should be breastfed longer, it is nearly impossible for some women to breastfeed at all, let alone for an extended time. When spouses are opposed or not supportive and there are littles to chase, (very hard to chase a 1 and 2 year old while nursing another one) I totally understand it not being feasable.

 

I agree, Janet. It's our culture that has sexualized breasts and breastfeeding. Children do not see it that way at all. I am fully supportive of extended nursing, but I wasn't always that way:).

 

Those next 6 months were a nightmare. Tantrums, more sleep difficulties. Later we found out about his sensory issues. We had lost the no-fail nursing solution and he just couldn't cope. Many criticized me for "using nursing as a crutch", but I truly believe that he really needed it.

 

To him, "mommies" were for feeding babies and he fondly remembered it. If he heard a baby crying in a store, he would would be very distressed if the mother did not nurse the baby right there.

 

I can really relate to this story. Thank you for sharing it. Young children need something to cope and they do not have the skills that adults have to communicate or handle certain things. And children old enough to remember nursing remember it as the best thing in the world, but not in a sexual way.

[Wendi]

Well, I think the reason primates need to nurse until they get adult teeth would be because, without the teeth, they're incapable of getting nourishment from the foods adults of their species eat. In humans, we have ways to make food available to our infants once they can sit up and figure out how to swallow it. So it's not necessary to nurse that long.

 

For the record, I nursed my ds until he was almost two.

 

Wendi

[Wendi]

The nourishment of an eight year old via mother's breast milk is one thing.

I am a bit disturbed by the way the video portrays something of an obsession by the girls and their mother over her breasts. Naming them and frequently including them in their drawings, etc. just seems far too strange.

 

:iagree:

[Jennifer3141]

Well, DD's 4 1/2 and we're down to a nurse session before bed and if a really traumatic boo-boo happens at home.

 

It squicks me out to see a kid that old nursing but that's MY issue, not theirs. It's the mom's breasts, if she wants to do it - go for it.

 

Jen

[LibraryLover]

I think the REAL question is, is that huge child still in a five point harness? :D

 

 

Rear-facing.

 

 

:auto:

[LibraryLover]

I think the REAL question is, is that huge child still in a five point harness? :D

 

 

Rear-facing. :D

[Wendi]

That reminds me of a time when my ds was about 7yo. I was holding a friend's baby in the church nursery, and the baby was crying and hungry. My son asked me, "Why don't you nurse him?" I had to explain I didn't have any milk, as I hadn't bfed for 5 years! (Plus, women don't nurse other people's babies in our culture.)

 

Wendi

[lwilliams1922]

I'm curious--do those who think it's not their place to judge believe there is ever an age that is too old, or where it becomes inappropriate and/or child abuse? Is 9 years old too old? 10 years? 11?

 

I hope I'm not coming across as snarky, because this is an honest question and I genuinely want to know. :001_smile:

 

I think school age is too old but again that is for my and 'my' situation.

I think it's a bit strange to go to 9-10 but I just don't feel we have a right to tell that family what 'they' should do.

 

If i decide to give myself a Mohawk today, it would be strange to most people (not that i would). I'm the type of person that is open to questions about my decisions but when someone condemns a person, it's not likely to be very productive.

 

What if it was a sentimental tribute to a dear relative/ancestor?

If you condemn the situation without being open you may miss the opportunity to learn of things you didn't know.

 

Now I don't THINK those girls were in danger, a little weird but aren't we all a little weird in one way or another? i would imagine there a people in my life and perhaps all of ours, that think we are 'out there' for homeschooling?

 

Doesn't make it right, doesn't make it wrong. It just shows we all have different perspectives.

[tibbyl]

Does anyone know how long kids are comfort-nursed in other cultures?

 

We had a Vietnamese friend who recalls nursing after arriving home from a first grade school day. They would have been wealthy by Vietnamese standards.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

It can be hard to imagine nursing an older child until you get there. My oldest was nursed for 2 1/2 years. DS, who weaned at 18 months, is now that same age. I can't imagine nursing him but it was completely normal with dd. I did end up having to limit nursings with both of them for different reasons but I let their last nursing session be up to them. It was wonderful and I hope I'll be able to do the same for younger dd and any future children that we have.

[StaceyinLA]

>>As wonderful as it sounds to some people. I think that is going too far in our time when food is plentiful and there is no scientific proof that breastmilk continues to provide immunity in a child past the age of 1 year.<<

 

 

This is untrue. There are very big studies that show a huge increase in the white blood cell count in breastmilk at 18 mos post-delivery. That means that in the throes of toddlerhood (18 mos old) when many little ones are starting to get exposure to the outside world, breast milk hits them hard again with antibodies. It's funny how our bodies were just wonderfully designed that way.

 

In any case, there is a large elevation in antibodies from 18 months to 2 years (though the big increase takes place at 18 months or so and then there is a gradual decrease - in fact, I believe I remember that the increase brought the antibody count back up to almost colostrum levels). Even still, at 2 years the higher antibodies are still there.

 

I was a LLL leader for years. I am a huge bf proponent and do think that all babies deserve the benefits breast milk has to offer. Each Mom can give something to their baby that no one else can, and protect them in a way that nothing else ever will. That is a gift.

 

Since I'm here though, I'll go ahead and add that I doubt I could've ever nursed an 8 year old. I never nursed one over 3, though I wasn't opposed - mine just weaned during my pregnancies. I have seen women nurse children as old as 5. In most situations that doesn't bother me at all. I do believe there needs to be more discretion with older children and I don't like to see kids demanding the breast any more than I'd want to see them demanding anything else. I personally have nothing against one who makes the choice to nurse an older child (as in the 8yo), but I think the obsession and videoing (which I didn't watch) is a little much.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Jenny in Atl]

 

I was a LLL leader for years. I am a huge bf proponent and do think that all babies deserve the benefits breast milk has to offer. Each Mom can give something to their baby that no one else can, and protect them in a way that nothing else ever will. That is a gift.

 

 

 

:iagree::hurray:

[StaceyinLA]

>>(very hard to chase a 1 and 2 year old while nursing another one)<<

 

I mean the baby has to be fed right? Since you should never prop a bottle, tell me how it would be easier to chase the toddlers while bottle-feeding a baby?

 

I found it quite easy to nurse and do other things (read to my older ones, give hugs, hand them things, etc.) because I always had a free hand. With bottle-feeding, you have NO free hands. I just don't see how that would make anything easier.

Edited October 8, 2008 by StaceyinLA

[Ann@thebeach]

Some people think homeschooling is "wierd" too so I guess it's all relative to your situation and life experiences.

 

Personally I nursed 3 children-1 for 1 yr, 1 for 2 yrs and the last one for 3.5 years. Each length was based on what the specific child's needs were and what I could give them.

 

And yes-it does have benefits after 1 yr-as the above poster mentioned.

 

So who are we to judge this woman-it works for her and her children so who cares?

[PariSarah]

>>(very hard to chase a 1 and 2 year old while nursing another one)<<

 

Since you should never prop a bottle, tell me how it would be easier to chase the toddlers while bottle-feeding a baby?

 

What if I'm cooking--is it worse to prop the bottle, or to hold the baby over the stove while I"m boiling pasta? And is it bottle propping if you're using one of your older kids as the prop? :D

 

I'm sorry--I shouldn't make fun. I know what you're trying to say. I just never subscribed to the "absolutely never bottle-prop" thing. And it's just not much of a comparison after the first few months. I mean, my 6mo did great holding his own bottle. And he drinks out of a sippy cup now. In the later months, bottle feeding is (or at least can be) completely hands-free.

 

And as far as nursing being more convenient in the early months, I would have agreed with you if my first had been my only. But my second would never, ever, never in a million years ever have been able to nurse effectively while I did anything else. He was a lazy nurser, and it took work on my part to get him to take anything from the breast. It also took absolute isolation once he was past four months or so. He'd'a done everything but nurse if I had tried to nurse him while doing anything else. If I had to multi-task, bottle was definitely the way to go. It was also ridiculously faster to bottle feed.

[Mom-ninja.]

I know several people IRL who have nursed for that long. It's still in the normal time frame for when some primate mammals wean. The higher end of the time frame.

 

I haven't nursed one child for that long, but I don't think it's odd.

[Mom-ninja.]

What if I'm cooking--is it worse to prop the bottle, or to hold the baby over the stove while I"m boiling pasta?

 

That is what I love about breastfeeding....my DH has to cook. I can sit and relax and let the prolactin flow through my body and savor the moment. There's nothing better.

[Cindy in C-ville]

It's not feasible to bf every child that long. I had kiddos back-to-back, first 12 months apart. Twenty-two months later triplets. SO not gonna happen! DH disliked nursing past 6 months and I really am not a big fan. Heart, spouse, and physical ability need to be there in order to nurse beyond the first few weeks.

 

Similar story here. I liked nursing, but didn't LOVE it and struggled to keep my milk supply. I did it as long as I could, but then within a week of weaning EVERY time, I would get this tremendous burst of energy that would last until I got pregnant again, which usually would happen the following month. The result is that we have six kiddoes who were born within seven years. Also, honestly, I enjoyed getting my body back and having my breasts become sensual again, rather than functional. Dh didn't mind me nursing at all, but he didn't mind when I would wean the babies.

[StaceyinLA]

it's not like I expected to post something and not have someone have a different outlook. :tongue_smilie:

 

I generally didn't boil things or cook while feeding my kids. I mean, breast or bottle, it's just a little easier to plan than that.

 

I do think bottle-propping is dangerous, especially if you're going off to chase toddlers. And since bottle babies don't develop as strong a gag reflex as breast babies, I'd be more inclined to be concerned about a baby choking with a propped bottle.

 

And as far as hands-free, I guess that works for some, but I think babies should have that cuddling and closeness while being fed. I don't think they should be left with bottles to feed themselves. Just my opinion.

 

And yes, some babies nurse slower than others, but some bottle-feed slower than others. I just never considered the 15 or 20 minutes that I sat nursing my babies to be a waste of my time. I always considered it precious moments that I'd never get back. (And 13 years past the last one's infancy, I KNOW how precious those moments were)

[PariSarah]

That is what I love about breastfeeding....my DH has to cook. I can sit and relax and let the prolactin flow through my body and savor the moment. There's nothing better.

 

Lemme just sit and fantasize about that for a bit !

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, that was fun!

 

Yeah, dh earns his brownie points by doing the dishes. Everybody's happy that way. :D I did usually go nurse in bed, though, lying down and listening to the iPod or watching a little something on the computer. That was the only way nursing ever really happened for Baby 2.0

[dirty ethel rackham]

That is what I love about breastfeeding....my DH has to cook. I can sit and relax and let the prolactin flow through my body and savor the moment. There's nothing better.

 

:iagree: Dh used to call prolactin the wonder drug. He said that if they bottled it, the illegal drug trade would disappear. Sometimes after a tough day, nursing a little one would bring a rush of that wonderful hormone and my troubles would melt away.

[Lovedtodeath]

Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet @

The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2001).

Per the World Health Organization, "a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness." [emphasis added]

 

 

 

Stacy, I totally agree with you, but when a woman gets pg 3 times in 4 years and has an unhelpful (I am being kind here) spouse, something has got to give. My babies have not used bottles. I was just tyring to point out that it is all too easy to judge a mother who weans early without considering the circumstances.

 

This is why my cousin weaned her youngest at 4 months.

 

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

 

Why don't bottle feeding babies wake up as much at 4 months? Because by this time, mom has often handed the bottle off to baby to feed himself, and/or seats him looking out so he can check out the dog, the phone, the sibling, etc -- and continue eating at the same time.

 

She weaned her oldest at 5 months b/c she was pg again, and her body wasn't ready to handle both.

Edited October 8, 2008 by Lovedtodeath

[PariSarah]

And as far as hands-free, I guess that works for some, but I think babies should have that cuddling and closeness while being fed. I don't think they should be left with bottles to feed themselves. Just my opinion.

<snip>

I just never considered the 15 or 20 minutes that I sat nursing my babies to be a waste of my time. I always considered it precious moments that I'd never get back.

 

And I hardly think it's time wasted!! I wouldn't have battled through the problems for as long as I did if I thought it was a waste of time! Convenience and productivity were certainly not the only measure I used!!

 

You just said you couldn't understand how bottle feeding made it easier to get other things done. If getting other things done was the only consideration, I'd never have nursed at all--bottle feeding was just that much easier to make hands-off. Nursing was more convenient for traveling and hiking (not that I did any) and that sort of thing. But at home, if convenience and productivity were the only issue, bottle feeding would win every time for me. It's not easier to get other things done if you're trying to make bottle feeding as close to breastfeeding as possible. If you want to cuddle and all that, sure, it's about the same, convenience-wise. But for moms who make a choice to bottle feed for convenience's sake, replicating the breastfeeding experience probably isn't foremost in their minds.

[PariSarah]

. . . that nursing shouldn't be equated with sexual use of the breasts. I agree.

 

In many cultures, breasts are not viewed sexually.

 

But I have yet to learn about a culture where breasts are not viewed sexually. I don't know all cultures on the planet, of course. But most cultures I know about that have a healthy (non-sexualized) view of nursing still associate the female breast with sexuality. You're going to have a hard time convincing people that the female breast is or can be entirely non-sexual.

[cathmom]

any body part can be sexual

[hornblower]

Stacy, I totally agree with you, but when a woman gets pg 3 times in 4 years and has an unhelpful (I am being kind here) spouse, something has got to give. My babies have not used bottles. I was just tyring to point out that it is all too easy to judge a mother who weans early without considering the circumstances.

 

 

 

Now, I don't understand that at all.

 

This is not about how she feeds her babies. It's about why 1) she married an idiot; 2) she stayed married; 3) she had 1 child & discovered he's unhelpful; 4) she had a 2nd child & discovered he's even more unhelpful; 5) she had a 3rd child & discovered that whoa! total surprise, the dude is still unhelpful. In 4 years? :confused:

 

All my judgements are about HER lack of judgement, her lack of considering her ability to care for herself and her children adequately. We are not chattel in this culture. We have rights; the first right which should be exercised is to consider very very carefully our choice of partner. And if it doesn't turn out quite the way you expected (& I know this can happen), and you see that with the first child, the partner is not as helpful and supportive as he should be, there should be no child 2 & 3.......

 

I just don't understand this at all.

[PariSarah]

 

All my judgements are about HER lack of judgement, her lack of considering her ability to care for herself and her children adequately. We are not chattel in this culture. We have rights; the first right which should be exercised is to consider very very carefully our choice of partner. And if it doesn't turn out quite the way you expected (& I know this can happen), and you see that with the first child, the partner is not as helpful and supportive as he should be, there should be no child 2 & 3.......

 

. . . than breastfeeding, she's not caring for her children adequately? She's allowing herself to be treated as chattel? And she has to forgo all future children, since she didn't manage to breastfeed the first one as long as you thought she should?!?

 

Please tell me that I'm misreading you. Please, please tell me I'm getting you wrong.

 

I am ALL ABOUT encouraging families to make choices that allow for more natural, realistic lifestyles. I am usually RIGHT THERE saying, "Well, if you have to choose between a vacation and being there for your kids after school, pick the kids, okay?"

 

But your post sounds like you're using extended breastfeeding as a crucial litmus test for good parenting. Like it's a competition or something--the women who breastfeed the longest are the best mothers, and they should order the WHOLE REST of their lives to make sure they win the competition. That is a ridiculous way to approach good mothering and good decision-making.

[brasilmom]

Good for her. Who am I to judge her decision. The children seem as adjusted as any other I know. If it works for her family, why not. I weaned my dd after she turned 1, but only due to the severety of her food allergies and how I was getting depleated of some nutrients as I could not eat. Otherwise I would certainly gone longer. How long I do not know.

 

I think if mothers were giving this much love to their children the world would be a much better place.

 

Love to all

[hornblower]

.

 

Please tell me that I'm misreading you. Please, please tell me I'm getting you wrong.

 

You are getting me wrong. :001_smile:

 

Sorry I wasn't clear. I think I said at the beginning that this wasn't at all about how she was feeding. It's about that she had these kids at all. I totally veered off from the feeding......

 

So I should have made that clearer. Breastfeeding is not a competition. Parenting is not a competition. But if you feel you're having to compromise because of lack of support/finances/circumstances whatever, I just don't understand why you'd continue to keep having kids & keep on compromising. If she doesn't think it's a compromise, if she thinks it's all hunky-dory, well that would be a different issue again. It was presented as if this person would have liked to but 'couldn't'. But to me it's one of those couldn't's which was so predictable that I just have to wonder why people would create their life that way.

 

My post wasn't about bf at all.

[PariSarah]

You are getting me wrong. :001_smile:

 

 

I appreciate you helping me understand your post better.

 

I generally make similar sorts of comments, so I'm very sympathetic to the idea of finding the "I'd rather" behind the apparent "I can't." ("Hi, Dave Ramsey? I need help because I can't afford my kid's medical treatments. His treatments are $2K a month, but we only make $5K a month, and $3K of that has to go to our mortgage!" "Uh, NO, sweet pea, you can't afford your son's medical treatments AND your current house. You d@mn well better choose the son over the house, savvy?")

[Lovedtodeath]

But if you feel you're having to compromise because of lack of support/finances/circumstances whatever, I just don't understand why you'd continue to keep having kids & keep on compromising.

One word: ignorance. No insult to her, just a fact. Each and every pregnancy was a surprise. She never learned a proper method of bc. They were married young and haven't figured out how to run a successful marriage. Now she is having #4.

[at the beach]

. . . that nursing shouldn't be equated with sexual use of the breasts. I agree.

 

 

 

But I have yet to learn about a culture where breasts are not viewed sexually. I don't know all cultures on the planet, of course. But most cultures I know about that have a healthy (non-sexualized) view of nursing still associate the female breast with sexuality. You're going to have a hard time convincing people that the female breast is or can be entirely non-sexual.

 

Something I read online:

....................

Female Breasts: The Taboo - The Purpose

by Maria Miller

 

"European women commonly go topless on beaches, and many European countries also have nudist beaches where people sunbath naked, yet the atmosphere is decent and non-sexual and people are at ease. The sauna culture in some European countries makes people used to seeing nude bodies, and they don't view breasts as any special thing or taboo. Primitive tribes in hot climates wear very little clothing and it's no big deal to them.

 

Naturists from all over the world always emphasize how sexuality does not equal nudity; nudity is not sexually stimulating if the atmosphere and attitudes are non-sexual. In fact, seeing bare breasts on a topless beach is able to de-sensitize men's minds and take away the "breasts -> sexual stimulation" connection.

 

Of course breasts are a female body part, and there's nothing wrong in considering them beautiful as part of a woman's body. But let's let breasts be like legs and hips and neck and face etc. and all the other body parts - not some almost like inanimate objects that automatically 'click men's brains' to the 'turn on' mode."

 

'Well, we do have a peculiar obsession with breasts in this culture. A lot of people think it's just the human nature to be fascinated with breasts but in many cultures, breasts aren't sexual at all. I interviewed a young anthropologist working with women in Mali, in a country in Africa where women go around with bare breasts. They're always feeding their babies. And when she told them that in our culture men are fascinated with breasts there was an instant of shock. The women burst out laughing. They laughed so hard, they fell on the floor. They said, "You mean, men act like babies?'"

 

Carolyn Latteier, the author of Breasts, The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession, in a TV program "All about breasts".

 

.......................

 

In many places, the sight of a breast doesn't really mean much. But here, whoa, seeing a breast is often considered shocking and something we should protect our kids from. It shouldn't be that way IMO. I agree with the OP that all body parts can be sexual.

 

Just my two cents. :)

 

Anita

[hornblower]

One word: ignorance. No insult to her, just a fact. Each and every pregnancy was a surprise. She never learned a proper method of bc. They were married young and haven't figured out how to run a successful marriage. Now she is having #4.

 

Well, just so I don't come across as an unsympathetic cow (I've had to edit that several times - I'm the person who swears unrepentantly) - now, that makes me just sad. Sad they didn't learn better, sad that nobody has been able to help them be better.

[Tammyla]

Um, no. Not unless someones life depended on it.

 

BF through toddler-hood, and even into the pre-k years doesn't faze me...but that did.

[hornblower]

.......................

 

In many places, the sight of a breast doesn't really mean much. But here, whoa, seeing a breast is often considered shocking and something we should protect our kids from. It shouldn't be that way IMO. I agree with the OP that all body parts can be sexual.

 

Just my two cents. :)

 

Anita

 

Thanks for that excerpt; very interesting. I grew up in Europe, I've been topless on beaches. Boobs are boobs.

 

As an aside, there is an incredible sexualization of women's lips now, which in my somber moments makes me wonder how long until the niqab becomes the norm, because we wouldn't want someone to catch a glimpse of those things that are just for your dh....

[Guest janainaz]

I did until both my kids turned two. I can't imagine it beyond that. If they are old enough to ask for it, it's time to call it quits.

[Lovedtodeath]

I did until both my kids turned two. I can't imagine it beyond that. If they are old enough to ask for it, it's time to call it quits.

Why?

[beansprouts]

I did until both my kids turned two. I can't imagine it beyond that. If they are old enough to ask for it, it's time to call it quits.

 

 

Interesting. My babies would say "na-na" by 8 weeks old. ;)

[Jennifer in MI]

I did until both my kids turned two. I can't imagine it beyond that. If they are old enough to ask for it, it's time to call it quits.

 

 

LOL! Then, my dd(2) would've weaned by 4 months. Seriously - she had a word for nursing - bebe (which turned into baby as she got older). This is the child who was speaking in complete sentences before she was 1.

 

This is an issue that just doesn't faze me. Moms and children are free to nurse however long they choose.

 

My oldest weaned at 3. 2nd weaned at 2 1/2. 3rd weaned at 4 1/2 (he had massive allergies and health issues). 4th is still going VERY strong at nearly 3. Now, I am aware of how it looks to others. By around 2, I was always able to tell them that we only nursed at home and they were okay with it after a couple times.