Time Magazine Cover

Michelle164 · May 2012

https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/time-breastfeeding-cover-sparks-immediate-controversy-151539970.html

Thoughts?

PregNerd · May 2012

Different strokes for different folks for sure - but I do think that 3yrs old is too old for BFing.

Sigir · May 2012

Time is so desperate for readers, they have been stooping to more and more controversial cover stories in order to try to get people to pick up their magazine. This is just the latest in their series.

Personally, I breastfed dc to age 3, so I am ok with extended nursing. I am turned off by this pic though because it is not at all what extended nursing really is (I only bf-ed dc in private, not in public anymore, and certainly would never have been that exposed in public even when dc was younger). This pic is just meant to stir up controversy, give extended bf-ing a bad name, and sell magazines... so even though I support extended bf-ing, I don't support this picture or the article.

Hopefully that made sense!

Gismo123 · May 2012

Whatever floats your boat but I personally wouldn't bf that long.....and if I did it would be in private. I've actually seen where a mom bf her child in public, and he had to be at least 4 or 5 years old, like it was nothing. It gave me the shudders thinking of all those teeth!

Michelle164 · May 2012

Sigir:
Personally, I breastfed dc to age 3, so I am ok with extended nursing. I am turned off by this pic though because it is not at all what extended nursing really is (I only bf-ed dc in private, not in public anymore, and certainly would never have been that exposed in public even when dc was younger). This pic is just meant to stir up controversy, give extended bf-ing a bad name, and sell magazines... so even though I support extended bf-ing, I don't support this picture or the article.
Hopefully that made sense!

I agree with you on this. I would think it would turn more people off to BF, especially extended BF than promoting it.

snicksnack · May 2012

The picture is over the top and in my opinion not a good representation. I am interested to read the article because it references attachment parenting, which has gotten a bad rap by many mainstream Americans to begin with. I am curious to see if the story is objective, considering there are so many controversial topics within attachment parenting, such as cosleeping, elimination communication, baby wearing(referring to the perception that attachment practicing parents think swings are evil and you should never put your baby down), extended breastfeeding and then you get into topics such as unschooling etc? When I had DD two years ago the topic seemed to be much more talked about and controversial on the boards than this time around.

FutureNichols · May 2012

Wow...Time really took a chance with this one. I think they might get more raised eyebrows because he is 3 years old. But I know moms who have breastfed till 6. Like all of you have said, different strokes. I personally won't be BF'ing past 1.

Sawyerplus1 · May 2012

Sigir:
This pic is just meant to stir up controversy, give extended bf-ing a bad name, and sell magazines... so even though I support extended bf-ing, I don't support this picture or the article.

I agree with this. I am all for BFing but this picture seems extreme. It's styled to be shocking. As EBFing moms here have said, they did it in private and were never so exposed. But for the magazine they've chosen an attractive woman, a child that looks older than 3 (IMO. I have a 4 year old DS who looks younger than that), and they have them both making direct eye contact with the viewer. They've taken any sweetness or innocence out, and replaced it with confrontation. I haven't read the article, but I doubt they're trying hard to encourage and enlighten people on extended breast-feeding!

courtfsu · May 2012

Personally, extended bfing is not for me. I did bf DS til he was one. I will point out that the WHO reccomends bfing until a child is two and during biblical times, it was the norm to bfeed until the age of three. That being said, it is right for some people and families and kuddos to them, but it's just not for me. Part of me says this because my DH and I got married in Nov. of 09, concieved DS in Jan 10, gave birth in Sep. 10, Bfed until Sep. 11 and concieved in Sep. 11. So I have either been bfing or pregnant for 95% of our marriage. After this little girl, momma is going to need a break.

The time cover is ridiculous. There could have been other pictures to broach the topic.

BTW- did anyone see the woman who bfed one of her kids til he was 8? Um, yeah.

Aamazing · May 2012

Sawyerplus1:
Sigir:
This pic is just meant to stir up controversy, give extended bf-ing a bad name, and sell magazines... so even though I support extended bf-ing, I don't support this picture or the article.
I agree with this. I am all for BFing but this picture seems extreme. It's styled to be shocking. As EBFing moms here have said, they did it in private and were never so exposed. But for the magazine they've chosen an attractive woman, a child that looks older than 3 (IMO. I have a 4 year old DS who looks younger than that), and they have them both making direct eye contact with the viewer. They've taken any sweetness or innocence out, and replaced it with confrontation. I haven't read the article, but I doubt they're trying hard to encourage and enlighten people on extended breast-feeding!

All of this. I not really a fan of thinking that we have to hide breastfeeding, at any age, but I do feel the cover is all about confrontation, not information, like the PP.

babyruth88 · May 2012

I will be exclusivly pumping. I might try to breastfeed we will see. but I wont be doing anything after 3 months anyway. there will be no chance of me even getting a break at work to even pump midday

ebettley · May 2012

That poor child. I'm all for BFing, but I think I would be done by the time my child was walking. That picture just bugs me out for some reason and I think BFing is a beautiful thing. Just not with a 3 yr old.

kjem182 · May 2012

The woman is trying to look too sexy. For all the times we have to battle our breasts being nothing more than a sex symbol, she's wearing a tight black outfit, jutting her hip out and sticking a breast in a child's mouth. It almost looks like he's being forced to suck it, like porn. I have no problem with feeding for as long as you and the child want to, but this is really over the top-it's all in the visual presentation.

brangela2009 · May 2012

This photo was clearly meant to stir controversy. It doesn't represent BFing and I highly doubt that is how this mother normally feeds her child (as far as the position). The magazine chose a confrontational pose and one where the child looks much older than 3. People can do what they want as far as BFing and APing, but I don't like this photo because I don't think it represents BFing, it is meant to stir the pot.

JessieCupcake · May 2012

Honestly, the picture makes me feel uneasy. I feel like the people who think BFing is not socially acceptable are going to be all "See? Look how weird that is!"

If the picture was posed differently, with the mother sitting cradling her son in a loving way, it would have sparked a totally different reaction.

I get that they want to sell magazines. But as someone who hopes to nurse and is already nervous about people's reactions to it, I feel like the picture is not doing anything to help the cause.

mikeandcristina · May 2012

I agree with alot of the PP - I think this cover takes the innocence out of breastfeeding. I'm not offended easily, but this did it for me - there is no way this is a 3 year old child... it's almost a pornographic image! It makes it look so wrong. I'm planning on BFing my LO, and give props to women who do it long term - but I just am not ok with this cover.

ebettley · May 2012

JessieCupcake:

Honestly, the picture makes me feel uneasy. I feel like the people who think BFing is not socially acceptable are going to be all "See? Look how weird that is!"

If the picture was posed differently, with the mother sitting cradling her son in a loving way, it would have sparked a totally different reaction.

Yes Agreed!!

KrissyMiss · May 2012

Sawyerplus1:

Sigir:

This pic is just meant to stir up controversy, give extended bf-ing a bad name, and sell magazines... so even though I support extended bf-ing, I don't support this picture or the article.

I agree with this. I am all for BFing but this picture seems extreme. It's styled to be shocking. As EBFing moms here have said, they did it in private and were never so exposed. But for the magazine they've chosen an attractive woman, a child that looks older than 3 (IMO. I have a 4 year old DS who looks younger than that), and they have them both making direct eye contact with the viewer. They've taken any sweetness or innocence out, and replaced it with confrontation. I haven't read the article, but I doubt they're trying hard to encourage and enlighten people on extended breast-feeding!

All of this.

Discordia1030 · May 2012

JessieCupcake:
If the picture was posed differently, with the mother sitting cradling her son in a loving way, it would have sparked a totally different reaction.

Like this one?

https://lightbox.time.com/2012/05/10/parenting/attachment_parenting_time_050612_46041_f/

peachmuffins · May 2012

Well besides the fact that the picture is not representing breastfeeding in a great light.... that picture is going to haunt that little boy for the rest of his life.

Maybe he'll be totally ok with it and not care. I would have hated come middle school and high school to be that weird kid that was on the front of the magazine that made a lot of people (even people who are pro-extended BFing) really uncomfortable. Kids tend to have it tough enough in middle/high school without having something like this follow them around.

Maybe this article will be long-forgotten by the time he's that age but still. Meh.

cchill01 · May 2012

PregNerd:
Different strokes for different folks for sure - but I do think that 3yrs old is too old for BFing.

DD just weaned at 27 months. You'd really be surprised how easy it is to continue past a year and then past two years. Once you're not pumping and they're only nursing once or twice a day. Especially, when your precious baby.toddler really enjoys it.

Sigir · May 2012

cchill01:
PregNerd:
Different strokes for different folks for sure - but I do think that 3yrs old is too old for BFing.

DD just weaned at 27 months. You'd really be surprised how easy it is to continue past a year and then past two years. Once you're not pumping and they're only nursing once or twice a day. Especially, when your precious baby.toddler really enjoys it.

ITA!!!! Its one of those things that you would never think you would do, until it just happens (for me at least). Nothing was sweeter to me than when dc would smile and laugh up at me while we were nursing, and tell me "mommy your milk is so good just like strawberries". Her extended nursing is some of my best memories.

Want a personalized experience?

Time Magazine Cover

Re: Time Magazine Cover

Choose Another Board

Search Boards