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May 10th, 2012
04:37 PM ET
Breast-feeding: Too much of a good thing?It's hard to avoid staring at the cover of Time Magazine this week. If you're on social media like Twitter and Facebook, the widely shared image may have arrived on your screen before you ever saw it in the supermarket. The provocative cover shows Jamie Lynne Grumet, a 26-year-old mother from Los Angeles, breast-feeding her son. This isn't your typical mom-and-baby shot: Grumet's son is 3. In case you were wondering, Grumet told CNN's Erin Burnett that her son is actually breast-feeding in that now-iconic image. Grumet said her own mother breast-fed her until age 6, and Grumet still remembers it. "I'm proud of her," Grumet said. The picture promotes an article about the growing popularity of "attachment parenting", a theory first advocated by Dr. Bill Sears and his wife, Martha, in their 1992 best-selling guide “The Baby Book.” The Searses argue that co-sleeping, “baby wearing” (where the baby is attached to the parent with a sling) and extended breast-feeding will help parents respond better to the individual needs of their babies. Celebrities such as Mayim Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory" are also promoting ideas about attachment parenting. Bialik said on Friday that she still breast-feeds her 3-year-old son. "He's not done breast-feeding, and I'm not ready to tell him not to," she said. Many moms and dads have strong opinions about these practices, especially the breast-feeding advice. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies be breast-fed exclusively for the first six months of their lives. "We don't all nurse older kids," Bialik said of mothers who subscribe to attachment parenting ideas. "But the notion that a child's voice matters, that every child is different, that's the basis of attachment parenting." Heather Curtis, wife of Fark.com founder Drew Curtis, told CNN's Geek Out that she practiced breast-feeding for an extended period, carried her babies in slings and practiced co-sleeping, as Bialik did. So did Caryn Rogers, a science writer for the Preeclampsia Foundation. "I didn't really choose to eschew conventional care so much as chose to get what I believed was the most evidence-based care," Rogers said. Grumet said that sleeping with her baby does not affect intimacy with her husband. Watch: Breast-feeding cover-mom defends pose "I think intimacy is extremely important in a marriage and I think a strong marriage is going to be a great foundation to show your children how to be raised confident and happy and I had that with my family, too," she said. Time: Extended breast-feeding is more common than we think CNN.com readers expressed mixed views on the subjects of the best age to stop breast-feeding and the appropriateness of the Time cover in general. See what they said. We want to know what you think. Is it OK to breast-feed well past toddler-hood, or is it too much of a good thing? soundoff (3,790 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Next »Leave a Reply to GJM
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
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Why can't people mind their own business? If you don't like the picture.... don't look. How she raises her children is no-ones business. And, stop posting the picture all over the internet. Time Magazine is just trying to create an issue and hopefully increase their circulation in the process.
So you think the purpose of this article and picture is for people to mind their own business? If she wanted people to mind their own business she wouldn't have put hers on display.
I agree. And I think for Father's Day I would like to see a full expose on the cover of a prostate exam. Equal time and all that.
I will let any woman off, if she breast feeds me.
Actually David, it is our business, as a society, how a child is raised. There are detrimental, if not flat wrong, ways to do it. It calls into question who it is being done for. The nutrition value isn't there, the bonding and handling is long past established , what purpose does it serve the child? Some mothers do extend feeding a few months because its hard to let that stage go but this is something else entirely. A number of studies have shown prolonged breast feeding has negative repercussions down the road.
Uhh she's on the cover of a national magazine and you ask why people can't mind their own business... really?? The moment she decided to be on the cover was the moment she gave up the right to have people mind their own business....
this kid is going to have a hard core fetish for woman's breasts when he grows up. that is if he ever grows up, cut the apron strings already. breast feeding should end when the child is able to eat solid food.
I'm pretty sure we all were minding our business before she made it international news with that photo and article. If she wanted us to mind our own business, why did she do this?
oops.... sorry david i meant to make a general comment not a reply
Lone (in your reply to David),
Can you please provide references to these studies which prove extended nursing is detrimental?
It's pretty funny that all of you care about this so much. We are the most backa$$wards country in this regard. There are much worse things than prolonged breast feeding. Maybe not good beneficial for your body after 6 months but does wonders for your heart and soul.
Are you f.....ing serious? Does Time magazine really have to resort to this.crap to sell magazines? Oh man, America's in trouble. Lets hope the Mayan's are correct.
She gets off on it. Sick woman.
And your evidence for this is where?
Sounds like you get off on it. You're a sick person.
Female want to grow same size boobs like that picture. They get extreme jealous because they can't make grow BIGGER!!!
Bottle-fed children fare perfectly well. Breast-fed children fare well (as well). What this woman is doing has nothing to do with the kid's health, It is completely unncessary and borders on the perverse. I'm glad my wife did not breast-feed our children. It was more convenient to bottle-feed and I was able to handle the feedings at any point and give her a break. The "breast-feed only" cult needs to disband and stop hassling those who choose not to. All ten of us kids were bottle-fed and have fared very well in terms of health, education and career.
On average, you're right-but individuals aren't average. Advocating that all practice attachment parenting is wrong-but advocating that none practice it is also wrong. I see no point in this cover-attachment parenting is individual and not suited for a mass market magazine.
This is not anything against bottle feeding...to be honest I think it makes breast feeding look bad come on how many people bottle feed there babies for 3 years....I disagree with that as well. By a year they should be drinking out of a cup at least part of the time.
This picture says more about the unmet emotional needs of the mother than the child. I feel sorry for both of them. What a messed up society we live in. That's a disturbing display and not appropriate for the mother nor the child.
In countries like India, children are breast fed till the age of three at least.
She looks 18 and he looks 8.
Personally I don't care. I just think the kid is going to be a big mama's boy and grow up to be a p*ssy.
Here's a thought: try reading some of the scientific research on the matter, instead of just pulling a conclusion out of your ass.
He looks scared. Are his hands in her crotch? Just askin........................
I honestly don't know how I feel about the pic.
It is not for the child's health. She's got a problem and needs the attention. Poor kid.
Totally agree. You have to guess that she doesn't want to let go of her "baby". I would find it problematic if this child was bottle feeding at his age. Time to cut the cord.
Wow...I think every comment on here must be from Americans! There are more countries that breastfeed after 2+ years than not....yep, only in American would this be 'news' and controversial!
Do they all do cover shots on a national magazine and go on TV too? Wow. That would be really boring television programming! For Father's Day, I want to see a full exposure of a man's pe nis after receiving female hormone shots for a transsexual surgery. I like to stay intellectually informed and believe in fairness in the media and transsexuals are Dads too. If you disagree with this, you are a teabagging, neocon, conservative Christian bigot, nazi loving, rightwing nut job.
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Yeah way to screw your kid over for life, idiot wench
Sounds like someone's bitter they got weaned too early. HAHAHA!!!
I get it. Midgets and dwarves ahem excuse me "little people" are good in the sack. Right?
we always compare our selves to animals, they wean the mother weans the babys not the babys weans their self
Lucky kid
Does anyone know of a website that has news on it? Preferably one that employs journalists.
Perhaps Time magazine?
I wonder if she's a teacher?
This growing trend must be why the youth of today are dumb and dumber. The current generation of middle to high schoolers are the most spoiled, rotten, self absorbed group of children any generation has ever seen. Shiftless, lazy, and no respect for anyone. All because Mommy says come feed...I'll make it all better.
Don't believe what you see on TV, and I can tell that is where you get it because you couldn't say that if you had any real experience with kids. That said, what do you expect? Degeneration is a common symptom of wealth, and what country has more? Surprise, welcome to a product of your own hand.
The actual scientific research on the topic runs contrary to your misinformed opinions.
TMI. Just plain TMI. Sure, it's "natural". So is wiping your behind after you poop. But I don't want to see that on the cover of Time, either.
Oh, I do! And check out my other posts. I would also like to see for Father's Day, a fully nude picture of Woody Allen and nominate him for Father of the year.
We have a front runner for the luckiest kid in America award.
um, luckiest? that is sort of a sick way of thinking...yuck
He looks old enough to date her? Cougar Mom?
Fantastic this method, whose results, however, are only in the long run. It takes courage and conscience to adopt it. I did with my three children, now 11, 10 and 7 years old. The first was breastfed for one year only, but the two others were breastfed until 3 years of age. All of them slept with the parents until late. And today they are gifted learners, with high self-esteem and confidence in what they do. My family is so grateful to this method, which, however, we did not know that was due to Dr. Sears, but we learn from a book with 101 rules on how to raise happy children.
In response to David...She put herself out there on the front page of time ok so apparently she wants a response.....And I don't think there is anything wrong with breast feeding, I breast feed all my sons..but When a child is past a certain age you should be weening him because he is no longer a baby. And yes it is up to her what she wants to do but don't expect everyone else to agree with you.
No it's not up to the mother. When the baby is a toddler, it becomes molestation. Put her in jail.
Isn't any thing private any more. Why does this woman think every one wants to see her breast feed her child on the cover of a magazine. Why does she think the world has to acknowledge it !
She's just trying to make a buck. It's the rotten economy.
ATTENTION!!!
Why make such big deal about it?!?!? Sheese......
Please, focuses on the method and not in the photo...The objective is provoke discussion. The method is fantastic.
I have two children. My son who is now 9 was nursed for alsost three years. My daughter will be 4 in June and she still nurses. She shows no signs of stopping yet. I'm glad I'm not the only one!
Whatever floats your boat!
Shame on her for exploiting the child all for her own gain.....
Socially, a male getting breast fed till the age of four is worse than a female getting breast fed till the age of six. How will he explain that one to the football team.
Apparently the mother doesn't mind sexual relations with toddlers. Maybe she will give out to the football team when he is in high school?
I breast fed my daughter until she was 8. It is sexual and it does feel good. But, it is for the benefit of my child also.
Attention seeker – move over Kate Whatshername.
I wonder if mad sucking skills runs in her family
LOL.
What a weirdo. That kid is going to be a mental case.
i'm thirsty too
ma ma – ma ma – lol
The way they are posed in the photograph is what makes this creepy. They intentionally set this up for a reaction and it worked. They have the child standing on a higher chair so he appears even older (pre teen) and looking out of the corners of his eyes to pose for the camera. The photographer did a great work in the composition. But is is still creepy to be posed that way.
I would be a million times more appalled if it were a mother smoking in front of her 3 year old and THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME! I dropped my child's classmate off at her home after a playdate at ours the other day and went in to meet her mother and it was like walking into a bar at closing time. I could barely breathe. My daughter will NEVER go over there for a playdate. I wasn't breastfed but I breastfed all my kids, the first till 14 months, the second till 9 months and the last to 26 months (yes, that's over age 2) and I'm extremely proud that I did. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding to at least age 2. It wasn't so much for sustenance obviously at that age, but more to put them to sleep, it was a comfort thing, and nobody says anything when they see a 3 and 4 year old with a pacifier in their mouth, it's another way to pacify a child except it's also a way to bond with them unlike a pacifier.
A smoking Mom is fully clothed and would never make the cover. Sorry. But I hear you. I teach and kids come in, especially in winter, smelling like the bottom of an ash tray. Bad for them.
Get over yourself. Nobody gets out of here alive. There are far, far worse sins than smoking tobacco.
Trying it you ANGRY LADIES,..... Breast feeding is not DRUGS.
It's "NATURAL MILK FOR A CHILD"
I don't care how many babies you stick on those things, but when you put yours on the front cover of a national magazine for Mother's Day, little Johnny's nursing habits are not your motivation. LOL Silly Yanks. It's the money. All about the money.
This is disgusting. It look likes incest to me....
Breastfeeding.... I bet your mom give you breast feeding when you were baby. As you look at this picture you say "Ewwwwww". Your mom did breast feed you. You can't say "EWWwwwww"/ You forgot about it.
Either you jealous or never breastfeed it before.
Who cares, if she was raised that way till six years old then let her raise her kid that way. She obviously seems to be doing well in spite of this silly bit of attention to her parenting habits.
I want in on that.
Is she adopting? I'm a 40 year old orphan.
LMAO.
You people who change your screen name to match the story kill me. LOL
This seems to much like incest to me....
And furthermore...it's medically beneficial for the mother and child to breastfeed. My kids are 10, 7 and 4 and none of them have ever had an ear infection or strep throat! EVER!
Aren't you special.
Move over, little feller.
The kid doesn't have to move. I imagine that both are working.
Hot mom, happy viewers, well-fed boy. No problem.
IS OKEY AS LONG AS THE MOTHER HAVE ENOUGH MILK TO FEED THEIR KIDS , AMEN .
In a more philosophical sense, this picture is symbolic of what’s happening to western society, including, unfortunately, America; remaining at the government’s proverbial teet long past the time when we should be learning self reliance.
Yes!
Does anyone remember when Time Magazine was a real news magazine? Reagan years... I believe. Trying to compete with celebrity rags is a tough and soulless business. What we're witnessing is the slow and painful death of print.
that's probably why they did this; to try and squeeze a little more life out of the publication before it dies altogether. When real journalism no longer sells magazines, take a page from the book of Jerry Springer.
There's priests doing this with little boys all the time. I don't see what the big deal is. She breast feeds little boys, priests c0ckfeed little boys.