Latched for Life
For a mother, providing a comfortable and loving environment for a child will be the most important job she ever does. She will go to great lengths to feed and wash and nurture her child. The medical field supports these intentions by encouraging breastfeeding newborns throughout their infancy, as it is a way to not only supply baby with food and nourishment, but a way to create a parent-child bond that every mother strives for. Motherhood is overwhelming, and controversies concerning the right way to parent are argued daily, but a new form of attachment parenting promises relief. Extreme breastfeeding, or breastfeeding a child past the average weaning age into their school years, is a troubling phenomenon. Recently documented cases of this act show elementary aged children being breastfed, prompting psychologists to voice their opinions. These children will grow up with no way around the negative psychological effects extreme breastfeeding presents. They are being damaged by a mother who thinks that she is strengthening bonds and nurturing her child, when she is actually delaying development and denying the child the right to their own personhood.
The act of breastfeeding can be traced back to the beginning of mankind, depicted in cave drawings, sculpted into ancient pottery, and documented in primeval writings. Although the word itself is essentially self-explanatory, breastfeeding ideas continue to evolve leaving parents and healthcare providers alike with questions. Breastfeeding can be defined as feeding a child breastmilk directly from the nipple into the child’s mouth, and although any one person may be able to understand breastfeeding in the physical act, accepting the concept is a different story. The Center for Disease Control reports that 77% of newborn infants are being breastfed, a number that has increased greatly in recent years. These babies, being fed by their mothers, are receiving antibodies and nutrients that will benefit them for years to come. Newborns are helpless and have almost only one way to eat, relying on the natural resource that mothers are able to provide. Without the vital act of breastfeeding, they are at a higher risk for weaker immune systems and sensitive stomachs down the road, among other things. Breastfeeding carries a child through their first year, as teeth develop and solid foods are introduced, allowing a broader spectrum of health benefits. The mental and physical advantages that breastfeeding an infant provide help many mothers make the decision to feed their baby naturally, but if moms are still nodding their heads yes to this decision five years into their child’s life, it is not farfetched to say that a child will develop psychological issues.
A May 2012 TIME magazine cover depicting mom Jamie Lynne Grumet breastfeeding her son, who was just one month shy of four years old, sparked much controversy not only in the parenting world, but to people everywhere. The cover boldly asked “Are You Mom Enough?” leaving the 26 year old’s parenting choices under much scrutiny. Grumet states that she, as a child breastfed until the age of six, had a very secure feeling of confidence and love throughout childhood and strives to pass that nurturing environment on to her two children.
Australian mom Maha Al Musa publicly spoke out in May of 2015 about her experiences with extreme breastfeeding, arguing that because her six year old daughter likes it so much, she will continue as long as needed. Al Musa, claiming that it is all for the child, frequently posts pictures and encouraging words on social media for the world to see. Her daughter Aminah, although young and naïve about the subject, spoke to an reporter and said “I might stop when I’m eight,”
Veronica Robinson, a mother of two from Great Britain, was featured on a television special about the extreme breastfeeding craze. Robinson’s oldest daughter Bethany was weaned at age five, but her nearly eight year old daughter Eliza was still breastfeeding. Mrs. Robinson spoke for these extreme acts, bringing up the health be