Why I really dislike the Time nursing cover

[Cairycat]

84. Time wanted to sensationalize the issue and sell magazines

Certainly this cover will accomplish that. Why this mother agreed to that, I don't know. Surely she knew that's how it would be presented - it is how longer-than-customary-in-our-society breastfeeding is always presented in the mainstream media.

But it truly isn't the reality for most families who practice what I would call "sustained" breastfeeding, breastfeeding for a physiologically normal length of time. Nursing a toddler or preschooler, despite hyped-up magazine covers, isn't about sex. It's about a way of comforting and caring for a child, one not often chosen in our culture, but a valid one nonetheless.

I've seen lots of families who have children who were nursed this long, and thus I've seen these children grow up from little ones who were lucky enough to be able to have the familiar comfort of nursing as needed in those swiftly-passing early years - to mature, poised teens and young adults. My own children, in their teens and early twenties, know that they were nursed (between 2 and 4.5 years), and are not ashamed of it. They are all smart, extremely healthy and confident individuals. While nursing wasn't the only factor in that happening, it cannot be denied as one contributing factor.

So, no, I don't care if a child goes to bed with a bottle or pacifier until school age or whatever. Whatever is comforting for the child and gets the most people the most sleep is a good thing, IMO. Although with a bottle containing anything but water, you do have to worry about dental issues. Night nursing at that age can also lead to cavity problems, though the act of suckling is a little better for the teeth than the unrestricted flow from a bottle.