I'm not sure why is it even still up for discussion!?

Unnatural. Disgusting. Harmful. Child abuse. Sexual abuse!  

I must be talking about something horrible here, right?  Something that nobody would ever want their child to be subjected to, let alone actually DO to their own child!

But I'm not talking about something horrible at all, I'm talking about breastfeeding.  We had so much fun talking about boobs last time, I figured I'd give it another go.  Only this time I'm not talking about the warm and fuzzy milk drunk baby smiles, I'm talking about the sad state of our culture regarding the topic, and I'm kinda pissed. 

Like so many other things, it all boils down to education, or lack there of.  I myself haven't been an advocate for long, in fact before I had my own baby I never really gave breastfeeding much thought at all.  I never payed any attention to our cultures response to a woman nursing in public until I was one.  Never thought about what others might think or say, and I certainly never imagined it would be such a hot topic!  But oh my gosh you guys, it is like middle earth HOT! 

Okay, to be fair, most Americans are comfortable with a woman breastfeeding her baby to the ripe old age of 6 months.  In the privacy of her own home, of course.  But once baby can start eating solid food, everything shifts.  Suddenly you are considered strange, disgusting even, for wanting to continue.  Why aren't you giving that baby a sippy cup of milk?  Can't he have a cracker instead?  Your milk is just water by now anyway!  You need this more than baby, let go, let him grow up, get him off of your breast or he'll be a sissy mama's boy his whole life!

Sigh

And now you want to nurse your toddler!?!?  We might as well put the therapist on speed dial! 

One of my favorites, and probably the most common statement you will hear regarding nursing older babies and toddlers is this.  "Once a baby can walk or talk, ask for milk and/or has teeth, it is time to stop nursing!" What about babies that are born with teeth?  My son walked at 9 months.  Was that my cue to wean him?  Shit, missed that note.   And if I'm not mistaken, my newborn, at only 20 minutes old "asked for it" with a wide open, air sucking, nipple seeking mouth. 

My son now has 8 teeth, has been walking for nearly 6 months, talks, and definitely "asks for it" on a regular basis.  Should I wean him now?  Answer me this, don't all toddlers ask for milk?  For food?  For comfort?  They are walking?  Talking?  Have teeth?  Well in that case it is probably time to cut them off.

Sounds silly when I put it that way, doesn't it?

Now I know nursing a toddler isn't for everyone, I get that.  But here's what I think the main culprit is.  I think as a culture we are scared, uneducated and uncomfortable with the idea of breasts being used to nourish babies.  But rather than admit to any or all of these things we attack not the culture, but the mother.  Always the mother.  As if it is somehow her fault that she is a mammal with breasts made to feed her baby and her TODDLER!

The body of a woman, particularly her breasts, have been sexualized to such a degree that when we see a woman "exposing" her breast in public there is an uproar.  How dare she make ME feel uncomfortable.  I consider her flesh sexual therefore what she is doing, breastfeeding, must be sexual too.  Well, I'm here to tell you, there is NOTHING sexual about breastfeeding.  NO. THING.  But if you don't believe me, if you still think I'm disgusting, then my saying so won't change your mind.

And I feel sorry for you, I really do.

Because if I told you that the normal weaning age of a human is anywhere from 2.5 years to 7 years of age you would gasp.  And if I told you that there were not only immunological benefits to extended breastfeeding, but also social and emotional benefits to BOTH mother and child you would probably just tune me out.  You have been trained well by society, naysayer.  Even if I reminded you that you yourself are a mammal.  A mammal who more than likely drinks the breastmilk of another mammal FAR past the age of weaning without much thought, you still wouldn't budge. 

Oh that's right.  Cow's milk comes from a teat, not a breast.  My bad. 

Okay, I know this little blog who maybe 10 people read on a regular basis isn't going to change the feelings of an entire culture regarding breastfeeding.  I know that nursing my toddler in public is not going to change the negative thoughts and feelings of so many.  But I do know this.  If I talk about it and then you talk about it and then we all start talking about it, we CAN NORMALIZE SOMETHING THAT IS TOTALLY NORMAL.  Seriously, we could do it!

Then maybe, just maybe, American men and women would begin to respect not only the breast but the women they are attached to.  I sincerely hope that someday soon breastfeeding our babies and toddlers won't be seen as alternative or strange, and certainly not considered child abuse by some, but simply for what it is.  Feeding our babies and toddlers.  We are all hungry, I am hungry for change.