The Breastfeeding Toddler: Kinda Creepy—or Not?

My husband wanted my opinion on the recent TIME magazine cover showing a mother nursing her toddler. The toddler, who is almost 4 years old, is standing on a chair and looking toward the camera. He has his mother’s left breast in his mouth. When my 14-year-old daughter saw the photo, she said, “That’s kinda creepy.”

I had to enlarge the photo to determine whether my daughter was overreacting, as adolescents sometimes do. I found the photo to be slightly disturbing mainly because the positioning of the breastfeeding child looks so unnatural. The boy also looks a little frightened or startled.

The TIME magazine article is about “attachment parenting.” In all honesty, I have never heard of this term before. The reader can research the term to learn more themselves about this topic, although I couldn’t find any information on PubMed about it.

I am all in favor of parents having close attachments to their children. Perhaps a more loving or tender-appearing moment with the child in a more natural beastfeeding position could’ve been chosen to promote this concept in a more positive light. The shock factor of having a larger breastfeeding child, who was made to look even taller by standing on a chair, distracts from the positives of close attachments and prolonged breastfeeding.

Some mothers will choose to breastfeed beyond the usual age in the United States, and some need help with weaning the older breastfeeder. As pediatricians, we should support all mother-child dyads. A past “Parent Coach” article, “Weaning the Breastfed 4-Year-Old,” provided some advice to the mother who wants to wean her child. I am by no means disapproving of prolonged breastfeeding. I simply disapprove of the photo. If you get a chance, take a look at the magazine cover, and share your reactions.


More on this topic:
AAP Reaffirms Breastfeeding Policy