By Jenna Rehnstrom
jrehnstrom@kcautv.com
The latest edition of TIME magazine that shows a three-year-old boy breastfeeding, is putting front and center an issue that parents have debated for decades. Just how close should you keep your kids?
And it opened the door to a whole new discussion, and lots of criticism.
But for one local mom, what's referred to as attachment parenting is not astonishing or unacceptable. It's just the way she cares for her kids.
Sarah Bradbury always wanted a family. But how she planned to parent her kids evolved as she became a mom.
"I was always a person who was like, 'as soon as they can ask for it, or have teeth, there's no way!' – I think my view about how [breastfeeding] would be part of our family has changed just as our family has changed," says Bradbury.
Five year old Noah, Leah, who's two and a half, and new baby Jacob have all been breastfeed. Only Noah is completely weaned.
That's one of the ideas behind attachment parenting: only ceasing to breastfeed when the child weans himself.
Other beliefs, like co–sleeping and baby–wearing might be viewed as extreme, as well, but, Sarah discovered it's what naturally felt right for her and her husband.
"In learning about attachment parenting, their philosophy, it was a lot more open than I expected it to be. It was not: do this, this, and this – it was more: keep your kids close, listen to their needs, respond to them appropriately, and however that looks for your family," says Bradbury.
A provocative new edition of TIME magazine puts the topic front and center, and has been stirring up debate about what's considered "okay" for moms and their kids.
But Sarah says what's at the heart of the issue isn't as rare... or as controversial as you might think.
"I've met lots of moms that are like, 'you do that? Oh, I do that, too,' but nobody knows... not because you're trying to hide it, but because it's less and it's not that constant need," she says.
And with attachment parenting, or any other style, raising kids is not one size fits all.
"We take bits and pieces and we parent the way that's best for our kids and that doesn't matter if you're nursing your 3–year–old or if you're formula feeding from day one," says Sarah.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life, and ideally, until a child is a year old. The group says there's no evidence that extended breastfeeding makes a child more dependent or harms him in any way.
Mary Albrecht is a leader with the breastfeeding support group, La Leche League. Attachment parenting is one of the things discussed at their meetings, including extended breastfeeding as an option for mothers and babies.
"In many cultures around the world the age for weaning is 2–4 years old or even longer. Western cultures tend to go shorter, but biologically, a child nursing for more than a year is just as normal as a 9 month pregnancy," says Albrecht.
If you want more information about breastfeeding support or La Leche League, you can call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-574-6858. The group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month in Le Mars and the 3rd Thursday in Sioux City.
