Katie Hamilton, Mom, On Why She Breastfeeds Her Toddler (VIDEO)

How old is too old? Katie Hamilton says mothers should decide how long they want to breast-feed their children, not society.

One is an arbitrary number, she says, in response to a controversial Time magazine cover this week depicting a woman breast-feeding her 3-year-old son.

"There has been this bond, this connection and to cut it off right at 1, there's no need for it," said Hamilton, a mother of two in Redondo Beach, Calif. She breast-feeds her 21-month-old daughter and explains why in an AP video. (See video here: ) http://apne.ws/KWHX9c

Hamilton says she loves that the magazine cover has put breast-feeding and attachment parenting in the news. The attachment philosophy encourages mothers to respond to their babies' every cry and form close bonds with near-constant physical contact through "co-sleeping" (letting them sleep in the bed with parents rather than in cribs) and "baby-wearing" (carrying them on slings instead of pushing them in strollers).

"It's about mothers doing the best they can to meet the needs of their baby and follow their natural instincts in the biological norm that keeps their baby healthy and happy," she tells AP.

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Comments

[sabelmouse]

12:49 PM on 05/16/2012

why pray was this very important comment removed ? i absolutely agree.
"We can squabble about breastfeeding all we want, but I am going
to be completely honest, the number one reason that I hear from
women who chose not to nurse, friends and close aquaintences,
is a giggle and a "not on these, these are for fun!" or
something to that nature...and that's fine, it's a woman's
decision to do with her body what she choses, but to demonize
woman who chose to feed their children the way nature intended
is truly odd. We have a lot of growing up to do in this
country."

[Raven1970]

10:37 AM on 05/16/2012

I wish more people who actually breastfed a baby were the ones commenting instead of people who have no experience and no understanding of what they're even talking about.

[sabelmouse]

10:37 AM on 05/16/2012

jeeeeez. both mine were breastfed for 2,5 years. big deal. it reduces naturally to nap/bedtime and then it's over.

[Raven1970]

10:38 AM on 05/16/2012

I would Fan you right now, if I hadn't already done it!

[sabelmouse]

10:47 AM on 05/16/2012

thanks, same to you.

[anon57]

07:57 PM on 05/14/2012

Here's my two cents...My mother was unable to breastfeed me after a week or so post-birth because she stopped producing milk, so I went on formula. We have a wonderful relationship and continue to be quite close or "bonded." I also have one of the most resilient immune systems of anyone I know, have no allergies whatsoever, and performed well in school and in my career.
So sure, no two babies are the same, but I don't believe that some parents realize just how resilient and capable thier children's bodies are. Your child will not love you any less for not breast feeding them longer. We're not raising children to be children, we're raising children to be adults. Let them grow up. They'll be just fine.

[Raven1970]

10:20 AM on 05/16/2012

I have two children, one I breastfed (my first) and one I was not able to due to complications at birth that led to them putting a dye in my system that could not be transferred to the baby. Speaking from actual experience as a woman who has breastfed (I wish more people who share their two cents on the subjec had first hand experience) I had a deeper bond with my son that I nursed, without a doubt. My second child and I now have a great bond, but it came later. Would he know the difference? No, just like you wouldn't. The bond is not only for the child, it is experienced by the mother as well. As for comparison of my children, they are both healthy and smart and have strong immune systems that's true...but breastfeeding is natural and healthy and really quite amazing and the way it is demonized or made sexual by the media is truly sickening.

[mad as heck]

07:25 PM on 05/14/2012

This should be nobody's business except the mother and child. But the Time cover pose was so in-your-face, and the headline so competitive, that they seemed to be posing a challenge both to other moms and to the world at large. Based on others' comments about attachment parenting, I think that cover misrepresented the issue. On another note, it makes me sad when mothers buy into the concept of competing with one another. That was the sense I got from looking at that Time cover.

[marianproletarian]

07:11 PM on 05/14/2012

The majority of comments here are angry and mean. Why? I see a lot of "rule of thumb" comments, but really, what is the issue here?

[Bodeswell]

03:57 PM on 05/14/2012

When a baby cuts its first tooth is the time to wean off the breast. Breast feeding is the most important thing a mother can do for her child, but beyond that point it becomes sheer exhibitionism. These women simply want to be watched, talked about and written about. At what time do they feel the "bond" can be broken? If your child is so insecure that weaning off the breast will cause some sort of damage then, lady, you have done a very poor job of raising to this point.

[Debra Henk]

04:28 PM on 05/14/2012

That is total bologna. First teeth can come in at 2 or 3 months--babies need the breast until they are a year old, at least.

Breast feeding is a loving, NATURAL way for babies to be fed--it is much safer (no chance of melamine in breast milk) and healthier way to raise a baby than artificial formula.

[Bethab]

06:19 PM on 05/14/2012

There are a LOT of more important things a mother can do for her child. The list of more important things is very, very long.

[marianproletarian]

07:04 PM on 05/14/2012

Mothers tend to be able to breastfeed and tackle the long list of other important things.

[Raven1970]

10:41 AM on 05/16/2012

more important than feeding them? Really? Do tell.

[greenberetrich]

11:31 AM on 05/14/2012

Too much Media and Internet frenzy. Find something important to do.

[msega17341]

10:38 AM on 05/14/2012

Public breast feeding seems to be an exhibitionistic ritual. Who benefits, the mother gets to be center stage. Is there a health reason for public breast feeding? no. So it must satisfy a personal need of the mother. There are a lot of flashers out there who have personal psychological needs as well and we don't accept their public display of private parts. Breast feeding is healthy for the child and the mother but not for me.

[Modernmama]

02:48 PM on 05/14/2012

So if someone is out in public with their baby and the baby is hungry, are you really suggesting that the mother and baby go and hide to nurse? Do you hide when you eat? Maybe you should... I've had people suggest I nurse in a public restroom in the stall. Would you eat your lunch sitting on a public toilet? Sounds to me like you have a problem with what the female breasts were designed to do - your prudish problem, not mine. Keep in mind that for thousands of years, the primary food that kept many a baby alive was breastmilk - few of us would be here but for the many, many women would breastfed through the centuries.

[Bethab]

06:22 PM on 05/14/2012

I hate this analogy...no, I would not eat on a public toilet but neither would I be held in someone else's arms while sucking on someone's breasts. I'm not saying there shouldn't be places for breastfeeding women to go...but this argument is not a good one.

[TOE-N-FOOT]

10:37 AM on 05/14/2012

My wife still breastfeeds me, i mean breast fed my kids..

[msega17341]

10:33 AM on 05/14/2012

She can breast feed until one of them dies as long as I do not have to watch.

[jaakpotts]

11:57 AM on 05/14/2012

Then don't watch. It's a pretty simple concept. As long as a mother is respectful and covers up, where's the problem? There isn't one unless a person really feels the need to watch (and then that's a different topic). There is nothing unusual or sexual about feeding your child unless a person makes it so.

My advice to those that don't want to see is to just not watch. Easy enough :)

[Modernmama]

02:51 PM on 05/14/2012

So don't watch - no one makes you look. If you find it "gross" and have a difficult time turning your eyes away, perhaps you have a bigger problem you need to address.

[MyNameIsMickey]

10:26 AM on 05/14/2012

Too lazy to teach her kid how to use a spoon.

[Modernmama]

02:57 PM on 05/14/2012

Do you really think that is what breastfeeding is about? You should be ashamed of yourself for even saying such an ignorant thing. Once you have tried breastfeeding, then I am happy to hear some of your thoughts on the issue.

[Yolinda Beach]

10:11 AM on 05/14/2012

And we wonder why there are so many that love government handouts.

[marianproletarian]

07:12 PM on 05/14/2012

Good grief, you people can link anything to "government handouts."

[Raven1970]

10:34 AM on 05/16/2012

Actually impoverished women are more likely to bottle feed in this country...I have an idea, let's link breastfeeding to your own personal financial interest, I know you Republicans love that! If the majority of women did breastfeed instead of formula feeding it would save our country multi-millions on the WIC program.

[Yolinda Beach]

10:40 AM on 05/16/2012

Great idea!

[sabelmouse]

11:09 AM on 05/16/2012

but it would cut the profits of formula makers and their shareholders. there's no winning for that kind.

[Judy Howery]

09:41 AM on 05/14/2012

i am 47 yrs old and co slept with all 3 of my children and one of my grandson's i am raising him he is 5 now and he still sleeps with me my youngest daughter breast feed for 20 months that is when she made the choice she didn't want to breast feed anymore i let my child make that decision my oldest never breast feed as the hospital gave him a bottle because they didn't tell me i was allowed at that point and time to breast feed so she got hooked on a bottle and i wasn't able to breast feed my son because his suction just killed me some people can handle co sleeping and some can't

[jaakpotts]

09:52 AM on 05/14/2012

Take a breath woman-I think I agree with you on the "let the child decide" angle, but it's hard to tell with the rambling and lack of punctuation...

[djselbac]

09:38 AM on 05/14/2012

They are really milking this one....