"Inside Edition" tabloid TV show on ABC and CBS had a clip on extended breastfeeding today. (perhaps a warm-up to Dateline's show next week?)
I just watched it. Quite good I thought, not negative, and the information was accurate. Interviewed a California mom bfing a 5-yr-old first, all family happy, even dad said he accepted it when he saw how his wife was so bonded to daughter Daughter said moms' milk "so sweet" and giggled and said she "didn't know" when she would stop . (Despite her mom's Dr. telling her that once children could undo your buttons it was time to stop). Interviewed Liz Baldwin, LLL lawyer, who said in this society we are penalizing moms who are doing what they are medically being advised to do. Had a comment from mom from Chicago who had 6 yr old son taken away last year, who said people didn't agree with her parenting style. Interviewed mom who's ex-husband in custody battle claimed her bfing a 6 1/2 year old was sex abuse, so she weaned immediately, otherwise would have let son nurse till he quit. Interviewed a Dr. Henry Paul, who although he said bfing is good, once you start doing something outside society's norm, in this case bfing a toddler, you are setting up child to feel different, which has its own problems.
Reporter closed with a summary of WHO and AAP recommendations for how long to nurse (was correct, although they make them sound like upper-limits to nursing, rather than the bare minimums).
So I thought everything was pretty favourable and accurate, until after the clip, host Deborah Norville had to close with this comment:
"About 60% of new moms in America are choosing to breastfeed, but virtually all babies are weaned by 12 months."
which I think sends the message that anything beyond 12 months is REALLY weird.
Janice Reynolds
Consumer Rep, Breastfeeding Committee for Canada
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