Seen the cover and article of US Time Magazine?

[Miss.September]

The cover is a photo of a mother breastfeeding her three year old son

Breast-Feeding Photos: TIME Cover on Attachment Parenting - LightBox

The subjects on this week’s TIME cover aren’t models in pose. Jamie Lynne Grumet, photographed by Martin Schoeller with her 3-year-old son, is a mother from Los Angeles who subscribes to attachment parenting, the subject of staff writer Kate Pickert’s cover story. Attachment parenting has been on the rise over the past two decades, since the publication of The Baby Book by Dr. Bill Sears and his wife Martha in 1992. Its three main tenets are extended breast-feeding, co-sleeping and “baby wearing,” in which infants are physically attached to their parents by slings.

In one day, Schoeller photographed four families from across the country who practice this method of motherhood. Using religious images of the Madonna and Child as reference, Schoeller captured each mother breast-feeding her child or children. “When you think of breast-feeding, you think of mothers holding their children, which was impossible with some of these older kids,” Schoeller says. “I liked the idea of having the kids standing up to underline the point that this was an uncommon situation.”

The four mothers photographed by Schoeller were all familiar with The Baby Book but said they had adopted the parenting philosophy for their own reasons. For Grumet, the decision was a natural extension of how she had been raised; she was the daughter of attached parents, and her older sister practices the method as well. “I grew up this way and never thought about raising my kids differently,” she says.

While pregnant, Dionna Ford, who lives in Kansas City, Mo., watched a video of a British woman breast-feeding her 7-year-old daughter. Ford thought she could never do the same — until she discovered how difficult it was to wean her son off breast milk. “After six months, I decided I’d wait until he turned 1,” she says. “But after my baby turned a year old, he was still a baby — not talking, barely walking — and I wondered why I’d stop now.”

Capturing various attached parents — and their reasons for attachment parenting — was Schoeller’s biggest goal for the sitting. “It was important to show that there’s no stereotypical look for a mom who practices this kind of parenting,” Schoeller says.

It's nice to see an article about this, but it's sad that it's going to be controversial. I think it's great that not only Time is exploring this, but also that they've made it their cover.

[~ Mylitta ~]

I saw the cover but haven't had a chance to read the article yet as I don't have an online subscription. I haven't heard the best feedback about the article though...

[Ginger]

I've seen the cover but not read the article. i think the cover looks great!

[Miss.September]

I saw it initially on a radio station site and the comments are appalling. Here's a bit of what she said (from the station's website)

Grumet revealed in her interview with Time that she was breastfed by her own mother up until the age of six, recalling vivid memories of being "latched onto her mothers breast".

"It's really warm. It's like embracing your mother, like a hug. You feel comforted, nurtured and really, really loved. I had so much self-confidence as a child, and I know it's from that."

An obvious big supporter of breast feeding, she wrote on her blog:

"There seems to be a war going on between conventional parenting and attachment parenting.

"I love how my mother never made breastfeeding a dirty or secret act."

[~ Mylitta ~]

I must admit that whilst I love the photo, I don't like the title of "Are you Mom enough?". Personally I'm still breastfeeding my 3 year old (as well as my 15 month old and newborn), but I don't think that mums who either didn't or couldn't breastfeed their child, especially up to the age of 3 or beyond, are not "mom enough".

[Cassius2]

I love the pic, but yeah the title is crap.

[TeniBear]

I loooove the picture I'm not a fan of the title or subtitle, but controversy sells

I'm surprised that The Baby Book is only 20 years old though. I'm sure Mum used that book when she first had me, and I'm equally as sure that I was flipping through it myself when my (21yo tomorrow) brother was baking... Maybe it's a different book with a similar name?

[Heaven]

LOVE the cover!! Wondering what the article is like though. And I hate that often articles like this make 'attachment parenting' sound like some sort of cult. I just do whatever seems right and funnily enough it seems to align with what a lot of other people feel is right too.

[Jellyfish]

Sure is causing a stir all over the internet... must stay away...

[Rosey]

It is causing quite a stir. Obviously that was Times intention. I personally feel they could have done a better job promoting breast feeding.


Sent from my iPhone... Probably while feeding our poppet.

[Rosey]

Oh and the title is absolute rubbish.


Sent from my iPhone... Probably while feeding our poppet.

[meow]

I actually don't really like the picture that much. It's a bit too "sterile" and I think it makes BFing look a bit odd and uncomfortable. And the title is crap. I think it looks like a plot to stir up some interest in the magazine and they're trying to take a dig at attachment parenting.

[TeniBear]

Apparently the article(s) is (are) good, very balanced and pro-APing. It's just the title that has most APers offside. Some people aren't liking the photo for around reasons, blah blah...

[Teeki]

I think it's great that they're putting extended breastfeeding right in the public's face, but I don't think that particular photo will go far towards normalising it. Obviously I've never breastfed a three year old, but I can't imagine that's the way it would be, with him/her standing on a chair.

I also don't like the title, but would love to read the article.

Sent from my GT-P7510

[Heaven]

Apparently the article(s) is (are) good, very balanced and pro-APing. It's just the title that has most APers offside. Some people aren't liking the photo for around reasons, blah blah...

Yeah, I just read some more on the website, the Q&A with the mum on the cover and a video by the journalist and it actually seemed ok.

I think it's great that they're putting extended breastfeeding right in the public's face, but I don't think that particular photo will go far towards normalising it. Obviously I've never breastfed a three year old, but I can't imagine that's the way it would be, with him/her standing on a chair.

LOL, yeah, I've never stood my 3 yr old on a chair. She still lies in my lap like a baby

[Jellyfish]

I read the title more as "are you Mom enough to put your child's needs above societal judgement" but do think it doesn't quite hit the mark...

[ellasmummy]

I saw the cover in full this arvo on the news, our channel 7 news. Saw it on entertainment tonight (American show) and the boob and child's mouth were blurred out. Like they do for offensive things. Thought that was a bit ridiculous!

[Floweryfields]

I actually don't really like the picture that much. It's a bit too "sterile" and I think it makes BFing look a bit odd and uncomfortable. And the title is crap. I think it looks like a plot to stir up some interest in the magazine and they're trying to take a dig at attachment parenting.

I agree - I think the stance is unattractive and stereotyped. As in mother's who breastfeed older children just have them hanging off her boob all the time. That's how I see it - I don't think the picture does alot to attract mother's to longer term breastfeeding at all. Where's the affection and nuturing and comfort?