Bwest Milk

I went into Motherhood Maternity for the first time in over three years. No, I'm not making an announcement, it's just that I so rarely go to the mall and unfortunately I had to go. And I was walking along, wishing they'd actually put a mall map somewhere near the entrances (but I suppose that would prevent you from wandering past all the stores you didn't intend to go to that day), and I noticed, like a beacon in the distance, a Motherhood Maternity.

Why was I so excited? I'll tell you. Several years ago, when I was pregnant and my upper half was swollen and tender, I discovered the benefits of wearing a minimal support sleep bra. I also discovered that Motherhood Maternity makes an awesome sleep bra. Technically a nursing bra because of its wrapped, easy pull down design, but it makes a great plain old sleep bra I bought a couple with each of my pregnancies, and the are now embarrassingly in shreds because well, I have officially entered old-ladydom; I wear a bra to bed--and not a red and black lace variety. I keep saying I should really go to Motherhood Maternity, but never actually work up the gumption to make a special trip.

Well, there I was, and the bras were on sale! Yay! Bra shopping however has a tendency to open some deep wounds. I was trying on the bras in the fitting room and Elliot picks up the fake tummy apparatus they provide. Mom, what's this? It's squishy! It's a pretend tummy, of course. I had to pick past all the strange bondage style snap, clip, and hook nursing bras and had terrible lactation nazi and breast pump flashbacks.

This leads me to a question that of late has been nagging at me. You see, a bunch of moms got all riled up on a certain social network of late because a picture of one of them breast feeding was deemed inappropriate to the site. So, a bunch of them protested by posting pics of them breastfeeding, insisting that because it is a natural thing, no one should feel uncomfortable about it. I could list several natural behaviors that would make me uncomfortable to witness. But that is beside the point.

My question is really regarding the continued breastfeeding of a child well past the age of one. From what I understand, the nutrient benefit of breastfeeding begins to decrease at about 6 months and by one year, there is little to no nutritional benefit. Now, I get the whole breast feeding thing and that it shouldn't be something deemed inappropriate and relegated to cowering in bathrooms and so forth (though I believe it behooves a mother to be discreet). I also understand that there is an emotional factor to the whole process (though how that can overcome the sheer physical, emotional, and practical pain in the rear of breastfeeding is beyond me, I realize that this is due to personal experience and preference).

What I don't understand is this; if the nutritional benefit is gone by age one, then why do women continue to breastfeed? Is it not because of the bonding and positive emotional connection that occurs? So, why therefore is it still okay to breastfeed a child over the age of one in public? It would certainly not be appropriate for your husband to curl up and find pleasure and positive emotional connection with you in public in such a manner. Why is it okay for a child? Isn't this the time when we can teach them (and ourselves for that matter) the boundary between appropriate and inappropriate public displays of affection? Or am I missing something? Is there more to breastfeeding a two-year-old than displaying affection (oh and perhaps that age old dilemma of actually saying no to your child)?

This all reminds me of the deleted scene from Baby Mama where the fruity birth instructor begins a class on bweastfeeding. Her child of about 9 years interrupts the class and asks Mother may I pwease have some bweastmilk? and she obliges. Eeewww! It is my opinion that if they can ask for it, they're too old (actually, it is my opinion that teeth pretty much signals the end, but that's not politically correct of me, so I won't say it.) Just my twenty-two cents.