Breastfeeding at 8 - OMG!!!

[Linda7NJ]

IMO it's not a hoax.

If it isn't a hoax, it would be considered child IMO

 

[Salem]

Nice post SeekingJana. I'm not quoting it because it is so long, but interesting theory. I find it hard to believe an 8 year old that goes to school and interacts with other children her age wouldn't wonder about how appropriate this is, given that (probably) none of her friends are still breastfed and if they know she is, they probably tease her. I know I am "assuming" here, but children do tease about things that are different or unusual.

I also agree that our response may be somewhat different if the video included male children of this age.

Salem

 

[Diamond]

Breastfeeding toddlers (at least) do eat more than nurse...but very much retain the latch and suckle.

 

[SeekingJana]

IMO it's not a hoax.

If it isn't a hoax, it would be considered child IMO

Linda, why can't we consider the possibility that it is a somewhat-disguised videotape of child exploitation, or, as you say, " child "? I was careful not to use the words " child ", and used " child exploitation." I think there might be a slight difference in that the child shown was NOT a boy.. but the distinction is not mine to make.

The implications of abuse or exploitation are there for the following reasons:
The girl's faces were readily shown, they are recognizable through their appearance and their voices, and the parent's names are given. The abnormal breastfeeding was simulated in close up detail, and then the finished ( scripted) product was put on the Internet for the WORLD to see. The world is not just you, me, and the other people at WS who fight pedophiles. The world includes every pedophile with an Internet connection.

These parents have opened their daughters lives up to incredible scrutiny not only by people like us, but by pediphiles the world over.
NO ONE is that naive. The video was made for disturbing reasons which are at extreme odds with the girls' normal internal growth and development stages. I do not know the specific reason the video was made, but I defintely do not think it was to show the benefits of school age girls simulating breastfeeding on camera.

Much more is implied slightly beneath the surface, at the expense of the children. IMO.

Maria

 

[Yeah me]

I'm pretty certain I saw this video on TLC or Discovery, originally. It was not shot for YouTube, it was shot for a documentary about extreme breastfeeding. This was only one of the segments on the documentary and there were other families filmed for other reasons.

 

[SeekingJana]

Breastfeeding toddlers (at least) do eat more than nurse...but very much retain the latch and suckle.

A 6 year old and an 8 year old are not toddlers.
However, in case someone isn't understanding the natural differences, let me state it a little more clearly- Once a child is eating solid food as a primary source of nutrition, which is physically necessary by age 3 or so, he or she LOSES the natural sucking reflex. it cannot be relearned.
The natural sucking reflex is the reflex which causes milk letdown.
All of us can suck, but not like a baby sucks. A baby also cannot suck like an older child sucks.
Do you remember teaching your child how to suck through a straw? Remember how they wanted to blow, then had milk or soda coming out of their nose? They didn't have an adult's natural sucking motion nor an infant's either at that stage.

The loss of the babyhood sucking reflex is another example that we lose the reflexes we are born with which we lose the NEED for. It doesn't matter if someone offered me 1 million dollars to suck milk out of a woman's breast. I could not do it even if I really wanted the million bucks because I lost the natural sucking reflex needed for milk expression more years ago than I care to admit. We ALL did, including these two girls.

Respectfully,
Maria

 

[Yeah me]

If the breast feeding is occurring without interruption thru the age they are now, they wouldn't lose the reflex or forget how. Otherwise, the parents on here who have stated that they b.f.'d until their child was 4 or 5 wouldn't have occurred.

 

[SeekingJana]

I'm pretty certain I saw this video on TLC or Discovery, originally. It was not shot for YouTube, it was shot for a documentary about extreme breastfeeding. This was only one of the segments on the documentary and there were other families filmed for other reasons.

It was filmed with a professional flair. I noticed the intro most of all.. I agree with you that it may well have come from another source initially.

My points about it being a hoax stand. A woman and 2 little girls can " play act" for the TLC/ Discovery team as well as they could for a homemade Youtube video, you know. How could a film crew document the truthfulness of the mother's and girl's statements? There is NO WAY to.

Whoever filmed this put the girls at risk for harm by pedophiles when they allowed the filming of their faces, telling their family's name and location, etc.
Obviously, the parents allowed it, even encouraged it by the nature of the video itself.

 

[SeekingJana]

If the breast feeding is occurring without interruption thru the age they are now, they wouldn't lose the reflex or forget how. Otherwise, the parents on here who have stated that they b.f.'d until their child was 4 or 5 wouldn't have occurred.

I do not see natural nursing when I watch the one girl with her lips on her mother's breast. I see " play acting" on her part, because I know what latching on and a natural sucking reflex looks like.
I didn't expect to see this. I expected to see a child who has infantile needs. But I didn't see that at all. I saw simulated nursing only.

What people are not grasping is that our BODIES lose infantile reflexes. A child loses the ability to nurse because the sucking reflex changes. It is physiological, having to do with the development of speech and tongue development, development of jaw muscles through chewing food, and the most important factor- tongue placement due to teeth eruption.
The large 6 year old shown in the video definitely has different teeth development and placement than a 4 year old does.

I won't debate this any longer, but I truly believe it is not genuine.

IMO.
Maria

 

[Yeah me]

You came into this thread with obvious outrage, the way most of us reacted, but I think it's an over reaction on your part to claim it's a hoax or was filmed with other intentions. Most of us have breast fed at one time or another, so you're not alone in that regard.

If you don't want to debate it further, I'll respect your wishes. To simply shut down against further debate is narrow minded, especially when you make such exaggerated assertions.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

This is not a new mother though. The big ox is 8 years old. God that video was disgusting. The kid was choking a couple times..

that may not be far off. breast feeding releases pleasure chemicals in the brain. my doctor said that breast feeding lowers the rate of depression in new mothers. perhaps this mother is doing this for the pleasure it brings her.

 

[Yeah me]

Here is an article written by the mother explaining the documentary

http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/extraordinarybreastfeeding.html

 

[j2mirish]

Here is an article written by the mother explaining the documentary

http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/extraordinarybreastfeeding.html

great find--

still very un-impressed- and the fact remains she cant take back what she said on the video- perhaps something in print, but not in her own words/voice

I would like to see this statistic she threw out, in print somewhere- I am having a hard time buying it
"The worldwide average for weaning is 4 years and 2 months of age."
her point being that means there are alot of folks that bf way past 4 years of age to hit this "average "

 

[Yeah me]

Thanks J2! I was glad to find it to stop this "hoax" theory. While I still don't agree with what this mother is doing, I will not give in to radical statements that have no merit.

It was interesting to read and very informative, but I still think the mother is rather misguided.

 

[j2mirish]

Thanks J2! I was glad to find it to stop this "hoax" theory. While I still don't agree with what this mother is doing, I will not give in to radical statements that have no merit.

It was interesting to read and very informative, but I still think the mother is rather misguided.

I would say interesting- didnt find much informative about the article :crazy:
you chose a better word than me to describe her- and the husband- but I will leave it at that- !

 

[kahskye]

Here is an article written by the mother explaining the documentary

http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/extraordinarybreastfeeding.html

Thanks! That was an interesting read.

 

[JBean]

Like I said the fact that the mom's breasts and her milk are a really important part of their life is the part that bothers me. That part did not change in the article. here is a quote from yeah,me's link:

Bethany drew huge media attention by the fact she requested to breastfeed for a 9th birthday present

 

[Mr. E]

great find--

still very un-impressed- and the fact remains she cant take back what she said on the video- perhaps something in print, but not in her own words/voice

I would like to see this statistic she threw out, in print somewhere- I am having a hard time buying it
"The worldwide average for weaning is 4 years and 2 months of age."
her point being that means there are alot of folks that bf way past 4 years of age to hit this "average "

I heard this also, when I was a member of La Leche League. Also that the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for 2 years.

 

[Salem]

Here is an article written by the mother explaining the documentary

http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/extraordinarybreastfeeding.html

Yeah,me - thanks for the article. I will admit I much preferred reading about it than I did watching the video.

I no longer have an opinion here . I think FindJana makes some very good points, but this article from the mom also makes some very good points. So bottom line for me is: while I think 8 years is too long, I am well past having to worry about it. As long as the children are not being harmed, I will refrain from passing any personal judgment.

I wish the video would not have been posted because I can imagine where it may be viewed with an "ulterior" motive. As part of an educational documentary - I think it could have been a little more "protective" of those involved and maybe a little less explicit.

This has been a very interesting thread. By far my favorite part was XComsquaddie's breast pump story

Salem

 

[j2mirish]

Like I said the fact that the mom's breasts and her milk are a really important part of their life is the part that bothers me. That part did not change in the article. here is a quote from yeah,me's link:

Bethany drew huge media attention by the fact she requested to breastfeed for a 9th birthday present

I have said all along- and agree- the drawings, names for the breasts and "ownership" of their mothers breasts,for these 2 girls is simply not natural or good- the breast milk has no place- the benefit for them has long past-:bang: