Is it time to stop breastfeeding when your child bites you accidentally because they are eating solid food while simultaneously breastfeeding?

[futureshock]

PHOTO INCLUDED BELOW

Gina Crosley-Corcoran, Mom, Gets Banned From Facebook For Posting Breastfeeding Photo

Yet another mom was suspended from Facebook for posting a breastfeeding photo. Last week, Gina Crosley-Corcoran, who blogs at TheFeministBreeder.com, uploaded a photo of her 18-month-old nursing -- but also holding a piece of bacon. Her status update:

"And now, you've seen everything: Jolene swiped bacon off my plate and tried to nurse and eat at the same time. When I got bit, I told her she had to choose. She chose bacon. :)"

(Story continues below photo.)

As Crosley-Corcoran says on her blog, the photo was generally well received -- 1,500 people "liked" it and 40 people shared it. But one Facebook commenter didn't find the image or caption funny and left the comment: "Those are the kids that end up growing up to be sex offenders."

Crosley-Corcoran screenshot the comment and posted it to her own blog. The commenter reported Crosley-Corcoran to Facebook. Two days later, Facebook removed the photo for being "inappropriate," and suspended Crosley-Corcoran from the site for three days. The blogger was outraged; she felt as though the photo did not violate Facebook's rules at all.

In January of this year, when mother of three Emma Kwasnica found herself suspended from Facebook for posting breastfeeding images (over 200 of them, more specifically), a Facebook rep told The Huffington Post:

"We agree that breastfeeding is natural and we are very glad to know that it is important for mothers, including the many mothers who work at Facebook, to share their experience with others on the site. The vast majority of breastfeeding photos are compliant with our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook takes no action on such content. However, photos which contain a fully exposed breast, do violate our terms and may be removed if they are reported to us."

Kwasnica spoke with Facebook, and when she felt the issue wasn't remedied, she organized a protest at Facebook's headquarters. Over 60 moms and babies gathered in Menlo Park to convince Facebook employees that breastfeeding photos are not "obscene."

So far, Crosley-Corcoran doesn't have plans to fight Facebook offline, but she does encourage readers to take a stand on their own social networks. "Share this far and wide. Grab that picture and upload/share it to your OWN facebook [sic] page in protest... Tell facebook [sic] they're not even following their OWN rules about breastfeeding photos," she wrote on her blog.

UPDATE: Crosley-Corcoran's Facebook account has been reinstated. She told The Huffington Post that she will be "flooding" the social network with as many breastfeeding photos as possible over the course of 72 hours. Her mission, as detailed on TheFeministBreeder.com, is to normalize breastfeeding on Facebook.

[Emilytrademark]

 I'd like to know that myself.

Quoting frogbender:

How come this FB page is okay and not the photo of the woman with her baby above?

https://www.facebook.com/Sexy.Girls.Original

 

[Claire-Huxtable]

No.  You were trying to show how kids not bieng BF until 2-3-6 whatever were deficient

You are one one of the boob Nazis and cannot handle anything that doesn't criticize FF moms.

We get it.

Quoting cabrandy03:

Breastfeeding dosn't have anything to do with vitamin D, I was simply showing you how common vitamin deficiencies in young children in the US are.  And it's true that breastmilk dosn't provide the full daily recommended ammount of most vitamins but toddler's generally arn't living on breastmilk alone, it's simply in addition to table foods.  And even if you don't believe many toddler's have vitamin deficiencies what about the fact that it boosts the immune system and results in less illnesses?  Bottomline is the AAP and the WHO both recommend breastfeeding for a minimum of two years, so it shouldn't be so taboo to feed a child with teeth or who can walk or talk. 

Quoting Claire-Huxtable:

Like I said, involved caring parents don't have kids with vitamin problems and breast milk doesn't provide the daily recommneded amount.

So what does breast feeding have to do with vitamin D?

Quoting cabrandy03:

No it's a common problem with toddlers, many are just picky or light eaters. Vitamin deficiencies in toddlers dosn't necessarily reflect poor parenting.

This is from CNN.com:

Vitamin D deficiency common in U.S. children

SUNSHINE VITAMIN

August 03, 2009|By Denise Mann

A whopping 70 percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D, and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers, according to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics. Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child's risk of developing heart disease later in life, experts say.

"We were astounded at how common it was," says study author Dr. Michal Melamed, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, New York. "There is a lot of data that suggests adults with low vitamin-D levels are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a lot of cancers, and if kids start out with low levels and never increase them, they may be putting themselves at risk for developing all of these diseases at a much earlier age."

Many children in the us also suffer from Vitamin A deficiencies, I'm a little short on time so I havn't been able to find a good article...i'll try again later

This is from kellymom.com:

In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

• 29% of energy requirements
• 43% of protein requirements
• 36% of calcium requirements
• 75% of vitamin A requirements
• 76% of folate requirements
• 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
• 60% of vitamin C requirements

– Dewey 2001

• The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2008).

• Breastfeeding toddlers between the ages of one and three have been found to have fewer illnesses, illnesses of shorter duration, and lower mortality rates  (Mølbak 1994, van den Bogaard  1991, Gulick 1986).

• “Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation” (Nutrition During Lactation 1991; p. 134). In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Lawrence & Lawrence 2011, Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991).

Per the World Health Organization, “a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness.”

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that “Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child… Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother… There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.” (AAP 2012, AAP 2005)

• The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that breastfeeding continue throughout the first year of life and that “As recommended by the WHO, breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and having a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer.” They also note that “If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned.” (AAFP 2008)
• The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine affirms breastfeeding beyond infancy as the biological norm. “The average age at weaning ranges anywhere from six months to five years… Claims that breastfeeding beyond infancy is harmful to mother or infant have absolutely no medical or scientific basis,” says Arthur Eidelman, MD, president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.  “Indeed, the more salient issue is the damage caused by modern practices of premature weaning.”  The global organization of physicians further notes that “Human milk contains nutrients, antibodies, and immune-modulating substances that are not present in infant formula or cow’s milk. Longer breastfeeding duration is further associated with reduced maternal risks of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart attack.” (ABM 2012)

Quoting Claire-Huxtable:

Maybe if you don't actually take care of your toddler there are vitamin deficiencies.  

  Quoting cabrandy03:

A lot of women's breasts don't respond well to a breast pump, it's just not as efficient at removing milk as a child.  I've never been able to pump more then about a quarter of an ounce.  There are many benefits to nursing a toddler, the biggest benefit being it helps fill gaps in a toddlers diet thus preventing vitamin deficiencies.

Quoting FromAtoZ:

I don't care what some one else does.

On a personal opinion level, I can't imagine continuing to breast feed a child who is eating, walking around and talking.  I see no need.  There are pumps.

[Healthystart30]

ok I just saw some facebook pictures taken at a womens fitness competition and you could see much more then half a breast! I have also seen "model" pictures that are much more revealing than this. And only a crazy person would think 18 month old BF=growing up to be a phedophile!

[SewingMamaLele]

Oh, jeez.... you mean my 3 and 6 y/os are supposed to still be in my bed??   Must not have gotten the memo on that!

Yes, they're *eating*... and human milk is a food product, just like any other.   If it's the method of delivery you have a problem with, I suggest you seek counseling for yourself since you clearly have a very unnatural view of a very natural act and that just doesn't seem healthy. 

Quoting PortiaRose:

She's EATING. Its time to give it a rest. You've done your job. My gawd.... these are the same dimwits who let their kids sleep with them unti they're 10....

Quoting SewingMamaLele:

To answer the question in the title... No, it's not "time" to stop nursing when that happens.   I've made my kids choose between chewing and nursing before because they wanted both at once... it's all part of the learning process.   Patience, making choices, etc...

[SewingMamaLele]

Quoting FromAtoZ:

I don't care what some one else does.

On a personal opinion level, I can't imagine continuing to breast feed a child who is eating, walking around and talking.  I see no need.  There are pumps.

Would you really prefer to pump 8-12 times a day to get the bare minimum 8-12 oz that a toddler should be consuming everyday (assuming you can pump anything at all by that point)?   It just doesn't seem like a valuable way to spent time when the child can get the same amount in just 3-4 sessions.  

Also... what do you do about comforting them, then?    After getting through the toddlers years twice already I have NO idea how moms do it without nursing and still manage to keep their sanity intact!

[SewingMamaLele]

I've been to playdates where "older" kids were nursing... you know what the other kids did?   They kept playing!    Heck, my 3.5 y/os best friend is still nursing (despite his mom's best efforts to wean him!  ha)... it's just normal to us and our kids.  I'm sure he remembers nursing since he only weaned at the beginning of the year (of his own accord), so it's still quite normal and reasonable to see other children nursing in his mind.   

And that's how it should be, IMO.   I'm blessed that my kids get to have ongoing exposure to breastfeeding via our little micro-culture, and that it's so mundane and unextraordinary that they don't even bat an eye at it.   

Quoting dustinsmom1:

 As far as it being disturbing,thats just MO, if a kid can stand by you and say "mom im thirsty/hungry" they are too old to be breastfeeding. As far as damaging, what do you think will happen when they tell their friends they still bf, or they are hungry on a playdate...damaging. I just dont agree w/ extended bf'ing at all.

Quoting paganbaby:

Examples please?

Quoting dustinsmom1:

Eh, I think people are taking extended breast feeding to extremes. Its very different in third world countries where its more difficult to give young children nutritious meals. Here in the US there are many a;lternatives to extended bfing. I find extended bfing to be disturbing and can be damaging to a child's psyche.

 

[Sheraymonet]

I wanted to read this...but the picture of the child eating bacon made me LOL.

[NollynsMommy14]

Quoting PortiaRose:

No. I think she's saying that the women around here who constantly wail about how wrong it is when a kid is forced to wean are full of bullplop. It is no longer needed when a child is eating, and it seems almost unnatural to watch.

Quoting nb34:

Based on what scientific research do you find extended breastfeeding to be damaging to a child's psyche? I think the pervert nature of those who even think of breastfeeding like that is disturbing and damaging. SMH.

Quoting dustinsmom1:

Eh, I think people are taking extended breast feeding to extremes. Its very different in third world countries where its more difficult to give young children nutritious meals. Here in the US there are many a;lternatives to extended bfing. I find extended bfing to be disturbing and can be damaging to a child's psyche.

Just wondering if you can read this picture clearly? Do you see two years of age or beyond. 

If the world health organization is attempting to spread the word on extended breatfeeding, than their obviously are extreme health benefits involved, it's not just for bond.

[Sisteract]

Why would anyone post that photo or occurrence on FB?

Overinflated sense self importance, IMO.

[Sisteract]

Oh and how ironic- BACON? and it doesn't look like turkey bacon either- worried about cow's milk but feeds a kid bacon-