Extended/natural term breastfeeding articles in magazines

[EauRouge]

If you were asked to be interviewed for one, would you do it? I'm on a mailing list where requests come up every so often by journalists that are looking for mothers of older children that are breastfed. They always claim that the article is going to be sensitive but I'm still a bit worried that if I did it I'd be paraded around like a freak show.

On the other hand, I've filled in my bingo card so many times that I wonder what anyone could possible say to make me feel bad about my choices. Would such an article be helpful to mothers of younger babies or would it just be helpful to the magazine and journalist?

I wouldn't do it, not for me because I don't give a stuff, but for the kids in case they were teased or something at school. Because it involves them too iyswim?

Very good point! Mine aren't at school yet but I wouldn't be comfortable of having a photo of them in a magazine article about how they were 'still' breastfeeding.

Nope, I wouldn't do it.

Ds1 fed til 7yo, but he decided for himself that he wouldn't mention it at school as he didn't want to be called a baby, even though he and I both knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with what we were doing.

When he's an adult, he can choose for himself whether he wants to go to a magazine and tell them his story about breastfeeding to age 7, but honestly, to him, it's a non event, it was part and parcel of everyday life and nothing out of the ordinary.

Have you ever seen any of the resulting articles?

Not that anyone has every asked, but part of me would be tempted to help spread the good word. But I'd have to know the reputation of the journalist and their publication very well. And just thinking about it makes me realise that the whole premature baby experience would be quite hard to talk about for me when it's being published under my own name.

No, they tend to be in magazines I don't read. I think I'll just leave it. It's a shame really, there have been so many awful articles that even if there was a sensitive one (unlikely because it wouldn't shift many copies), a journo would have a tough time finding a mum that would agree to do it.

Aw, thanks Harriet. I think MN was the first place I really learnt about natural term feeding, and tandem feeding. Yes, my eldest is 4 and she's not planning to wean any time soon

Fair point Harriet. I'm talking to one such journo ATM Eau but have just the same reservations. I think the benefit of MN (etc) is the interaction. People can put their point across, clarify points, ask questions etc,

Another good point- you can't answer back once the magazine article is out. Unless it was one of those online ones where you could leave comments, but that would probably be worse!

Don't.Ever.Read.The.Comments

I know, I can't help it Part of me is hoping to read something new. I've heard all the old 'it's all about the paedo, child-abusing, emotionally needy mother' stuff. I need something fresh!

I think it could be a positive thing to do, but I agree with the concerns raised. I think it's good to just raise awareness, feeding toddlers is much more common than people realise. I think if you could get some sort of guarantee that the WHO guidelines would be mentioned, possibly as well as perhaps some of the anthropological information regarding natural term weaning, it would be worth doing. Whether you'd ever find a journalist willing to put a positive spin on it and a magazine to then publish that, I don't know.

All that aside, I suppose even if magazine articles brand natural term breastfeeders as 'weirdo hippies', if there were enough articles it may at least help women who do breastfeed for longer and maybe don't have access to places like MN to realise they're not alone.