'Breast is Best'. But for what and how long?

They say ‘breast is best’ and America seems to agree, only, for the wrong reasons.

Examples?

Christina Hendricks being considered an asset for bringing viewership to Mad Men for her, well, assets.

Katy Perry being dropped from Sesame Street as complaints and comments sparked controversy, such as: "You can practically see her t---.. That's some wonderful children's programming."


Despite what most Americans’ think, though, the purpose of breasts is to nourish babies, not stimulate audiences or sell something [or oneself].


According the government the benefits of breastfeeding are to optimally nourish and protect babies from illness, as well as provide benefits to mothers by lowering certain health problems such as breast cancer and diabetes.


But even despite how highly acclaimed breasts are in American society—breast augmentation ranked among the top five surgical procedures for women last year—when it comes to actually breastfeeding, people are disgusted and many women opt for the less optimal choice, formula.

So it doesn’t help when extreme breastfeeding circulates in the media. A video on YouTube, titled ‘Breastfeeding… at 8’, for example, has accumulated over 28 million views to date.



The issue then becomes not whether a mother should breastfeed, but how long.

From a developmental viewpoint, psychologist Will Braun says,

"I think a child really needs to learn to develop the capacity to soothe oneself, the capacity to tolerate frustration. When a child is constantly given a breast, it might thwart that from happening."

Since all babies and mothers are different, no definitive time frame of how long one should breastfeed can rationally be set. So, like diet and most other things— go for moderation, avoid extreme. Zero breastmilk is extreme, as is 6, 7, 8 years.


Happy Healthy Juicy Breastfeeding, Yes! ..Like everything else, In Moderation.