Jumping on the "Mom Enough" Bandwagon

I'm sure you've seen this week's cover of Time magazine.  I thought about posting, I changed my mind, then I changed it back again.  I don't really want to give them more attention for their obvious shock value cover, but I also want to get my two cents out there.

I haven't read the article since I don't get TIME magazine and probably never will, but based solely on this cover (which is what the world sees), here's what I think.

My first reaction was that I loved the picture.  While I never nursed a child that long, and personally don't think I would, I just thought it was a great picture of a devoted mama feeding her babe.  Who cares that he's 3 years old?  Apparently TIME magazine does.

Then we get to the actual words on the cover.  "Are you mom enough?"  Some might answer with a simple, "nope!", but that shouldn't have to be their answer.  Just because someone didn't nurse their child until he was in preschool does not make her any less of a mother.   And then we get to the calling of Attachment Parenting "extreme."  I do consider myself an attachment parent to some degree.  No, I am not at the farthest end of the "attached" spectrum, but I do babywear, cloth diaper, extended breastfeed, nurse on demand, and on and on.  Direct from Dr. Sears' website is this description of "attachment parenting": Attachment parenting is a style of caring for your infant that brings out the best in the baby and the best in the parents.  Attachment parenting implies first opening your mind and heart to the individual needs of your baby, and eventually you will develop the wisdom on how to make on-the-spot decisions on what works best for both you and your baby.
Does that sound "extreme" to you?  Because it's not.  Attachment parenting does not mean "you must do this" and "you must not do that."  It's a general view of life and parenting.  It means you pay attention to your baby and cater to its needs.  Just because I had Everett on a routine at 4 months old, does that mean I wasn't subscribing to attachment parenting?  No.  I learned that he was a happier baby on a routine, so that's what we did.  It wasn't for my benefit, it was for his.  And happy baby makes for a happy mama.

I could not imagine nursing Everett still and if I was, there most likely wouldn't be a Callum.  Everett had his last nursing the morning before we found out I was pregnant with Callum.  He had slowly weaned himself down to that point (yes, he DID wean HIMSELF) and we were both ready to be done.  I felt at peace with the decision.  I think that nursing him until he was 18 months old was perfect for both of us.

I'm still nursing Callum at 14 1/2 months with no plans to stop any time soon.  As long as he's interested, I will keep going (to some degree.  I have my personal age ceiling and that's my own business.).  No one can deny the health benefits of breastfeeding so of course I'm going to try to provide it for my baby as long as I am able.

So, TIME magazine.  Cut the crap.  Don't try to pit us mamas against each other.  We have enough guilt and judgement to deal with before you stuck your giant nose into our lives.