Photo: Screenshot Instagram / jadebeallphotography
Long breastfeeding: Good for the child or a developmental disaster?
Jade Beall is a photographer and nurses her son Sequoia at the age of 3.5. Completely normal for her, but she feels socially discriminated against ...
The 36-year-old was breastfed as a child herself until she was five years old. Maybe that's why Jade Beall finds it perfectly normal to still bother her almost four-year-old son. Now the photographer posted a photo of herself on her Instagram profile with Sequoia taking a sip from Mama's chest. She wants to provide more understanding.
"I have to admit it: I never quiet my son in public, and then I always feel like I'm being seen in a criminal act, even though I only want to comfort and care for my son, " writes Jade Beall on her Facebook site.
Of course, her son also gets regular, solid food - but nevertheless the little boy keeps asking for Mama's breast. "I still have milk, and my son still wants his 'Nah Nahs' from time to time (that's what he calls them) and there's really nothing that calms him down anymore, " Beall continued.
She has often tried to wean her son, which never worked. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old only hears her feeling and the nature of her relationship with Sequoia. If he still wants to be breastfed and just needs his well-being, Jade Beall will do nothing to counteract this.
Nevertheless, the photographer wants society to be more tolerant of long-term mothers. "Let's not be afraid of our differences, let's be curious and compassionate, if public breastfeeding offends you, talk to me instead of cursing me, let's learn from each other, " she continues.
Her fans are thrilled - and even women who have been breast-feeding in front of their camera, Jade Beall support in their opinion. But the sight of a mother holding a baby instead of a baby will probably remain unusual in the near future.
Self-portrait taken today with my son. There are many ways to breastfeeding begs to be normalized. For me right now, it's normalizing full-term / child led weaning / extended breast feeding with my 3.5 year old. I admit that I never breastfeed my son in public anymore. I feel like somehow I would be comfortable doing a criminal act when doing all I am doing. I see that with my discomfort in breast feeding my son in public these days is there a whole new way for me to promote and support feminism. I still have milk, he still wants his "close up" as he calls it and nothing, absolutely nothing soothes him better ... I have tried to do it multiple times and have surrendered to the flow of my relationship with my son. If this offends you, ask me a question rather than call me names. Let's learn from one another. Let's be fair with fear of our differences and let's be filled with curiosity and compassion!
A photo posted by Jade Beall Photography (@jadebeallphotography) on Jul 16, 2015 at 9:31 pm
