Am I mom enough???

Today TIME Magazine released its May 21, 2012 edition.

I am not a TIME subscriber so I can't read the full article but looking at it gives me a pretty good idea of what its about. I'm not going to lie when I first seen this photo on another person blog I flinched. Why on Earth would a women do this? Her son in 10 years is going to look back and be so embarrassed! I know I would if my mom would have done that!

(The women on the cover was nursed until she was 6)

Then I really thought about it... the boy is 3. I failed at nursing...twice. My goal with Marley was to make it a year. I made it 9 weeks. I think breastfeeding is the most amazing way to connect with your child. It is so healthy for the baby and yourself, if you make it 3 months, you cut your chances of breast cancer by 30% and the longer you go the higher the % goes. There are SO many benefits to it! When Brad and I first talked about me nursing Allie I was a really not in to the idea of it. Those are for him...now I should just switch that off and let a baby suck on them?? WEIRD!!!!! But I was willing to give it a shot since Brad wanted me to do it. When she first latched on I was hooked! BUT like I said my goal was to do one year. I'm not so sure I could have done it until they were older then that. I can't say because I never made it there.

There is nothing wrong with doing it till they are 3. Its just as healthy. The location consultant at the hospital told me that I could put some cold BM in Allie's cereal or cup with other milk and she'd never know. I thought about it, but never did.  Society as a whole doesn't accept breastfeeding in general, much less to a child who can ask for something to eat and go to preschool. Last month when Beyonce was "seen" breastfeeding in public it was on every news station! WHO CARES! She is feeding her baby. How did it become more acceptable to see a model naked on new stands and on commercials only covering herself with her hands but its not okay to see a mother feeding her baby the most healthy/natural way!? Everyone has their views and opinion on when they think it is OK to stop.

So for now I'm going to say...no...I'm not mom enough. I'm pretty sure that even if I did make it to a year I would have stopped near that mark. Extended nursing probably will never be accepted in our society, I can see that only getting more tabo as time goes on. More power to you mommas. You do what works for YOU and what works for YOUR family.