How Old is Too Old to Breast Feed Your Child? Court Case

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[chance33_98]

How Old is Too Old to Breast Feed Your Child? 

How Old is Too Old to Breast Feed Your Child? How old is too old to be breast feeding your child? A controversial case out of Illinois has re-ignited the debate. A young mother there is still breast feeding her eight-year-old. Should she be forced to stop?

Lynne Stuckey said she has been unfairly persecuted for doing something that is perfectly natural: breast feeding her son. But there's a twist - her son is now eight-years-old.

"I did nothing wrong with nursing my child. Kyle is my only son and I'm going to continue nursing him as long as he needs that and until he weens himself."

But child protection authorities did not agree. Her son Kyle was removed from her home for nearly six months and placed in foster care. Lynne and Kyle have undergone counseling and are reunited. Tuesday on Good Morning, America , she showed her face for the first time, saying accusations that the breast feeding was some kind of molestation are absurd.

"You don't nurse your child for yourself when that's something they are needing for comfort. When you do that, you're putting your child first."

An expert on Tuesday morning's show basically agreed, saying it's normal in some cultures for children to breast feed until they are five or six. But it may time for Kyle to be weened.

"There reaches an age when you have to help your child find more mature ways to comfort themselves," said the expert.

"This is a normal thing and people need to know that, and Kyle is a wonderful child," Stuckey said.

By speaking out, Lynne Stuckey said she fears the state may again move to take her child away. The American Academy of Pediatrics said roughly 20% of children are weened by age one, and the vast majority of toddlers are weened by age two.

[MotleyGirl70]

She's kinda cute. Of course, if they test to see if she's still lactating and she isn't, then there may be a problem.

Eeeewwww. Okay you just ruined the rest of my day.

[chance33_98]

hewey/dwewy/louie

Three of em? Now that I would like to see ;-)

[MotleyGirl70]

I have a friend who breast fed until her kids were three.

They are the healthiest kids I know. Go figure.

[Neever]

My wife has breast-fed all four of my kids. The first she did for 9 months, the second for 7 months, the third for 6 months, and she's on the last now. When do you stop breast-feeding? Nature takes care of that when the kid gets teeth! This lady has a problem. Eight years old is too old. I don't like CPS, so I don't advocate the removal of the child by that anti-constitutional SS type of organization. I do think she needs a little professional help.

[camle]

one's a tad lower, and a different shape...

[capt. norm]

"It seems either a caseworker or she, herself, said the boy resisted and was embarrassed at his mother's insistence on breast-feeding him."

That's called "Michael Jackson Syndrome".

[William Terrell]

I'm a physician.

So? Why does there have to be a medical reason for breast feeding? That would be a call for each individual. There appears to be no medical reason for most things people do. Is your objection physical or moral?

[wingnuts'nbolts]

This poor woman must have nipples made of cement. An 8 year old has big teeth!!!

[Cowgirl]

I think it's sick but none of the government's business.
When you consider how many children are being brought up,
this pales is comparison. Many parents let kids watch
awful stuff on TV, go to drunken parties, etc.

[CholeraJoe]

Is your objection physical or moral?

Medical. You obviously don't know me well enough to understand that I am amoral.

[Squawk 8888]

Now, the golden question: how many of us think it's any of the government's business?

Exactly. Before I'd condemn the woman I'd like to see proof that she's harming the kid, and psychobabble won't cut it. IMHO the greatest damage being done to that kid is the prosecution and the attendant publicity.

[chance33_98]

I think it's sick but none of the government's business.

Perhaps the judge will agree and she will get off with a slap on the ....

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

How to keep this brief will be a challenge - suffice it to say that, yes, after figuring out that my child had a huge sensitivity to cow's milk even while I was breastfeeding her (I dropped all cow's milk from my diet while doing so), I was inclined to let her nurse for a while. You have NO idea just how miserable she was in the first few months of her life and how sleep-deprived I was (bordering on pushing me over the edge of sanity). Suffice it to say that, yes, I truly believe there IS a medical (i.e. health) reason in certain cases (esp. allergies) for a child to nurse beyond 6 months.

[Petronski]

Sometimes I can be a little dense, especially before 11am, so let me make this perfectly clear:

Is anyone here defending this specific woman's actions?

[chance33_98]

Defending her actions or defending her right to take those actions?

[Deguello]

Has any one seen the movie "The Last Emperor" or know what a Nurse Maid is?

Also note that it is suspected that there is a correlation to breast feeding and IQ or more reasonable the ability to learn. It is suspected that this is why third world emigrants do better is US public schools than native kids whom were bottle fed.

[chance33_98]

I have not before seen any clear cut laws put forth by the legislature stating that an individual may not breastfeed beyond a certain time. Therefore, I cannot see that she intentionally broke any known existing law.

[chance33_98]

Also note that it is suspected that there is a correlation to breast feeding and IQ or more reasonable the ability to learn

It's never too late to start...MOM!