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The cover of Time Magazine last week had a picture of a woman nursing her three-year-old child to raise awareness of breastfeeding and get people talking about it. It worked, perhaps better than they anticipated. The tactic was employed and completely justified because breastfeeding rates in America are very low, due to our weird American hang-ups that can’t reconcile the dual purposes of breasts. As Dr. Sears said, the real purpose of the human breast is for nurturing a child, not selling cars and beer.

The World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Canadian Pediatric Society, among others, recommend breastfeeding for at least two years, and beyond, as long as both the mother and child desire. What should be more individualized than a childhood, and a mother/child relationship? There is no evidence that continued breastfeeding is harmful nor that it is advantageous to wean a child before he is ready.

It’s the norm – in other cultures and in other species

The history of breastfeeding and humanity speaks for itself. There shouldn’t need to be a discussion. If your great-grandmothers didn’t breastfeed, you wouldn’t be here. It’s what’s normal. Name one other mammal that doesn’t do it. You can’t.