Time's Breastfeeding Mom Speaks Out on Controversy: "It Did Create Such a Media Craze"

Jamie Lynne Grumet defends decision to pose for magazine with 3-year-old son, says she knew what she was getting into

By Gina Serpe May 11, 2012 3:28 PMTags
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It's not exactly a mystery for the ages: You stick a photo of a woman breastfeeding her 3-year-old child on the cover of a major magazine, there's going to be some national chatter about it. And, for better or worse, it's probably not going to be good.

Time magazine was undoubtedly banking on just that this week when they sent their issue to the presses, led off by the controversial image of Jamie Lynne Grumet boldly breastfeeding her son.

Yesterday the stars had their say, and today it was Grumet's turn, as she sat down with the Today show to explain her side of the attention-commanding cover.

As it happens, Grumet is no fool and quickly made clear that while she was perhaps not prepared for the strength of the controversy, she was far from blindsided by the tidal wave of backlash the startling image generated.

"No, I don't think any of us were expecting it," she said. "We knew exactly what we were going to get into. I thought that our family was basically one of the better ones to handle this."

Grumet, who appeared alongside her son and two attachment parenting experts on the show, said that while she obviously disagreed with her detractors, she could understand where they were coming from.

"I understand some of the breastfeeding advocates are actually upset about this, because I feel like they don't show the nurturing side to attachment parenting," she said of the stark and practically defiant cover shot.

"This isn't how we breastfeed at home. It's more of a nurturing, cradling situation…It did create such a media craze."

Now that's an understatement.

She has no plans to alter her parenting style and revealed that she will continue breastfeeding her son "through the fourth year."

Still, Grumet, who defended the intimacy of her marriage and relationship in the wake of allowing her children to "cosleep" with them in their bed, did allow for one concession: "It's not right for everybody."

Now that's something everyone can agree on.