'It's an intimate act': Mayim Bialik educates people about her 'attachment parenting' style
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mayim Bialik is the perfect example of ‘beauty with brains.’ The 47-year-old star, who holds a PhD in neuroscience, has effortlessly made her mark in the showbiz industry with her magnificent on-screen performances in ventures like ‘Big Bang Theory’, ‘Pumpkinhead’ and ‘Beaches’. Bialik’s breakout role came at the age of 14 when she landed a leading part in the sitcom "Blossom." The sitcom took Bialik’s popularity to cloud nine and jump-started what would be a long and storied career.
In addition to being an actor and scientist, Bialik is a proud mother of two, who hopes to change people’s mindset after getting quite a bit of backlash for her parenting style. The JEOPARDY! host was previously married to Michael Stone, whom she met in a calculus class at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The pair exchanged vows in 2003, and Stone, who was raised as a Mormon, converted to Bialik’s religion of Judaism. Stone and Bialik are proud parents of two sons: Miles, 16, and Fredrick, 13. The pair maintained a beautiful relationship but their marriage didn’t last long as they decided to split up in 2012.
READ MORE
Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik says she has adult temper tantrums
'If you have a C-section...'
Since her divorce, Bialik has been valiantly handling the demanding role of a single mother. She has time and again spoken in favor of "attachment parenting," an approach she proudly used while raising her two boys. Previously, Bialik joined Rebecca Romijn at Anderson Copper's program to address some misunderstandings about the attachment parenting approach. "I think a lot of people hear this term and think a lot of things, that there's some attachment parenting police, that if you have a C-section, you're out,” she said at that time, according to Amomama.
Bialik claimed she believes in this parenting style because of its psychological benefits. As per the star, the parenting style entails nursing your kid until they autonomously decide against it, cosleeping with them, and wearing a baby in a sling to ensure they remain physically close to a parent’s body. Romajin, who has two children, countered Bialik’s claims and said the demands of the attachment parenting style sounds too exhausting.
'Our culture has bizarre relationship with breasts'
The talk show host, who is married to actor Jerry O'Connell, said she fears that her husband would roll over and hurt the kids. Cooper also noted that if the sleeping technique is not done correctly, co-sleeping could lead to sudden infant death syndrome. But Bialik argued that there were numerous safe ways that can be used to sleep with your child without endangering their lives. Her claims on the show garnered mixed reactions from the audience and celebrities.
Bialik had previously defended her parenting methods several times, but one particular instance, in particular, had garnered media attention. Previously she posted a picture of herself breastfeeding her three-year-old son at the subway station. The post was met with a concerning backlash but Bialik used it to educate people and slam those who ‘sexualize’ mothers for nursing their babies in public. "Our culture has a very, very bizarre relationship with breasts. Breastfeeding is not a sexual act. It's an intimate act, and that makes some people uncomfortable, but it's completely normal to have all of the human hormones that are released when you breastfeed regulating your relationship with your child," she told Huff post adding "Breastfeeding is not a sexual act."
'I didn't nurse him literally anywhere'
To further educate people, Bialik also wrote a book titled ‘Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide.’ The book talks deeply about parenting and how she "breastfed her youngest son Fred as long as he wanted." She also spoke about breastfeeding her son in an article for the Jewish website Kveller. "I nursed Fred four to six times a night for three years. I pumped at work for Fred from the time I got the job on The Big Bang Theory when he was 18 months old until he was 3. I didn't nurse him literally anywhere, anytime, but I made sure to meet his needs and have mine satisfied as well," she wrote.
Bialik also talked about how she and her spouse changed their parenting approach to fit their new circumstances. In a YouTube video posted on her channel, she said they spent significant family holidays together, stayed in contact with each other's families, and most importantly they never spoke ill of one another in front of the children.