After lurking for an uncharacteristically long time on this thread (days!) I
have to put in my 30 ml now.

When I read about how breastfeeding protects against otitis media I always
fight back a big 'HAH!!'  My first child experienced a dozen bouts of acute
otitis media from age about 6 months to 18 months.  Each time she required
antibiotics, each time she made a full recovery, and less than 3 weeks later
we were back at the doctor's with the same fever, pain, and red eardrums,
for another round.  My milk was the mainstay of her diet for most of that
time.  She eventually outgrew it, at the time she got juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, which occupied us for the next few years.  It would be hard to
imagine spending more time than we already were, waiting in doctors' offices
and treating illness.

My second child had his first bout of acute otitis media at age 2 months,
and they continued until he was about 18 months old, unless I am repressing
the memories of that dreary time.  He had the added piquant touch of a
ruptured eardrum, which was handy because he was too small to communicate
where it was hurting but when I saw that yucko stuff on his bedclothes I
knew what the problem was.  He was exclusively breastfed, and I mean
exclusively.  His earaches gave way to dust mite and citrus allergy, which
entertained us throughout his daycare years.  Living in a smoke-free
household and having your toddler sound like a pack-a-day-for-20-years
hacker is a lot of fun too.  Plus, he always managed to bruise his face
shortly before all our well-child checkups, so he looked freshly abused.
All in all, a delightful time it was!

So I comfort myself by thinking how much worse off we would have been if
they were fed something other than normal human infant fare.  Perhaps they
would have needed hospitalization for sepsis each time?  If I were to use my
children's medical histories as an example, it would never convince anyone
to breastfeed.  That's why I rely on epidemiologic data.

I could also list a great number of specific incidents and areas in which
breastfeeding demonstrably helped them, but it would be equally irrelevant
to the issue at hand.

I still sometimes wonder what I did wrong, to get two 'ear' kids like that.
But I NEVER wonder whether I should have fed them something else.

writing with the unshakeable faith of the true believer
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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