There is "evidence" and then there is "experience". There may not be any research to date that supports experience in many issues, but that doesn't mean it isn't so. Many babies who receive iron fortified formula are constipated. You should hear a WIC nutritionist try to convince a classroom of mothers "those are normal stools." But, the truth is breastmilk creates normal stools and those formed feces of a formula fed baby are hardly normal. Many mothers on iron supplements become constipated. I often hear from breastfeeding mothers taking the pharmaceutical prescription based iron/prenatal supplements that their babies are fussy. When they stop, so does the fussiness. Research based, maybe not. Quite often I wonder if the world of evidence based medicine needs a dose of normal vs common. Most of our child behavior information is based on formula fed crib sleeping babies. Even research on birth does not even look at biological norms to base data on. They are not looking at what would and likely should be occurring in birth to determine what infant behavior at birth should be. For instance, today pitocin induced epidural deliveries are so common, the behavior of the baby is considered normal. Common, yes. Normal, no. And this is the problem with evidence based medicine. All "they" see is what is common with very little exposure to normal. Therefore, their concept of normal indeed becomes only that which is common. I wonder how many ob's have ever even seen a woman give birth without intervention and technology. I wonder how many peds have seen babies in tact from normal birth who are exclusively breastfeeding from birth with zero supplementation and zero maternal infant separation. I would say not many in my area. This is not common and those who parent this way rarely birth in hospitals or even visit "mainstream" physicians. Best, Pam MazzellaDiBosco *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html