Someone writes:
"I don't tout bf babies as the norm, at least not those born in the US.
Perhaps it is normal for babies who are born drugged and traumatized, fed
too infrequently (and often fed AIM), separated from their mothers, and
whose mothers consume the Standard American Diet to stool infrequently, but
how would this apply to the biological norm?"
Let's not assume that ALL US breastfed babies experience life as described
above. Many do, but many do not.
Here's a sample of two, and then one: two babies born with a minimum of
drugs (a little stadol in the IV each time about 2/3 of the way through
labor), not traumatized, fed several times an hour around the clock (for
years), no formula ever, one separated for the first 4 hours after birth,
the other one never separated, and the mother consuming a diet healthier
than the typical US diet, with little meat, lots of whole grains, fruits and
veggies --
Both kids grew well, were fat and happy, and after the first couple of
weeks, stooled once a week or less -- those big huge messy stools that fill
up their sleepers and ooze out over the top.
The third child is the one with Down Syndrome, had easy delivery but then
one week of IV feeds, abdominal surgery, didn't come home for three weeks,
had breast/bottle combined til 4 months, then just formula, grew slowly,
though also fat and happy like the other two. Stooled at least once every
day, a modest amount, though occasionally he also would skip 3-4 days and
then have a "blowout."
No food or other allergies in any of the kids, now ages 21, 16, and 10
years. Well, Peter is allergic to fire ants, but that's from living in
Texas.
I don't think we know enough about this topic, but it is certainly "common
knowledge" among many LLL mothers that breastfed babies MAY be of the
variety that stools only once a week and makes a huge mess of it, or they
MAY be of the variety that stools with every breastfeeding session, making
the mother spend a fortune on diapers.
Kathy Dettwyler
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