I was told many years ago that the idea that breastmilk is inadequate
after one year began during the days of wet nursing when people found
babies did best when the wet nurse had a baby roughly the same age as
the one she was wet nursing.  Newborns who were nursed by women with
toddlers did not seem to do as well.  Therefore, the idea sprang up that
somehow the milk of a woman with an older baby was "inadequate."


Having studied the history of wet nursing, this makes sense to me.
However, it doesn't make sense to argue that a one or two year old
can't nurse from the Mom with a newborn.  Also, I agree with karen that
it should be clarified how much breast milk, or rather how much other
food the toddler will also be consuming. In a country where most people
wean from breast to formula at 3-6 months we cannot assume that HCPs
understand what gradual weaning and eating solids and breastmilk are
all about.

Naomi Bar-Yam
--------------------------------
Naomi Bar-Yam Ph.D.
[log in to unmask]

Researcher, Writer, Educator
in Maternal and Child Health
--------------------------------

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