Hi,
>        I'm really sorry if you thought I was "accusing' you of not offering
>your breast enough. That was not my intent.

I think I got out of bed on the wrong side that day (which is difficult
with a baby on one side and toddler on the other!). I hope people on the
list forgive me if I was rather defensive: having a 4 mo and a 2yo can
do that to you sometimes.

>Unfortunately that is the risk that
>we take whenever we discuss breastfeeding issues; we can't get away from the
>personal experiences, feelings and values that surround us.  My intent was only
>to point out that, for those who don't want their children to suck fingers
>and want to find a way to prevent or cure it, this might be a way.

I am not bothered about finger sucking per se, but I would warn mothers
not to rely on it to "keep the baby quiet" and so not breastfeed enough.
I certainly discourage mothers from helping the baby "find his thumb",
but if the baby does it naturally, I see no harm in it (*if* it is not
interfering with breastfeeding, ofcourse).

I am told most babies grow out of it naturally at about 6mo, and Alice
seems to be doing it less and less as she becomes more able to use toys
etc. I wonder if she does it out of boredom.

As I had a pacifier until 7yo (I was not breastfed) I feel I have no
right to criticise! My sister (now 29) still sucks her thumb.

>It is
>only through discussion that ideas can germinate into solutions, or not.

True.

>        To attempt to further the discussion,  my letdown was also quite
>strong, but perhaps to a different degree, so I nursed on one side very
>frequently (I don't think my bra was ever done up in the first year!(Why did
>I bother wearing one!) for long periods (I have heard of women who nurse on
>one side during the day and the other side at night without any adverse
>effects).  All of my babies ended up quite rotund, shall we say, (20 lbs at
>3 months) but stayed at that weight until about a year and are average
>weight as school age kids.  Maybe my conclusion is self evident but worthy
>of note.

I only nurse on one side per feed, but with frequent feeding, this
effect is not so noticeable. I also gave up wearing bras when I
discovered that it was *not* compulsory for nursing mothers to wear them
(my discovery occured after my third dose of mastitis caused by ill-
fitting bras). If you are small busted like me, it can be hard to get
bras to fit. My solution? Give up wearing bras. My midwife told me it
would cause my figure to sag. "You're kidding, right?" I said, peering
at my invisible "figure".
--
Anna (mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995 and Alice, born 11th Sept 1996)
Email: [log in to unmask]  Web Page: http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna