A mom called today to ask if it was normal for a 10 month old to nurse 4 or 5
times a day.  Seems at the well baby/child visit, the pediatrician informed
her that her child was eating too much from breast and should be getting at
least 50% of calories from other things.  Her solution, you got it, refuse to
give the baby breast when you come home from work.  Never mind that mom's
breasts are bursting, she doesn't have energy to fix dinner or even open a
jar of Gerber's, that she would just like to collapse in the La-Z-boy and
catch up with her older child while she nurses the baby.  I went out of my
head on that one.  I would just love to be the mother.  I would love to turn
and say, "Why don't you come to my house and take over the feeding of my kids
for me?"  We all have to put ourselves in the mother's shoes.  Lay off the
SHOULDS for a while.  Emphasize the fun parts and appeal to not-so-common
sense.  So the baby doesn't like strained green beans.  Do you?  We have
become WAY too perfectionist sometimes or WAY too uncaring at others.

Okay, I'm better now.

Jane Kershaw