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Subject:
From:
Teresa Pitman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 26 May 2004 06:42:35 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
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>
> The endocrinologist feels breastfeeding at age 3 is interfering with her
> daughter's appetite, and she should be on solids for all of her
> nutritional needs at this point.  She is convinced this mother is not
> feeding her daughter at all, other than breastmilk, and when she does
> happen to feed her child, she feels the mother feeds her things like
> gummies all day long, and other equally inappropriate foods, none of
> which is even true.
>

But I would bet that if this child was drinking cow's milk some of the time,
nobody would think she should stop giving her that! It just makes no sense
to me that otherwise intelligent medical people can have this block around
breastfeeding and see it as "empty calories."

And my personal example, which all of you are probably tired of hearing: my
daughter Lisa was born weighing 8 pounds exactly. At one year, she weighed
17 pounds. Slow but fairly steady weight gain. Hardly any solids at this
age. She continued to be very petite - I remember she wore size four clothes
when she was six - and right at the bottom of the chart. She nursed until
she was almost five. Fortunately I had a great doctor who recognized that
Lisa was just meant to be petite - she was obviously bright, healthy and
active. Today, Lisa is 25. She's just been given a full scholarship to
graduate school (paying tuition and living expenses). Clearly no brain
damage due to malnutrition there. She is 5'2" tall and weighs a little under
100 pounds - wears a size 0 or sometimes a 2. She's petite! She's what she
was meant to be!

Interestingly, my grandson (age 2.5) seems to be following a similar path.
He was born prematurely and has, like Lisa, grown slowly but steadily. We
have tried various tactics to encourage him to eat more but nothing works -
he has plenty of excellent, nutritious food available to him and he just
eats small amounts. My daughter-in-law even tried taking Domperidone at one
point to see if having more breastmilk available would help - but he simply
nursed for shorter times at each feeding and left her uncomfortably full.
Short of force-feeding him, this is the size he wants to be! And like Lisa,
he is developmentally doing very well, is very bright and active. So we are
not worried.

I think I mentioned recently another mother I had worked with whose baby was
slow-gaining - developing fine, but weight gain was slow. The doctor
eventually persuaded her to switch to formula, and guess what? Baby is still
gaining slowly. Mother says the baby just pushes the bottle away when he's
had enough. But now, of course, the doctor is no longer worried - now, since
it's formula, the baby must be gaining what he should. Very frustrating.


Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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