I don't usually venture into this sort of advice, but, here are a few things
I've learned or at least read on lactnet.
1. Night nursing rarely, if ever, involves milk pooling in the nursling's
mouth. This is a myth that, among others, dentists believe, but for which
there is no evidence. Am I imagining this or have I read this from some
really smart people's posts on lactnet? Chances are that the severe dental
caries are not caused or even particularly exacerbated by the night nursing.
2. If a young toddler is a slow gainer, the least sensible thing to do
would be to take away three calorically and nutritionally dense meals he
loves to consume. Do the ped, dietician, and dentist know about the studies
showing the make-up of breastmilk after the first year? That it is a rich
source of healthy fat, Vitamin A and a whole host of other nutrients that a
15-month-old, especially one with severe allergies, will probably not get
anywhere else?
3. Getting rid of night nursing would mean losing the highest calorie
feedings. And forced night weaning could easily lead to unintentional
weaning from breastfeeding altogether.
Just over a year ago, there was a big debate on lactnet about an overweight
toddler and whether night feedings were the culprit. Now we have a slow
gaining toddler whose dental problems are being blamed on night feeding. To
me it just seems beyond absurd to take away the healthiest and best part of
a child's diet, one the child eats gladly, in an attempt to solve problems
that will almost certainly not change and perhaps get worse if breastfeeding
is partially or completely taken away.
Kerry Ose (not a clinician, but a keen absorber of common sense...)
***********************************************
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
