>I wounder this because I learned that toddlers who breastfeed
>get more attached to their mothers rather than objects like
>blankets or stuffed animals

I am not familiar with Bruce's study, but my pediatrician
once raised this issue with me when I was still nursing
my son an 18 months. (after a while he stopped asking if
I was still nursing and I stopped telling him, although, to
his credit, I think he'd be more receptive to long term
nursing now) In any case, I think it's important to think
about the situation the other way around. It's not that
breastfed babies get more attached to their mothers rather
that transition object, rather it is that Western babies
often use transition objects because they don't get
their mothers. (Does this count as "Weissingerizing?")

I haven't done a study on this, but in my personal
experience and among friends and clients, I have never
seen that long term nursing makes babies more "attached"
to their mothers in an unhealthy way. In fact, the opposite
is true. When kids know that their mothers are there for
nursing, comfort etc. they are more comfortable exploring
the world around them, than if they don't have the confidence
of knowing that there's a home base waiting for them when they
need a break, reassurance, etc.

Hope this is helpful
  Naomi Bar-Yam

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