Julie Miller writes:

> My question is for a young mom who is tired of being pale and wants to
>tan again. She has been nursing well for 5 months now-baby will not take
>a bottle. I suggested cup feeding-mom just hasn't got around to trying
>it yet- Dr. told mom to wean at 6 months anyway.  Is it safe for mom to
>tan while nursing?   ( Mom also slept in a chair for the first 2 months
>holding baby now baby needs to be held constantly--any suggestions for
>this?)

Just some thoughts:  (1) tanning with the sun or UV lights should not hurt
baby at all; various chemical things you ingest or slather on to simulate a
tan should be checked out by a knowledgeable pharmacist before being used by
a nursing mother [subnote: it isn't the *tanning* that causes skin cancer,
in fact tanning PROTECTS one against skin cancer; it is the UV radiation
that causes skin cancer -- just a technical clarification]; women in the
tropics are exposed to huge amounts of UV radiation, have great tans as well
as darker skin to begin with, and nurse their babies just fine (2)  Suggest
to the mom that she *not* wean at six months, since baby will need formula
if she does that.  Encourage mother to find out why doctor thinks she should
wean at six months, and give her literature showing that the longer you
nurse the healthier and smarter the baby, and that babies are designed to
expect nursing to continue for a *minimum* of 2.5 years.  Point out that
weaning at six months is extremely early.  (3) About needing to be held --
this is a smart baby, who enjoys social contact and being upright and around
other people.  Encourage mother to see baby's requests to be held as smart
and normal rather than a problem.  Tell mom most babies want to be held a
lot and it has nothing to do with her sleeping with baby in chair for first
two months.  Many babies give up on asking for physical contact, comfort,
and social interaction because they know it does them no good.  A baby who
shuns physical contact and social interaction may just be very independent
by nature, or they may have given up -- in any case, they are in the
minority of babies.  Does she have a backpack?  Or can someone show her how
to carry baby around on her back with a length of cloth, so that her arms
can be free?  Point out that baby will be crawling soon and grow out of this
all-too-short phase.


More on the topic of analogies: Last semester a student in one of my classes
chose to give a presentation on the health benefits of breastfeeding to his
"Public Speaking" class in the Speech Communications Department.  He came to
me for readings and suggestions.  He came back a few days later saying that
the teacher had reminded them that they had to present "Both sides of the
question" and I told him that there wasn't any other side to this topic
("The Health Benefits of Bottlefeeding" or "The Health Disadvantages of
Breastfeeding").  He said, "Well, what do I tell my professor?"  And I said
"Tell her that discussing the "other side" of health advantages of
breastfeeding would be like discussing the "other side" of Mothers Against
Drunk Driving -- something along the lines of "The pleasures and joys of
driving drunk, that need to be balanced against the potential danger to self
and others before deciding whether or not to drive drunk"  He chuckled, used
this analogy for his "other side" during his presentation, and got an "A".

Kathy D.