One of the things I find interesting about this theory is that it
exists. That is, by thinking about the range of reasons a mother might
not be breastfeeding exclusively, we can speak to the reasons and affect
the outcome.
It is sort of like the effect of zero-tolerance policies. When we decide
not to tolerate any whatever, whenever, we sometimes lose sight of
nuances, degrees, possibilities and alternatives. Questions like "What
is it about your baby's behaviour at your breast gives you the feeling
you don't have enough milk?" can open up the discussion and the mother
can work through her fears and concerns.
Sometimes I explain what other mothers have found in their situation
have found (for instance, once a slow-gaining baby starts gaining, the
progress is sometimes very rapid, or that they may be able to tell if
the baby is doing better at the breast by the kind of stools they're
seeing, or that things may look quite different when the baby is around
six months old and starting to eat other foods). I can often tell how
they feel about continuing to breastfeed or trying to exclusively
breastfeed at some point by the way they respond to this. The other day,
a mother grabbed that six-month date as a hope, or a goal, or something
of the sort... She realized she might be able to "just" breastfeed and
feed solids at that point, if not before.
In my experience, most of them are very relieved to get some information
and support. Of course, these are mothers who are committed to
breastfeeding, anyway, and are phoning me after their babies are born
and they are trying to make the best of the situation they are in. In
prenatal settings, it's quite a different story, and our information can
make a real difference in their decision. Prevention is so much better
than recovering.
Jo-Anne Elder-Gomes, Atlantic Canada
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