LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Pamela Mazzella Di Bosco <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 14 Nov 2004 16:11:21 EST
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (63 lines)
No flaming, just a smile that it is often the solution doctor's think  of
first.  Any problem with a breastfed child? First eliminate  breastfeeding.
First eliminate the one thing we know is normal.   Considering the fact that the
mother works all day, and the child is only with  her at night, and only nurses
at night, I have a hard time believing that the  night time nursing is the
issue.  Maybe after all other possibilities have  been ruled out: day time diet,
day time behavior, other drinks provided during  the day, health issues that
may be an underlying cause, then, maybe discuss ways  to meet the child's
needs to be mothered that do not include breastfeeding at  night, but should
include receiving breastmilk during the day.  Being a  vegetarian family does not
mean the baby is eating only healthy and  nutritious foods, it means they do
not eat meat.  I can think of many  vegetarian foods that are calorie dense and
not exactly nutritious. Quite  yummy too.  To say that breast milk has no
physiological benefit at 2 and a  half, well, I won't even go there since we would
be hard pressed to find that  there is any research to back up either side of
the argument though I am  thinking we would be more likely to find evidence
of continued breastfeeding  than we would the importance of weaning by 2.
Better to say since no  evidence exists that breastfeeding is harmful, first do no
harm. Never mind  the immunological benefits of breastmilk that do not 'run
out' at a set age, I  would rather see the child consume 200-600 calories of
breast milk (if your  estimates are correct) than a couple of cookies and a
piece of  cheese that equal the same number of calories.  Remember, we are
talking about a child who is away from his mother for the first half of the day  and
the only time the child is nursing is at night while cosleeping.  Since  we
are not talking about a child who has other times with mother to make up for
what is missing, I cannot see how it would help the child emotionally to have
this attachment removed, and since we cannot prove it would serve a good
purpose, there is no reason to end it.

Regardless, under no circumstances would I advocate for cold turkey weaning
for a child who has no access to his mother all day. Considering the number
of obese children who have never even seen the breast, I would definitely not
be  thinking that the one normal part of the child's day is the reason for
obesity.  Also, I have known many families over the years who have large  babies
and toddlers grow into tall slender healthy children.  And, I have  known many
small babies grow into overweight unhealthy older children.   There is more
to obesity than night nursing.

If a mother called me and said her doctor said cold turkey wean at night
because her baby was too big, I would have her ask for proof 100% that the only
solution was weaning.  Not too mention proof 100% that weaning would do no
harm, that the benefits of breastmilk are outweighed by possibility of obesity
later.  A guarantee that by denying her child the benefits of breastmilk  she
could guarantee a lifetime of no obesity and health. Too many variables to
allow the one thing that is normal food for a child to be the one thing that is
seen as the problem.

Not flaming, just disagreeing,
Pam MazzellaDiBosco, IBCLC
Florida, USA

             ***********************************************

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

ATOM RSS1 RSS2