> << how long would it be healthy for the child to exclusively receive
> breastmilk?>>

My answer would have to be "until the child can get get everything else he
wants himself".  By "himself" I mean with his own hands.  The mother of
course would have to supply the food!  The point I'm making though is that
it is perfectly 'healthy' to wait until the baby/child begins to grab food
off YOUR plate and put it in his mouth.  I personally couldn't see waiting
a full year with my 9 month old, because she has been doing that for
months.  We now feed her finger foods in her high chair, so she can decide
how much is enough.  I just wish I'd realized this before I wasted my money
and time with those jars of baby food!!  If I have another, I will skip
that phase completely.

Of course we all know that 'exclusive breastfeeding' is healthy past this
point, but my point is that if you let the baby decide, you won't make it
to the stage where you have to ask.

Linda Coleman
NMI, WG, PA