Although I would agree that infrequent but well-fed feeders may be at risk
for early weaning, I also think that each case should be examined
individually.
A friend of mine gave birth to her first child, a 6lb girl, who nursed every
hour on the hour for the first year, and then slowed down a bit until she
weaned by contract at 4 yrs of age. (The mother was 7 months pregnant with
baby #2 and had extremely sore nipples, so she persuaded her daughter to
wean until the new baby arrived, thinking that by then she would have
forgotten all about it - HAH!)
Baby girl #2 weighed over 8lbs at birth. She was the text-book baby we have
all heard about but rarely see, the one who nursed and then fell asleep for
4 hours.
The family was busy moving house, so it was 3 months before they next saw a
doctor. Mama expressed her concern about her baby's unusual nursing patterns
- could she possibly be getting enough to eat?
Doctor took one look at the baby, weighed her, and laughed himself silly -
the baby weighed 24 lbs! Doc told mama to nurse less frequently (which she
refused to do!) or at least *drink more water to dilute your milk.* I kid
you not!
At one year, baby girl #2, still nursing about every 4 hrs, had slimmed down
to 22 lbs, and continued to nurse until she self-weaned just before her 4th
birthday. Never sucked her thumb or had a pacifier, a very loving and
well-attached child.
Babies # 3 and 4 both nursed like baby #1 :)
BTW, baby girl #2 is now training to be a midwife :)
Norma Ritter, IBCLC
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Diane <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>The MOST typical of the fdng frequency calls were from parents in varying
states of anxiety over the the fact that their babies were feeding less than
the *prescribed* number of 8-12 times day. After lengthy discussion it was
most often determined that these babies were getting plenty of milk ie. milk
in, great wt. gain, output etc.
I still worry about these babies. They're feeding for food, not for
comfort, and I think of these babies as being *at risk for* (no certainties,
as Pat W's post about her own baby shows) struggles with oversupply,
becoming more attached to pacifiers or thumbs than to the breast, and
weaning by 6 mo to a year, never having understood the *pleasures* of bfing.
I'd encourage these moms to offer one breast at a time, and to offer for all
sorts of reasons other than perceived hunger. It's a different kind of risk
these babies face, but it's still a risk.
Teresa Pitman had a wonderful post (last year?) about how frequent,
free-wheeling nursing tends to go the distance, while infrequent - even if
bountiful - breastfeeders are at risk of supply failure after the first few
months.
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