It was an interesting weekend. A mom came to visit me re nursing her
16 mo. old son, that other people at her work thought that was odd. I had
spoken to her a few months ago re pumping. I had encouraged her to go to
our hospital bf support group (I hold the meetings) or a LLL group, but
she didn't have time with working. I assured her she is more normal than
her co-workers and she would find more support at LLL. I also shared that
I had nursed my children more than 2 years each and the difference in our
culture between mother-led weaning and baby-led weaning. In the middle of
our discussion, a doctor whose wife(also a doctor) was in labor, came in
the classroom, and knew the woman I was talking with, she told him she was
nursing her 16 mo old, and he gave his opinion that is too long, the baby
is using her as a pacifier. His own wife nursed their first child 6 mo,
the 2nd 16 mo., but he managed to convince the second to stop nursing by
taking "chocolate milk."He also related a story about someone who visited
him at his medical office and the toddler nursed 3 times in 10 minutes. He
asked what I thought of that, and I said some babies need mother led
weaning Wasn't that a great substitute. It shows me what this mom is up
against, I again encouraged her to seek a support group like LLL, and
assured her she is more normal to be nursing a 16 mo. old than most of the
American culture.
I then went to my niece's 16th birthday party (she is very bright,was
breastfed), where her 12 mo old cousin had been weaned from nursing at
about 8 mo., and had a bottle of milk hanging from her mouth most of the
party. My daughter was there with her 14 mo. old who is still a happily
nursing baby, and no bottles hanging off her mouth. We live in an
interesting culture.
I am in the middle of reading Meredith Small's book on anthropology
called "Our Babies, Ourselves", which is why I am looking at these few
incidents this weekend in this interesting light. It may be of interest to
you lactnetters to hear these instances.
I had the chance to give a childbirth class this weekend, too, and all
the moms in the class plan to breastfeed, and dads seem supportive, too. I
hope that they don't run into cultural pitfalls, and encourage them to
participate in further bf classes and support groups, such as LLL, which I
feel is still the best way to succeed at breastfeeding.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent on Lactnet.
Ellen Mahony, RN, MS, LCCE, IBCLC
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