Yipes!  This message came to me by private email.  I don't know what to
say.  Does anyone want to respond directly to Kathy?

Rachael Hamlet

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Sat, 14 Oct 1995 16:51:08 -0300
To:            [log in to unmask] (Rachael Hamlet)
From:          [log in to unmask] (Kathy Edwards)
Subject:       A question

Hi Rachel,

You seem to be very knowledgeable about most things to do with feeding &
also seem to have a good supply of quotable stats. Could you possibly help
me get some info to a friend with a problem she encountered.  Morally I
know my position on the issue but I think it would help her to have some
facts.

>Last night a old co-worker of my husband's and his wife
>were over for dinner. They have a 2 month old girl.
>
>Anyways, due to bf problems, Michelle was forced to wean at about 6 weeks.
>She has used up all the free samples of formula that she accumulated
>during her preganancy and is now strictly feeding her 2 month old
>Carnation Evaporated Milk!  She mixes it 50/50 with water and nothing
>else.  I know that when breast milk is not possible that formula is the
>next best choice but does anyone know anything about this evaporated milk
>stuff other than it's less than 1/2 the cost of formula?  From everything
>that I have read, feeding a child evaporated milk is as potentially
>harmful as feeding whole milk at this age.  Does anyone have any stats or
>info on the risks of doing so?  (IMO, if I was that worried about $cost, I
>would rather cut back on the t-bones for myself rather than the formula
>for my child!)
>
>Also, Michelle is feeding her 2 month old rice cereal.  Again, I know that
>this is not recommended until 4 months of age but does anyone have any
>stats or info on the risks?
>
>I did subtly mention that the above 2 things are not currently recommended
>but her answer was "well I grew up on it and I'm just fine" and I was not
>going to start a FLAME war with her as I have only known her for a short
>while.  BTW, she did not mention to her doctor that this is what she is
>doing!
>
>So what do you all think?  Should I be myself, keep my mouth shut and not
>get involved and hope for the best or do you think I should try to talk to
>her about this a little more.  I mean, How bad could this potentially be
>for her daughter?

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Kathy (still breastfeeding!!)

Kathy Edwards, mum to Sebastian 31-07-94
e-mail: c/o Alan Edwards, [log in to unmask]