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Date: | Sat, 31 May 1997 07:10:59 -0500 |
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Dr. Paula and staff,
I have visited your web site and read through the information your
provide about breastfeeding. Some of it is good, and encouraging to the
new mom, but some of it is inaccurate and misleading. I highly
recommend that you read Dr. Michael Woolridge's chapter "Baby-Controlled
Breastfeeding: Biocultural Implications" as well as other chapters from
the book "Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives" published in 1995 by
Aldine de Gruyter, New York (Co-edited by Patricia Stuart-Macadam,
Ph.D., and Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.). Glucose or other sugar-water
substances are not necessarily nor healthy for babies in the first few
days of life. Limiting a baby's time at the breast is not necessary or
healthy in the first few days of life and may interfere with breast milk
production when quantity production switches over from being primarily
endocrine controlled to being primarily autocrine controlled. You
mention at the beginning of this section that one of the problems with
more women being successful at breastfeeding in the US is the
misinformation abounding out there. I'm sure you don't want to be part
of the problem. You also mention that breastfed babies will sleep
through the night when they are developmentally ready, without informing
parents that this will not (should not) be until their second or third
or fourth YEAR of life. It is the mistaken assumption in our culture
that it is normal and healthy for babies to sleep through the night at
an early age that contributes to so much frustration and anger on the
part of parents, not to mention contributing to SIDS (see McKenna and
Bernshaw's article in the same book mentioned above). Please be more
careful with your breastfeeding advice, and base it on current research
and understanding of the needs of the baby and the physiology of the
breasts. No normal healthy baby needs sugar water. No normal healthy
baby needs restrictions on their time at the breast. Sore nipples are
caused almost entirely by poor positioning of the baby at the breast.
Newborn babies should not be encouraged to suck on a pacifier or their
fingers and thumbs, as they will not then suck sufficiently on the
breast to bring in a good milk supply in the mother. Please, please,
learn more about how breastfeeding works before you offer advice to
naive and trusting parents over the internet.
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