Hi,
I love reading lactnet and am definitely hooked.  I wanted to respond to the
question about tandem nursing and toddler "hygiene".  When I was
expecting my third and about to start tandem nursing with a 2 year old I
also had concerns about where the 2 year old's mouth might have been
before my breast :) and also about the transmission of colds and other
illnesses.  The reality of tandem nursing with a 2 year old is that most
mothers quickly either no longer care what the toddler has been doing or
more often than not forget to wash their breast after the toddler and
before the baby.  The other thing to tell the concerned mom is that
breast milk is a sterile fluid and will rinse off and clean the nipple at
least far better than water or other things that she would then have to
try and wash off her nipple and breast, while the hungry infant waits.
I know that lots of toddlers and even older children lick dogs' mouths
and I have never yet heard of any of these children catching anything,
therefore I wouldn't think that there would be much danger of the toddler
passing something to the infant from the dog.  Thank you so much to the
people who have posted those wonderful sentences for encouraging
discouraged mothers to keep breastfeeding.  I am going to print them and
share them with other LLL leaders in this area who do not have access to
lactnet.  Susanna (LLL leader, mother of 4 boys and champion toddler nurser)