>
> How long should a baby sleep?  How many times should she be nursed
> between 10P and 6A?  What is your recommendation?  In some cultures,
> babies may be put to the breast a dozen times a night...or more!  There
> is much evidence (the biochemical analysis of our milk) to argue that in
> the "natural state" babies are meant to nurse almost continually (100
> times a day and more).
>
> Of course, there are few mothers today, in our culture, who nurse so
> frequently (and I am not arguing for or against such frequent suckling).
> I am merely saying that most parents aren't trained in the use of all
> the tools that exist to help soothe their babies (the 5 S's, plus
> massage, warm baths, walks outside, etc).

I wonder how many mothers would be quite happy to feed their babies 100
times a day if they understood that it was normal and good for their babies.
Perhaps, rather than teaching mothers OTHER ways to calm an unhappy baby, we
should be helping them see how easy it is to incorporate very frequent
nursing into their daily life. Often I see mothers who are trying all kinds
of things to soothe their babies (rocking, putting baby in the swing, giving
baby a pacifier, etc.) when it seems to me that it would take much less
energy just to pop the baby in a sling and give him the breast.

Elsewhere Dr. Karp has commented that his techniques won't calm a truly
hungry baby. I suspect that's true most of the time, but I have seen and
worked with babies who were not gaining or were actually losing weight and
yet they were easily soothed or encouraged to sleep with a pacifier or other
techniques.

As I have learned more about how women's breasts vary in storage capacity
and milk production, I am increasingly cautious about statements such as
those Dr. Karp made about how adaptable mothers and babies are. SOME mothers
and babies can manage four-hour feedings. Some, I suspect, need to nurse 100
times a day. Even a small change - such as using alternate soothing
techniques with the baby so that he sleeps for two 4-hour stretches each
day - will compromise milk production and baby's growth in some mothers.

I do think Dr. Karp has been helpful in encouraging parents to respond in a
caring way when their babies are unhappy, rather than deciding they are
"spoiled" or need to cry it out. This is a very positive thing, and I
appreciate his ongoing participation in the dialogue on Lactnet about this.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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