Judy, I think it may be helpful for you to write a letter for the mom.  You 
may want to include the AAP policy statement which notes that babies should 
be breastfed for one year and beyond 
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/115/2/496). 
Information which you provide could pertain to a brief explanation of how 
milk supply is affected by breasftfeeding frequency.

I also agree with Heather that preserving the breastfeeding relationship 
should not be the focus of the mother's petition to reduce or eliminate 
overnight visitation by the father.  If she goes this route, there could be 
pressure to wean the baby prematurely to allow for visitation.  Or, once 
baby is weaned, the mother will have lost her grounds for limiting 
visitation in the early years of the child's life.

There are some excellent resources on the La Leche League website:
http://www.llli.org/Law/LawDivorce.html
http://www.llli.org/Law/LawInterest.html
http://www.llli.org/Law/LawVisitation.html

I have worked with mothers who have struggled to work out successful 
visitation plans while breastfeeding an infant or toddler. I always remind 
them that it is important to encourage a strong bond with the father without 
sacrificing the existing attachment between mother and child. (Exceptions 
would be in the cases of fathers who are completely uninvolved in the childs 
life, who are abusive or who have drug/alcohol addictions.) To quote from 
the LLL website, "The securely attached child, breastfed or not, needs to 
work up to longer separations gradually.  The court, as well as the parents, 
must look at the child's developmental needs and what separations the child 
is accustomed to."  In my mind, the issue goes beyond preserving the 
breastfeeding relationship to preserving the trust and attachment between 
mother and baby.  Consequently, it is often helpful to consider using 
information in the attachment literature (from psychology) as well.

Sara Dodder Furr, MA, LLLL, IBCLC
Lincoln, Nebraska 

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