Marsha's husband's response seems so typical, and it is founded on the
belief that formula/weaning is harmless.

Ask him this:  If a patient HAD to choose between Medication A, with certain
risks, and Medication B, with certain risks, which should they choose, and
why?

He will say that of course the patient needs to know exactly WHAT risks and
HOW RISKY each medication is, and then the patient would make a decision
based on their own feelings about the information.

But there's a complication.  Medication A has known risks, and Medication B
has unknown risks.

Is it reasonable for the patient to ASSUME that Medication B, with its
UNKNOWN risks, is SAFER than Medication A, with its KNOWN risks?

Of course not.

Yet that is exactly what people do when they assume formula is safer than
breastfeeding while taking a specific drug.

Is it reasonable for the doctor to INSIST that the patient take Medication
B, with its UNKNOWN risks, even though the patient would rather go with
Medication A, with its KNOWN risks?

Of course not.

Yet that is exactly what doctors do when they tell patients it is better to
wean to formula (and that they MUST do so) than to breastfeed while taking a
particular drug.

Kathy Dettwyler, grumpy

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