I worked with a mother who was very "health conscious."  She took every 
admonition on television personally such that every time she heard "Americans 
eat too much fat," she cut her own fat intake further.

There was no fat on her very toned/beautifully worked-out body prior to 
pregnancy. Nine months pregnant, she looked stunning and was "all baby."  
There was no maternal fluff at all.

When her baby was born he didn't gain despite "bfdg all the time."  Latch was 
okay. Mom heard swallows, but baby had that scrawny bird-like look at 
several weeks out.  

If there are no fat stores on the mom's body and no fat in her diet, it can be 
hard for her body to make milk with enough fat.  Moms in third world countries 
do it by truly bfdg several times an hour. Moms in developed countries aren't 
likely to put up with that because the women all around them aren't doing it, 
too.

So I actually tell the above story.  I ask the mom what her fat intake is like, 
what her weight & height are, how much she gained during pregnancy, etc. 
Does she, like the mother in this story actually use mustard on her toast at 
breakfast to avoid using butter?!?!?!

There have been a few moms over the years who have said, "Oh yeah, that's 
me."  Then we talk about ways they can increase their fat intake for their 
baby's sake.

I don't do any diagnosing.  I just tell stories! You're welcome to use this simple 
story, too.  And the mustard on toast at breakfast seems to be the clincher 
where the moms get it or say that's not them. 

It's important to be very respectful of the pride the mom has in what she's 
trying to do for her body and what she's trying to teach her baby about 
healthy eating. Just help her understand that right now, to make healthy milk 
for her baby to grow strong, she needs to adjust her diet.

Debbi Heffern
St. Louis, MO

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