>Actually, if the dad is the primary caregiver for this bub (and it 
>sounds like he is) and remains a constant in the child's life then 
>the rotation of breastfeeders is likely not of any great 
>significance.


The constancy of one loving caregiver is indeed likely to mitigate 
the effects of the 'revolving door' effect of different carers  - and 
I did make it clear I was trying to speak generally, as we can't 
ascertain the details of this case from a short newspaper report - 
but I'll repeat my 'nanny agency' analogy, if I may!

None of us here, even looking after our own infant as the constant 
primary caregiver (in the early mornings, late evenings and night, 
say), would think a good nanny agency would be supplying us with 20 
different carers. We would *know* this would not be good for our 
baby. We would *know* our baby would not be able to form a 
relationship with more than two or three of them.  If we were ill, in 
a village where communal nursing was on offer - like your friend, 
Karleen - we'd be grateful for the temporary emergency response of 
the community, of course. We would intuit that any emotional 
difficulty could be repaired, after the emergency was over.

And science would back us up in our intuition.


Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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