>>This is the one I mentioned as making us want to scream. Called, asked for advice, did opposite. SHould we give her a long song and dance about relactation and how it's so difficult, or do we try to encourage her? Have any of you seen women who show these signs. Is this a strong case to suspect bulemia or not? Can we report this to people who deal with child neglect if a mother is putting a baby on a diet?<< Nofia, I feel very strongly that some interventions need to occur. First, for the baby's sake, the pediatrician needs to be advised of your collective observations and suspicions. Secondly, I think that someone needs to be candid with this mother about what appears to be going on, and the dangers both to her and the baby. She needs to be referred to her doctor and to a therapist for evaluation. Mother is obviously vacillating between guilt and dysfunction on the topic of breastfeeding her baby, and baby is the unwilling victim caught in the middle. Mom needs to be gently confronted with the fact that she may have a skewed perspective on what constitutes normal nutritional needs for her baby. And somewhere along the line, someone--- maybe you, or the pediatrician, or maybe a therapist------- needs to explain that it is the withholding of food during infancy that can lead to uncontrolled eating habits and obesity later in life, and not feeding on demand and plump infants. At the very least, this mom and baby need to be followed tightly by *someone*. Should mom relactate? Not unless she is willing to face her issues and proper interventions are in place first. IMO, she has too much control with breastfeeding, as she can prevent others from feeding the baby when he is otherwise undernourished. I do not say this lightly! Do act quickly, and soon. -Lisa Marasco, BA, LLLL, IBCLC