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Breast Feeding When is it too much? - Page 5

Interesting topic - breastfeeding. To the poster who worried that breast feeding would be too much work. And you think washing bottles and nipples and running to the store to get formula isnt' work?? Breast milk is always the right temperature, nothing to wash that wouldnt' be washed already, and IS better for the baby. Easy as pie!

As for how long to do it?  As long as you can and want to.  I nursed both my kids past the 1 year mark, and the oldest past the 2 year mark. I stopped nursing as I was pregant with my second, working, and just too tired to keep it up (and NO, breastfeeding does NOT keep you from getting pregnant!). Surely, any amount of breast milk a baby gets is better than none, but if two months is all a person can do for what ever reasons, that is two months of great nutrition.  Breast milk is full of more than antibodies that benefit babies.  A woman who delivers a premature infant has milk of a different composition than a woman who delivers a baby at full term.  Milk for a newborn is different than the milk made for a toddler.  Mother nature is truly wonderful in her design. (Paula Meier is a nurse researcher who has studied what is in breast milk. Unfortunately, I dont have any net linkable references to post, but trust my word on this )
A woman who has to return to work after two months may *Want* to continue to breast feed, to provide for her baby in a way no one else can. It is very hard to give up a child to a day care worker. At least breast feeding can by done by the mother to reestablish her connection to her baby at the end of each day.  She can choose to express milk while at work (Medela and Egnell make some wonderful breast pumps and the are obtainable via a WIC office if financial assistance is needed), or she can just choose to nurse only when she is with her baby.  The breasts are a "supply and demand" structure, so if baby isnt' demanding, there wont' be a surpluse of supply (well, it does take a few days for this to happen ) but as long as she continues to nurse, there will be milk.
Nursing at night and sleeping is a whole  'nother issue, and a very personal one at that.  Babys can sleep through the night *safely* when about 13 pounds in weight.  A 3 year old child should be able to sleep through the night without waking up.  EVERYONE wakes up during the night, whether we are aware of it or not, but we are conditioned to fall back asleep.  A child who is with parents/breast wakes up and seeks comfort to fall back asleep and this had become the sleep ritual for that person.  If a family is happy with it, then fine, but a child eventually does need to learn to sleep on his or her own at some point.  When you choose to do this training to sleep on his/her own is up to you.  Dr Barry Brazelton, Penelope Leach, Dr Ferber (i hope I spelled that right) all have things to say about infant/child sleep (and so do many others) to help you figure out how to teach your child to be self reliant in the sleeping arena.
The La Leche League has some very good information about breast feeding.  There are many great resources, but if a person is having INDIVIDUAL problems with breast feeding, I highly recommend talking with your pediatrician and using that resource AMAP or finding a certified lactation consultant to help with specific issues ( like pumping for breast milk, engorgement, sore nipples, mastitis, etc).  Breast feeding is a wonderful thing to do for your child, and with things like a "supplemental nursing system" even a father could take part if he should choose to (why? though, if a breast is available).
If you wonder where I got my information, I am a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse and have assisted women with nursing for over 16 years.

much it When Feeding Breast

Mahala, wow, thank you so much for your wonderful insights and experience!!! I really appreciate it. I have a son who may have Hyperactivity Disorder and breastfeeding sometimes help him a lot to calm down. Of course he's not a baby anymore, so I don't breastfeed him in public (he's 3), I usually do it before he naps and before to go to sleep at night. I am more than ready to quit, but it seems he's not...but since I will be working soon, I hope that that will help me and help him to stop soon. Thanks again for your wonderful message.

Breast Feeding When is it too much? Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

LDS_Forever said:

Definitely, with more separation there will be less nursing. You should start (if you haven't already) talking about not nursing anymore. That "big boys" don't nurse, and he's a big boy now. Get him ready in his mind, and that really helps. He might be a little more clingy right at first, but he will get the message -- we already know he is a smart one! Another point is, don't stop with cuddling and physical affection when you stop nursing. He may need *more* of that kind of special attention, especially in the beginning. My daughter is six now, and we still cuddle a lot

I wish you good luck with this, LDS ! ! I know how difficult it can be. Just have patience and it will turn out all right. (You too, JB!)

Roz

Page 5 much it When Feeding Breast

Actually I invented a song called 'I'm a big boy' just for him and is a short little song about no more breastfeeding because 'I'm a big boy', you have to see his face! he gets all upset and angry and shake his head and says 'No, no big boy, no big boy' --> LOL

Oh no, of course not. I'm Mrs. physical affection he will be 19 going to his mission, I will still ask him for my kiss!

much it When Feeding Breast

Oh my gosh, that is so cute! his own little song! Poor thing.... he's really not going to like this... My thoughts and prayers are with you both (and JB too, who has to watch it all happening... )

Roz

Breast Feeding When is it too much?

He says the child will be going to his mission and still asking to breastfeed *rolling eyes* He cannot wait for Felipe to stop breastfeeding, I look forward to that too, I am being more patience with him because he's a bit 'special' and also because he is a kid who needs to take his own time to do things but I know he will do great.

Breast Feeding When it much - Page 5

Honestly, the U.S. is the most absurd place when it comes to natural parenting...

Breastfeeding Ads Delayed by a Dispute Over Content
By MELODY PETERSEN
Published: December 4, 2003
Federal officials have softened a national advertising campaign to promote breastfeeding after complaints from two companies that make infant formula, according to several doctors and nurses who are helping the government with the effort.
The original campaign focused on "the risks associated with not breastfeeding,'' according to the Ad Council's newsletter, and included statistics from studies that have found that babies fed formula have a higher risk of developing asthma, diabetes, leukemia and other illnesses.

According to the newsletter, one planned spot, titled "Roller Derby,'' showed pregnant women roller skating. The voiceover said: "You'd never take risks while you're pregnant. Why start when the baby's born?''

Peter Paradossi, a spokesman for Mead Johnson, the Bristol-Myers Squibb division that makes Enfamil formulas, said that the company supported a campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding, but that the planned ads went too far.

"We worried it would give an impression that infant formula is unhealthy and potentially dangerous,'' he said.


Dr. Sanders said that some members of the academy were concerned that the advertisements could make mothers who chose not to breastfeed feel guilty if their child later developed leukemia or another medical condition. Instead of emphasizing the risks of not breastfeeding, he said, the campaign should emphasize breastfeeding's benefits.

Marsha Walker, who sits on the leadership team of the United States Breastfeeding Committee with Ms. Spangler, said that the information on leukemia and diabetes should be left in the ads.

"I'm a registered nurse, and we would never withhold information from our patients because we thought it might make them feel guilty,'' Ms. Walker said. "This is being shot down by an industry that has no business interfering. Ultimately it hurts the health of our babies and our moms.''

Breastfeeding ads...


Can you believe it?

Roz

Breast Feeding When it much Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews - Page 5

Breast-feeding may prevent weight problems-study

CHICAGO, Feb. 1 - The longer white infants from low-income families are breast-fed, the less likely they will be overweight as young children, researchers said Monday.

The study of more than 177,000 children from low-income families who visited public health clinics between 1988 and 1992 found that formula-fed infants and babies breast-fed for less than a month were more likely to develop weight problems by age 4 than infants breast-fed for longer periods.

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