Moral Landscapes

Living the life that is good for one to live

by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D.

The REAL Truth about Breastfeeding

By Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. on August 5, 2011 in Moral Landscapes

Many people think that moms can't breastfeed if they work or are on medication. Once again, these misconceptions are a result of a lack of knowledge about breastfeeding. Read More

Thanks for this. I've been

Submitted by L on August 6, 2011 - 12:44pm.

Thanks for this. I've been very lucky to be able to breastfeed my daughter now for 2 years. She is still very attached to the breast and is not at all interested in stopping nursing. Since we took such a long time to conceive after starting to try (9 years) we are hoping to try again soon. We have frozen embryos.

However, my doctors won't allow me to try until I have completely weaned her. I have to take prednisone and progesterone and estrogen as well as heparin when trying to conceive. I do understand, but am in a bit of a dilemma.

I'm always interested in reading about breastfeeding. Do you have any tips re: weaning toddlers gently. I will not just refuse her.

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talk to your daughter first

Submitted by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. on August 6, 2011 - 4:16pm.

I'm not an expert and will have to solicit advice from my lactation consultant colleagues on this. But the first thing I would do is start talking to your daughter gently about the plans and the need to have her stop breastfeeding so you can make room for a sibling who will be her partner and playmate. Kids understand a lot more than we give them credit for. I would treat her as an equally important creature and try to work out a plan with her about how to wean her. Maybe its using a pacifier or a bottle of expressed milk (you can do this by hand). Or long hugs without breastfeeding (kids need this too)--cuddling with a storybook each time she wants connection instead. At any rate, I would start talking with her about it. You might also tell her (this is outside our cultural norms!) that she can breastfeed a little again after her sibling is born.

Is there an expert reading this who can offer other suggestions?

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Thank you.

Submitted by L on August 7, 2011 - 12:19am.

Thanks for the advice. This is pretty much what I have been doing, although I haven't yet tried expressing milk. She's very verbal and does understand what I'm saying. (She just then claims to be a 'baby' or 'one and not two.') :)

I'll keep checking in. Thank you for your prompt advice.

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ideas for weaning

Submitted by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. on August 7, 2011 - 1:41pm.

Here are some websites and advice and conversations by moms about weaning:

http://www.babycenter.com/400_how-can-i-wean-my-toddler-from-breastfeedi...

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/html/weaning.shtml

http://www.lechebaby.com/2008/01/27/weaning-a-toddler/

I wish everyone would remember that our ancestors breastfeeding on average 4 years (documented to 8 years). The lowest age for weaning, among few societies, is two years. So weaning before two is ill advised.

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Do you have a reliable source

Submitted by Rina on August 8, 2011 - 6:10pm.

Do you have a reliable source for your figure that 99% of women can breastfeed successfully? A survey by Lisa Marasco found that one third of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome had problems with their milk supply, and one third of those had serious problems. As 10-15% of women have pcos, this would already make at least one and a half percent of women who can't breastfeed successfully, just from this category of women. The success of fertility treatments in our modern times means that a lot of women who would likely not have been able to conceive or carry a pregnancy full term are now having babies, but struggling with supply issues as a result of their condition. I am one of those mothers and I am one of the lucky two thirds who had sufficient milk. Supply issues existed to a degree before the advent of feeding vessels and alternatives to breastmilk, but this was likely dealt with by cross nursing and wet nursing.

The reasons why women can't breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed are varied and subtle.

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reliable source

Submitted by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. on August 8, 2011 - 8:12pm.

Thank you for this.

We were citing the World Health Organization's Infant Feeding Bulletin (1990) for this statistic. Here are two direct quotes from the bulletin:

1) "In societies where breastfeeding is regarded as a natural physiological function and the only way to nourish an infant, and where it is highly valued and therefore strongly encouraged and supported by society in general and families in particular, lactation failure is virtually unknown."

2) "Based on limited clinical experience in industrialized countries, it appears that a maximum in the range of 1-5% of women experience lactation failure on purely physiological grounds."

We've decided that in the future we should revise it to 95% and make it clear that we mean physiologically speaking.

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BTW, your article makes it

Submitted by Rina on August 8, 2011 - 6:14pm.

BTW, your article makes it sound as if the only women who can't breastfeed (successfully) are those on chemotherapy or other dangerous drugs.

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I feel wholeheartedly that

Submitted by L on August 9, 2011 - 1:10am.

I feel wholeheartedly that women are not encouraged to breastfeed. I have never met a woman who couldn't breastfeed exclusively from the beginning. (Though my own mother stopped after only 3 weeks due to bleeding nipples.) However, I have met many who tried to breastfeed part-time and bottle feed part-time, who found that their milk supply disappeared. I wonder about hospitals that offer bottles routinely to newborns. It seems to me to be a mistake.

When my daughter was born (and I'm also one of those women who couldn't conceive or maintain a pregnancy without major assistance) I let her nurse as often and as long as she would. In the hospital, I gave her an eyedrop full of formula because she was still hungry and my milk was still coming in. (tiny amounts -- 5 ml one time and 3 the next) I didn't want her to take a bottle because I was afraid she'd stop suckling.

A former neighbor of mine told me matter of factly that she hadn't breastfed because 'you can't after a C-section.' I still wonder where she got that information. I had a C-section, too.

I think the biggest hurdle we women have is lack of information.

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Using celebrities as reasons why we should all breastfeed...

Submitted by Fearless Formula Feeder on August 18, 2011 - 10:06pm.

...is really bizarre.

You do realize that these women have a massive team of personal assistants, nannies, housekeepers, and jobs in which people cater to their every need, constantly?

I think it would be a better sell to say "If your local Starbucks barrista/teacher/stock exchange trader working with a 99% male workplace can do it, so can you!"