Please No Bashing! - Page 5

[hummingbear]

"this culture sure is silly" story

OK another silly story about how conflicted this culture is when it comes to breastfeeding.............

My 3yr. 6 m. old was with me at festive occassion and another young woman was playing with us. She was experiencing early adoration of another's child. My son ran up to me saying "baba baba". She asked what does that mean, let me guess, he wants a bottle - read "that's cute in her expression". I replied that he has never had a bottle and that he was asking to nurse. Now read "ewwwwww you'r kidding" in her expression.

I just have to chuckle that it is seen as so normal and cute if it is about something artificial such as a bottle and seen as disgusting when it is about the real thing.

Go figure.

[velcromom]

Originally Posted by MotherOf2Boys

I told her that I found this site that has a lot of good information about the benefits of BFing after 1 yr. She said thats perverse (sp?) and that she wouldnt have that. She is suppose to be calling me back later and I will read off a lot of the good information you girls posted. Any other tips? Well besides hitting her over the head with a pan?

Thanks,
C.R.

First, it's not her place to "have that" or not. She isn't the decision maker this time around. Second, she's wrong. It's not perverse, it's actually normal. But our society has assigned breasts a different job from what they are meant to do, and won't believe anymore that it's ok for them to be used for their original purpose - meeting the nutrition and health and comfort needs of our children for two or more years.


Here is some info you might be interested in and might want to share with your mom. Even if she still doesn't come around, you know in your heart you are doing the work to look into the facts and just because she won't believe them, doesn't make them worthless.


World Health Organization:
" Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond."http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-..._exclusive.htm

American Academy of Family Physicians:
"Breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is currently not the cultural norm and requires ongoing support and encouragement. If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. http://www.aafp.org/x6633.xml


You can also let your mom know that research is beginning to show the psychological benefits of nursing past one year & beyond -


According to Sally Kneidel in "Nursing Beyond One Year" (New Beginnings, Vol. 6 No. 4, July-August 1990, pp. 99-103.):

" One study that dealt specifically with babies nursed longer than a year showed a significant link between the duration of nursing and mothers' and teachers' ratings of social adjustment in six- to eight-year-old children (Ferguson et al, 1987). In the words of the researchers, 'There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.'"

And not only do the psychological benefits affect individual children, but the results of nursing longer show up in the behavior of adults!! Take a look at this site that shows the longer a nation nurses their babies, the lower their rates of violence are:

Cross-cultural research indicates a positive correlation between a culture's norm for duration of breastfeeding and its level of peacefulness. Breastfeeding also promotes development in the parts of the human brain that regulate emotions and help us solve problems non-violently. http://milkofhumankindness.org/

[JamesMama]

Originally Posted by mariamaroo

I'm afraid I can't now locate confirmation of the AAP recommending 2 years of bf'ing. I'm SURE I didn't make it up, so I'm mystified. Sorry for the misinformation!

**jumping in**

I heard that too, I think I heard it when that woman from the AAP was on the Today Show, she said the AAP now reccomends 2 years (then Katie made her ignorant comment...)

[annikaleigh]

For me, it was just part of the natural flow of our lives. I know that the former Surgeon General had once said that it is a lucky child to be nursed to a year, a blessed child to be allowed to nurse till 2.

I know that the world wide average for weaning is 4 years....so for me, what ever my children and I decided would be perfect for us.

My first weaned herself at 18 months [She became ill and I was pregnant with baby number two and that is just how things worked out for her.....she seemed to prefer water during her illness from a sippy cup and stayed with it]

My second child weaned at 3 years 8 months [and she was gently encouraged to wean].....I also pumped for her first year because I worked outside the home....she always had pumped Breastmilk while I was away from her.

My third child weaned at 4 years and 3 months old.

My youngest daughter just weaned a few months ago at 3 years 10 months old....although from time to time she still asks.

I personally believe that the natural rhythm of life and breastfeeding to that rhythm was the right way for me to Mother and nurture my own children.

Also, my youngest daughter has Trisomy21/Down syndrome and breastmilk is the perfect human food for brain and body development,,,,and digestion [something that children with T21 tend to have absorption problems due to an over expressed chromsome] so for me it was extremely important for her to nurse as long as possible insuring that she was being provided with the most perfect of foods.

I'm glad you asked this question.

Peace and love, Tara Marie, Proud Momma to Katrina 16, Greta 14, Otto 9 and Emma Sage 4 and chromsomally enhanced

http://www.emmasage.org
http://www.emmasage.blogspot.com

[Dmitrizmom]

here's a direct link to the AAP statement... http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...rics;115/2/496
their rec is at least one year (about 1/3 way down the page).

[RubyWild]

Before I had my daughter, I traveled throughout the world and was struck by how much NIP I saw, even of toddlers. It came to seem natural to me, and since I appreciate the children of other cultures so much more consistently than I do American children, I thought that it might be one way to better parent my daughter.

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by RubyWild

. . . I traveled throughout the world and was struck by how much NIP I saw, even of toddlers. It came to seem natural to me . . .

This is such an important point. My husband and I talked about this just today, in fact. He believes that I shouldn't NIP if it makes other people (like his Dad) uncomfortable, but I try to help him understand that the more they see of it, the more comfortable they will be with it. There was a time when seeing a black woman with a white man (or vice versa) made people uncomfortable. Just by being exposed to it over time, it is now an accepted norm. It just takes a few brave trailblazers to follow their hearts.

[Sherra]

He believes that I shouldn't NIP if it makes other people (like his Dad) uncomfortable, but I try to help him understand that the more they see of it, the more comfortable they will be with it.

That is the funny thing, breasts are everywhere on billboards, on people's cars, on a tatoo on their arm, all over tv...all but in a child's mouth in public. The public tolerates it..even eggs it on..they sure don't object if they are viewable in any way but put it in a child's mouth and ohhh we can't have that..the horror!

Go figure!

Up above is what I usually tell people if they open the convo with "how long am I going to breastfeed" sounding like I shouldn't keep going too much longer.


Sherra

[mariamaroo]

Originally Posted by velcromom

American Academy of Family Physicians:
"Breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is currently not the cultural norm and requires ongoing support and encouragement. If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. http://www.aafp.org/x6633.xml

I'm glad to see evidence that I didn't make that up about the AAP and 2 years or beyond for bf'ing. It's not part of their official recommendation, I'm gathering from this, but is at least endorsed.

Thanks!

[pinky]

Originally Posted by mariamaroo

I'm glad to see evidence that I didn't make that up about the AAP and 2 years or beyond for bf'ing. It's not part of their official recommendation, I'm gathering from this, but is at least endorsed.

Thanks!

Just wanted to clarify that the above quote is from the AAFP (family physicians) not the AAP.

At least the AAP does say that no harm can come from b/f well past two....

[mariamaroo]

Originally Posted by pinky

Just wanted to clarify that the above quote is from the AAFP (family physicians) not the AAP.

At least the AAP does say that no harm can come from b/f well past two....

Oops! I guess that explains the origin of my confusion. Thanks!