trying to decide how long to breast feed - Page 3

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Originally Posted by caedmyn

I haven't done any research on it, but I bet

Seriously?

[HelloKitty]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

Well, now I know that I won't accept any "research" from Weston Price:

Wow that quote is horrific.

A woman with even the poorest diet will still product breast milk that is superior to formula. I can not believe I have to actually type that out here on MDC.

[Kathryn]

You need to do a bit better job of researching because the research you have shown is wrong. Dead wrong.

[caedmyn]

I didn't do the research...I'm just citing it. If someone isn't open-minded enough to at least read the studies (and there are many cited on the links I posted), there's not much I can do about it. As I said before, there is PLENTY of evidence to back up Dr. Price's conclusions, even though they directly contradict current nutritional "wisdom".

It always amazes me when someone who is willing to go against the mainstream in one area (such as extended breast feeding) is completely closed minded to anything that goes against the mainstream in another area. But I guess I should know to expect it, and there's always the chance that just one person will be interested enough to actually research for themselves.

Anyhow, getting into a nutrition debate was not at all the purpose of this thread, so I am done posting on this thread...if someone is sincerely interested and open-minded to the nutrition issue they can PM me and I'll be happy to respond.

[darsmama]

Listen to that mama intuition. Its the most important thing you'll ever own.

[Mom4tot]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I didn't do the research...I'm just citing it. If someone isn't open-minded enough to at least read the studies (and there are many cited on the links I posted), there's not much I can do about it. As I said before, there is PLENTY of evidence to back up Dr. Price's conclusions, even though they directly contradict current nutritional "wisdom".

It always amazes me when someone who is willing to go against the mainstream in one area (such as extended breast feeding) is completely closed minded to anything that goes against the mainstream in another area. But I guess I should know to expect it, and there's always the chance that just one person will be interested enough to actually research for themselves.

Anyhow, getting into a nutrition debate was not at all the purpose of this thread, so I am done posting on this thread...if someone is sincerely interested and open-minded to the nutrition issue they can PM me and I'll be happy to respond.

You just admitted YOU hadn't done any research. You are the one not listening (or reading).

Breastfeeding is always superior, your sources have been identified as being aligned with formula promotion and many moms have spoken from PERSONAL experience.

What exactly are you asking?

[turtlemama77]

My point for questioning those studies and debating this here is that if a mama is lurking and just found out she is pregnant, I would hate to have false information scare her into weaning. Of course, every mama has to do her own research and soul searching before making a decision to nurse while pregnant (I know I did). I just don't think that a website that advocates formula as equal to breastmilk is a good place to get said research though.

Mamas who may be lurking and in a situation of being pregnant and nursing, there is lots of information and research backing up the safety of doing so both at www.kellymom.com and in Adventures in Tandem Nursing.

Maybe because I am nursing while pregnant is the reason this is bothering me so much, or maybe it's just plain pregnancy hormones.

Again, good luck with your decision.

[lotusdebi]

Welcome to MDC.

This is a good place to get support for nursing over a year, nursing during pregnancy, and tandem nursing.
This is not the best place for advice on weaning at or before a year for non-medical reasons. There are other sites where you'll be more likely to find the kind of support you seem to be looking for.
Know where you are.
The responses to your post have been intelligent. If anyone's not looking critically at research, it's you. The "mainstream" would have us all formula-feed. Knowledge about nursing during pregnancy is not in any way mainstream. Supporting nursing during pregnancy is not at all mainstream.

If you're considering nursing for over a year, read the many threads filled with information about the benefits - to you and to your babe.

I've nursed my son for 3.5 years. I plan to wean him by his 4th birthday. It's something that he and I talk about on a regular basis, to prepare for it. I never thought I'd be able to nurse for more than 6 months, due to medical issues. However, I've made it this far! I took it six months at a time until I realized that I wouldn't have to wean to go back on meds after all. From there, I've set boundaries as my son was able to deal with them. I used to be amazed at people who were nursing two-year olds. Here I am, nursing an almost-4-year-old. He's not a baby anymore, but he's also not a big kid. He still loves his "milkies" as much as ever, and breastmilk is still incredibly good for him. I didn't expect to nurse for this long, but I have. And I'll do the same for my next child, if that's what he/she wants. I honestly can't imagine weaning a one-year-old. I know my son would have suffered greatly if I found it necessary to wean at that point. Our entire relationhip would have suffered.

[caedmyn]

One last post to clarify...I should have said I didn't do the research STUDIES...I have done quite a bit of research, actually. And I never said (or intended to imply in any way) that formula is as good as or superior to breast milk...my point was simply that nutrition DOES affect the quality of breast milk, just as it DOES affect an unborn baby.

[Victorian]

I took a nutritian class a couple of years ago. I was going to write my final paper on the effects of poor diet on breastmilk and decided against it because there are NO valid studies that show anything but this: regardless of the woman's diet the composition of breastmilk is best for baby.

There is no research to suggest otherwise than it is completely safe to breastfeed you baby during pregnancy. If you don't want to that is fine, but it is not a decision based on health matters.

V.

[liawbh]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

And I never said (or intended to imply in any way) that formula is as good as or superior to breast milk...

While you may not have said it, the source that you are relying so heavily on DOES say exactly that. I find it very hard to understand why a dentist with questionable claims seems a more reliable source of info. on BFing than LLL, MDs, NDs, experienced moms, and others who have exponentially better credentials.

[joesmom]

I wish we had a duck smilie, because that doctor is a QUACK!! I cannot believe that he can say in all seriousness that formula is EVER superior to breastmilk. I could have eaten nothing but Doritos & Pepsi & my milk would have been superior to formula.

I wish I could find the LLL picture of a mom in a third world country- for whatever reason she nursed one of her babies & had to formula feed the other. The BF baby was fat & healthy & the poor little baby who was fed formula was wasted away to barely nothing. Very very sad.

I honestly can't believe that these posts are allowed to stay up on Mothering. Sometimes I have to do a double take to make sure I haven't strayed into Babycenter or something. Next thing you know Gary Ezzo will become a member.

[Peri Patetic]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

One last post to clarify...I should have said I didn't do the research STUDIES...I have done quite a bit of research, actually.

There's a world of difference between reading studies and reading them critically/understanding them.

Of course, that's assuming one has actually read the complete studies, and not simple summaries or someone else's paraphrased version of the studies. Or, worse yet, the citations of studies listed at the end of an article where one of the authors has an obvious bias (note her own story of BF found elsewhere on the site). Now, maybe I'm wrong, and you've actually got copies of each of those studies which you have read and understood thoroughly. So if you can pull out just one of those studies listed and quote the specific information in that study that supports the point being made by the author of the article, I'll eat my keyboard.

Reading a website with references is not research. Unless you've gone to the primary sources, consider yourself unenlightened on the subject.

[BamBam'sMom]

I haven't read all the replies so I don't know if my coments have been made already. First of all, I agree with everyone that you should just wait and see how you feel. I worried about weaning right from the beginning and just planned on going for a year. Now ds is almost a year and I see that there is no way I could wean him right now. He loves nursing. It's his favorite comfort, his lovey, and about 80-90% of his diet.

Also, how do you know you won't be able to get pregnant while nusing? I know someone who's cycle returned when her ebf baby was 3 months. That's rare, but I don't think that bf is an effective form of birth control after 6 months, especially not if your baby is starting solids.

[eightyferrettoes]

Originally Posted by BamBam'sMom

Also, how do you know you won't be able to get pregnant while nusing? I know someone who's cycle returned when her ebf baby was 3 months. That's rare, but I don't think that bf is an effective form of birth control after 6 months, especially not if your baby is starting solids.

Boy, ain't that the truth. I got Aunt Flo back at 7 months postpartum, much to my chagrin, and was pregnant again by 10.5 months.



And I, too, would be most interested in seeing what research backs up this assertion that formula is somehow preferable to the breastmilk of a mother with an imperfect diet.

Or that BF during pregnancy has some identifiable damaging effect on a subsequent pregnancy... but I'm not holding my breath for the research to appear, either.

[HelloKitty]

I got pregnant while nursing and happily nursed throughout pregnancy and am now tandem nursing my 3 1/2 year old and my 13 month old - I never thought I would but I did! So never say never!

When I got pregnant DS #3 was still very much attached to his nursies and I didn't want to take them away from him by weaning. I did end up losing most of my milk towards the end of my pregnancy but that didn't stop him! Hehehe. Anyways, all three of us were very healthy throughout and DS #4 was born full term and weighing in at just over 9 pounds.

[HelloKitty]

Oh I also wanted to add that I thought it would take me awhile to get pregnant due to nursing and we conceived on the very first month trying!

[afishwithabike]

Let the child decide if at all possible. Then you can share the information at a later time the older sibling chose when younger sibling would be born. Talk about a neat thing for a child to know. A feeling of participation in the family.

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Just wanted to share my experience and offer my opinion that you should go with the flow : and set your goal for at least a year.
I bfed my 1st ds for only 5 months and was pg that 5th month. I know it was stupid to wean him, it's a long story, and I've learned my lesson. Point is, I was just barely postpartum, nursing, and got pg.
Now, the second time around, I bfed #2 for 1 year. I never got my period, and weaned up basically in the hopes of getting pg.

I so, so, SO regret that. First of all, it was a beautiful nursing relationship, both of us loved it. Second, once he was weaned, he got pneumonia and a rash on his cheeks (which he still has), and I guess I blame weaning for those things as he was in perfect health until then (as in, not even a cold). Thirdly, I did get pg a month or two later, but lost the baby anyways at 6 wks, and here I am nine months after weaning and I am not pg. So it didn't even work - and it doesn't work for lots of people.

That being said, it's just my .02. I think it's best to set weaning out of your mind. I thought about it too much with #1 and weaned him way too early. I put it out of my mind for a long time with #2 and I'm proud of nursing him for a year, but sad that I didn't keep going into that second year.

Like darsmama said, listen to your mama instinct. I didn't, I listened to my brain. Bad idea.

[cuttiebearmom]

I'd take the 'wait and see' approach

Originally Posted by TiredX2

I have also read extensively about nursing while pg and EVERY other source says that the line is baby, bmilk, mother. The mother's body will break down it's back up resources to guarantee the healthiness of the baby. Secondly, the milk will not decrease noticably in quality.

I agree, definatley everything that I have read is in line with baby, breastmilk, mother.

That being said some women do have an EXCEPTIONALLY hard time breastfeeding while pg and some do get quite a noticeable decrease in QUANTITY not quality. I see this as your body basically saying 'sorry, we got to prioritize here!'. There also is arguably a taste change for some women which can result in a child weaning due to that.

Good luck on the next year of bf, ENJOY IT !!!!