As a hardcore lactivist would you...

[Khourtniey]

Please explain your answer if you would like..

[fek&fuzz]

I have no answer but I just had to post because your kids are so cute! And your little one has grown so much since I last saw your blog. :

[frontierpsych]

I chose breastmilk and blenderized diet, but I don't know the situation you're speaking of, so I am just choosing what seems right without having much info. I'd want to provide breastmilk as long as possible to a child who was unable to eat many other healthy things. At the same time I don't know it'd be enough for a 3.5yo child, and if there was something else reasonably nutritious I could provide them I would do that as well.

[krystyn33]

I chose other because I don't really understand the situation.

[annettemarie]

This seems like a medical decision every parent would have to make for themselves, not a lactivism issue. I'm confused.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

This seems like a medical decision every parent would have to make for themselves, not a lactivism issue. I'm confused.

:

I would do whatever was medically best for the child.

[anitaj71]

I'm still nursing my 3yr old and I've often wondered what I'd do if there was a medical problem and he couldn't eat or was seriously ill couldn't feed hilself basically mamas worst case senario . . . etc. I've often thought I would exclusivly breastfeed and get my sister to pump milk for my lo if my milk wasn't enough. ( her lo is 12 mos, is exclusivly bf and is the chubbiest chubba you've ever seen ) However I still voted blenderized diet and breastmilk . . . depends on the situation I guess.

[UberMama]

Depends on the medical issue.

[Khourtniey]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

This seems like a medical decision every parent would have to make for themselves, not a lactivism issue. I'm confused.

Yes, but coming from a breastmilk standpoint.... Like antibodies, etc...

[Khourtniey]

It was more of just a curiousity thing...


But my story and why I was wondering what others would do.... My 3.5 is still EBF because he cant take foods by mouth. He can do theraputic feeds but it isnt anything that will sustain him. He is allergic to a few things. He has MFPI... Ive been EPing for him since he was born. I recently had a little girl and Im putting her to breast, but still have to EP for the other. Needless to say its hardwork. It was hardwork just pumping for him, but now with two its even more.

Docs have mentioned putting him on pediasure.. Umm no way!!! They first started asking when he wasnt even a year old about switching him from breastmilk to something... Again, NO WAY! I told them as long as I can produce milk then he will get that. If he is going to take some kind of "formula" mixture then he is going to get the best there is (breastmilk)... (Oh, he has to have neocate added for extra calories) So... they really havent mentioned anything else about it but I figure since hes getting older they will start in again.. I would like him to have "normal" food (which would mean blenderized) but I dont think its the best for him. I would love to stop pumping for my own reasons but I know him getting breastmilk is the best... The antibodies alone have helped him so much. Similar kids with his issues who are on formula have been sick so many times. My son has only been sick once.. He has been hospitalized many many times but not for illnesses. The one time he was sick was when I was having supply issues and he was taking 99% formula.. I highly doubt that it was a coincidence that he ended up sick right after doing the formula crap.

Anyway my choice is breastmilk only.. But like I said I was just curious what others would have picked.

[Ruthla]

I have no experience with a child that age who can't eat normally. When my daughters were 3.5yo, they were no longer nursing at all. When DS was that age, he nursed a few times a day but most of his nutrition came from table foods.

I would do whatever was best for the child- certainly continue to pump as long as the child needed me to, but I wouldn't hold out on introducing other foods unless there was a specific medical reason why this might not be a good idea for this individual child (food allergies, etc.)

He's going to get antibodies as long as you pump, even if he's getting more of his nutrition from other sources. Since you're adding Neocate to the pumped milk, he doesn't have the "virgin gut" you'd associate with exclusively breastfed infants (and he's old enough for it not to really matter.) I don't see why adding blenderized whole foods would put him at any kind of risk medically, unless he's unable to digest them.

[Collinsky]

Originally Posted by frontierpsych

I chose breastmilk and blenderized diet, but I don't know the situation you're speaking of, so I am just choosing what seems right without having much info. I'd want to provide breastmilk as long as possible to a child who was unable to eat many other healthy things. At the same time I don't know it'd be enough for a 3.5yo child, and if there was something else reasonably nutritious I could provide them I would do that as well.

This is what I was thinking as well... but it depends on the situation. After reading more about the scenario, I might go with EBF. I just don't know.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by Khourtniey

It was more of just a curiousity thing...


But my story and why I was wondering what others would do.... My 3.5 is still EBF because he cant take foods by mouth. He can do theraputic feeds but it isnt anything that will sustain him. He is allergic to a few things. He has MFPI... Ive been EPing for him since he was born. I recently had a little girl and Im putting her to breast, but still have to EP for the other. Needless to say its hardwork. It was hardwork just pumping for him, but now with two its even more.

Docs have mentioned putting him on pediasure.. Umm no way!!! They first started asking when he wasnt even a year old about switching him from breastmilk to something... Again, NO WAY! I told them as long as I can produce milk then he will get that. If he is going to take some kind of "formula" mixture then he is going to get the best there is (breastmilk)... (Oh, he has to have neocate added for extra calories) So... they really havent mentioned anything else about it but I figure since hes getting older they will start in again.. I would like him to have "normal" food (which would mean blenderized) but I dont think its the best for him. I would love to stop pumping for my own reasons but I know him getting breastmilk is the best... The antibodies alone have helped him so much. Similar kids with his issues who are on formula have been sick so many times. My son has only been sick once.. He has been hospitalized many many times but not for illnesses. The one time he was sick was when I was having supply issues and he was taking 99% formula.. I highly doubt that it was a coincidence that he ended up sick right after doing the formula crap.

Anyway my choice is breastmilk only.. But like I said I was just curious what others would have picked.

Ah! I have a child with sensory integration issues that include some major food issues. Had I known when he weaned at age 2 what his medical needs would ultimately be (were then I guess but I didn't yet know) I would never have weaned. I saw a question on a breastfeeding list about bf'ing autistic kids and found a fair number of people with special needs kids nursing, or pumping for, kids who were 8 or older. Folks don't want to talk about it in public space but parents of special needs kids often co-sleep and nurse way past "acceptable" ages. My son's doc wants to put him on Prozac to help him sleep on his own. Choosing between co-sleeping or Prozac for an eight year old was not hard for us. I have actually considered relactation to help my son gain weight and may do that.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Khourtniey

Yes, but coming from a breastmilk standpoint.... Like antibodies, etc...

Even so, it's not something I would ever presume to speculate about on the internet. Too many variables.

ETA: I should have read further! Honestly, I still think it's a medical issue. You give your little one whatever they need to best help them grow and thrive, you know?

[eclipse]

I said other, because it would depend on the specific needs of the child. If I had breastmilk to provide to a sick child, I would probably give that as much as I could, barring any medical issues that made it impossible. As far as using formula/belnderized diet, it really would depend on the needs of the child.

[elmh23]

Other. I'd feed my child whatever I could get into them. If that's breastmilk, blenderized diet or formula, I don't care. As long as they are doing well and thriving, then it wouldn't matter what I was feeding them!

[RoadWorkAhead]

I wouldn't necessarily stop feeding Bm if my tube fed child was not horribly allergic to BM and anything in it, but at 3.5 I would definitely be intro'ing other foods, and I'd intro foods for calories over Neocate anyday of the week...And I have a child on Elecare. If we had the option of any real foods, trust me, they'd be in her tubey daily now at 18 months.

[krystyn33]

OP--what a job you are doing to give your child your precious milk!

Now that I've read your post, I would work to feed my child my milk instead of formula or other substitute. Not sure if I would give other foods--would really depend on the exact nature of the situation.

[moderngal]

I have to say I'd probably do both. I can only imagine how hard you must work to pump for 1 child and nurse another. I don't know that I could keep up with a 3.5yo's needs, but I'd try.

[homewithtwinsmama]

I guess I would say continue breastmilk but also add blenderized foods. The WHO says breastmilk can be primary food source for 2 years. 3.5 and I would be concerned that the child needs more variety in the diet. I nursed 3 of mine past 3.5 years and one to 2.5 years (pregnancy, no milk, pain, had to stop).