[brandywine]

Please note in advance that this post is not intended in any way to convince people not to bf.

Over the past few years I've had my fasting blood sugar taken several times, and I usually come up right under what would be considered 'diabetic' (type 2). With my first pregnancy, I was not diagnosed with GD, but I did have a 10 lb babe, so my midwife thinks that it was just missed in the test. With the second pregnancy, I was diagnosed with GD and had to go through all the awful stuff that needlessly accompanies that diagnosis--but that's another thread. Now my concern is with dental health. I've heard that bfing does not rot out a childs teeth. However, dc1 had the worst case of bottle mouth I've ever seen---but of course it was boobie mouth instead since he never had bottles. His teeth were beginning to rot before he was given solid foods. I'm wondering if it's possible that the excess sugar in my system may have caused his teeth to rot either in utero, or if the excess sugar was passed into my milk. Any ideas? I still plan to bf any more children I may have, but I'm wondering if I should be monitoring my sugar and trying to control it when bfing.

 

[Quirky]

Hmm, I think you should cross-post in Dental, and look in the archives about bottle mouth. I'm no expert, but my guess is that it wouldn't be the sugar but the bacteria issue - you may be a carrier of a particularly strong strain of S. mutans, the bacteria that causes tooth decay, and you would pass this to your son with kissing, etc. (can't be avoided).

It sounds like maybe you need to start with the brushing as soon as teeth appear (using a teeny tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste) and not wait until starting solids (assuming that you didn't brush with your last one).

Here's a slide show/presentation that's good: http://www.brianpalmerdds.com/caries.htm