[SarahO]

hello,
my SIL has a friend who is nursing her 22mo dd. my SIL said "I have to tell her to stop nursing avalon because she's getting too many calories". is this something i should be concerned about when my dd is older (not now, of course, as she has no interest in solids!!)
thanks,
sarah

 

[VikingKvinna]

Um, well, other than the pretty obvious fact that it's the friend's choice when she will stop nursing her child, not your SIL's decision, that's just not sound advice. Chances are that at that age, the child is getting most of his/her nutrition from solids anyway, and nursing is more for comfort than calories. Even if is providing a good deal of her nutrition, the mother's body is making milk to suit the child's nutritional needs. If the child is overweight, then that's something that needs to be discussed with the pediatrician.

Is it possible that your SIL is uncomfortable with her friend's extended nursing relationship, and is looking for a "scientific" reason to discourage her?

HTH!
~Nick

 

[karlin]

Wow, I thought people were concerned nursing toddlers weren't getting enough calories!

My 21 mo nurses a lot and eats moderately and does not even come close to getting the recommended 1300 calories for his age (ridiculous number if you ask me). He's also about 28 pounds and 34 inches tall.

 

[ExuberantDaffodil]

Pure hogwash.

 

[alegna]

huh?

-Angela

 

[TiredX2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahO hello, my SIL has a friend who is nursing her 22mo dd. my SIL said "I have to tell her to stop nursing avalon because she's getting too many calories". is this something i should be concerned about when my dd is older (not now, of course, as she has no interest in solids!!) thanks, sarah

It especially doesn't make sense in the context of bfeeding in the US. Generally when people are encouraged to wean their older toddlers it is not to just stop bfeeding, but to START "regular"

milk. So you would be replacing one (healthier) fatty dairy product with another (less healthy) fatty dairy product.

Additionally, bfeeding has shown to be anti-obesity, both in childhood (where bfed babies tend to be leaner than their ffed counterparts from about 4-6 months on) and into adulthood.

If the child is really getting "too many calories" (which, IMO, is very unlikely in such a small child--- unless they have an actual disorder they will eat what their bodies need) you should probably cut something else out. Human milk is about the healthiest thing you could eat!

 

[mom2threenurslings]

First of all, it's none of SIL's business.

Secondly, nursing is NATURAL and NORMAL at age 2 (and 3 and 4 and...) and provides the nursling (and the mama!) with much more than calories/nutrition (antibodies, reduced risk of getting certain cancers and other diseases, higher IQ than formula-fed counterparts, etc. etc. etc.)

Third, nursing helps prevent obesity.

The 22 month old is getting mamamilk that is especially formulated for her. The fat content is what she needs at 22 months (as are the other nutrients). Mamamilk changes as the nursling grows...it doesn't stay "put-on-weight newborn milk" as many people assume. If anything would cause a 22 month old to be "overweight" (being "chubby" at 22 months old is normal!) it would more likely be the solids she's eating!

That said, there is one case I know if where nursing can put a few extra pounds on a toddler...when mama nurses said toddler through pregnancy and then tandem nurses. In that case, the toddler is getting mamamilk formulated for the baby (higher in fat, etc.) and can put on a little more weight. This isn't a problem, as once the child cuts back on nursing or weans, the weight usually comes right off. (I have personal experience with this, as I'm nursing through pregnancy for the third time / tandem nursing through pregnancy for the second time. My "weaner" is the weight he "should" be at this point, although he was high on the weight charts until he weaned.)

HTH!

 

[treehugginmama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlin Wow, I thought people were concerned nursing toddlers weren't getting enough calories!

That's what I was thinking.

 

[JessicaS]

This sounds like my MIL!! BWHAHAHAHAHA!!

Your SIL doesn't know what she is talking about.

 

[pugmommy7]

a fabulous lc once told me this golden rule" you can't overfeed a breastfed baby"
our bodies know what to do.