I was reading through the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Position Paper on doctors supporting breastfeeding. I hear many times a week, unfortunately, from patients whose doctors are not informed on the benefits of breastfeeding. And, sadly, these doctors do not know how to educate and support their parents so that their pediatric patients get the best health benefits from nursing.
I have always been an advocate of breastfeeding, but my passion toward the subject has grown tremendously after nursing Harper all of these months. As I was preparing to have Harper, I remember anticipating our breastfeeding relationship with much excitement. Oh, I couldn’t wait to grin at my child in the wee hours of the morning, as he lay gently on my lap being satisfied by my incredible ability to feed him. Nursing, like pregnancy, is one of those miracles that just amazes me! However, fast forward one year and several months later, and I would definitely confess that my little daydreams of wonderful nursing experiences definitely haven’t been reality. I can understand why moms give up. It is not easy and definitely not always pleasant! I think this is especially true with an extremely hungry, agile little boy. And, although I can’t say I enjoy it, Harper will be 2 years old in a few months, and our breastfeeding relationship is still going strong. I take it day by day, but I am not planning on weaning him soon. Why do I stick with it since I don’t particularly enjoy it? Or, the other question/statement I get all of the time, “You’ve made it past six months, and you’ve made it past 1 year, why are you still nursing? Isn’t he too old for that?! When are you going to quit?” Just like everything else, breastfeeding is a choice with made strongly backed by research. In these next few posts, I will explain what the research says, and why I choose to do something for so long that I don’t necessarily enjoy. The position paper put out by medical doctors made me grin:
For the child- “In 2007, a systematic review of the effects of breastfeeding on maternal and infant health found that for infants in developed countries, notbreastfeeding is associated with increased risks of common conditions including acute otitis media, gastroenteritis, atopic dermatitis, and life-threatening conditions including severe lower respiratory infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sudden infant death syndrome. The health effects of breastfeeding persist beyond the period of breastfeeding. Children who were not breastfed are at increased risk of obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood leukemia. The evidence base also supports the importance of six months of exclusive breastfeeding(when compared with four months) as protective against gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract infection, including otitis media and pneumonia.”
For the mother- “Not breastfeeding is associated with an increased risk of postpartum depression. In the longer term, for women in developed countries, not breastfeeding is associated with increased risks of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.“
“As recommended by the WHO, breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and having a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer. Mothers who have immigrated from cultures in which breastfeeding beyond infancy is routine should be encouraged to continue this tradition. There is no evidence that extended breastfeeding is harmful to mother or child. Breastfeeding during a subsequent pregnancy is not unusual. If the pregnancy is normal and the mother is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is the woman’s personal decision. If the child is younger than two years, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned. Breastfeeding the nursing child after delivery of the next child (tandem nursing) may help provide a smooth transition psychologically for the older child.“
“Weaning is the time of gradually transitioning infants from mother’s milk to complementary foods or an older child’s diet. In this sense, weaning begins with the introduction of solids at the middle of the first year. Complete weaning, or complete cessation of breastfeeding, ideally should be a gradual process accomplished over a long period. There is no evidence that a specific age of weaning is necessary or mandated. Like other developmental milestones, children wean when they are ready, physically and psychologically. There are several weaning techniques that can be recommended when a mother wishes to encourage the process. Medications to decrease or stop milk production are not necessary and should be avoided. Sudden abrupt complete weaning is rarely necessary, and can place the mother at risk for engorgement, plugged ducts, galactoceles, mastitis, and breast abscesses. The child may be placed at risk for infectious illnesses, dehydration, malnutrition, and psychological trauma such as feelings of abandonment. In cases in which abrupt weaning is necessary, the advice of a lactation consultant should be sought to minimize the risks.”
Hannah
April 5, 2010
9:16 AM
Thanks for posting this. I needed to read some reasons WHY I am commited to this for the long run. These teeth marks on me from her new found love of grinding them while she eats hasn’t helped this commitment!
Daniel
April 5, 2010
9:47 AM
I’d like to see a study done on children specifically breastfed beyond two years old and see what benefits they have compared to a child breastfed at least 1/5 yrs.
I know that breastfeeding is beneficial for the child, and I’m in no hurry for Heather to stop. And it’s easy for me to accept that a child who breastfeeds will be healthier than one who doesn’t. But I would love to be armed with concrete info that tells me why going another couple years will help.
Jolee Burger
April 5, 2010
10:09 AM
Love this blog. I ‘weaned’ my oldest at 9 months and am so sorry I did it (I have lots of ‘excuses’). With my 2.5 year old now, we are still breastfeeding, and this is new to me! It is so neat, though, and funny! I thought I would be embarrassed to tell people, but I’m not. I do get funny looks or comments: Someone told me Saturday that Finn is going to bring his college friends over to nurse (I didn’t laugh). But at this age, Finn has a name for my breasts (nonnies), and he is able to say things before he latches on… like the other day, he said ‘Nonnies – that good!’ It makes me happy to think this is something that brings him comfort, even if it is inconvenient for me at times… Thanks, Cindy. ♥
Taryn Lowery
April 5, 2010
11:27 AM
Thank you so much Dr. Cindy!!! I have so many women in my life that need this info!! Your message will carry on! Love always!
Mignon
April 5, 2010
2:09 PM
Very interesting information. I’ve heard that in a lot of middle eastern cultures, the average age for weaning is 3 years. But here’s question, more from a practical standpoint than anything else. If you are an older mom (like me) and don’t have a lot of time left to have children, how do you negotiate the benefits of breastfeeding with the desire to start ovulating as soon as possible after giving birth so that you can get pregnant again? As it is, if you breastfeed on demand, which from everything I’ve learned about it is the way to go, you may not ovulate until you stop breastfeeding. And if you are a mom in your 40′s, it may mean not having more than one or two kids.
I’d love to hear you thoughts on this! Thanks for the blog, Dr. Cindy!
Kathryn
April 5, 2010
3:02 PM
Thank you for posting this. I can relate to how you feel. Aaron will be 3 in a few weeks, and while I don’t enjoy our nursing relationship like I use to, I can’t imaging making him stop doing something he still feels the need to do…especially when it’s so good for him not only physically but emotionally too. I had toyed with the idea of weaning him when he turned 3, but I really think I’ll try to wait it out and let him wean on his own. I wonder why some kids wean early (15-16 months) and then there are kids like ours who nurse for 2-3 years?
Christy@pipandsqueak
April 5, 2010
4:19 PM
I nursed Katherine until 22 months and am currently weaning Caroline at 21 months. I am sure that she would love to go longer but I am ready and I will be leaving town in a few weeks without her. I am amazed at how once a baby turns 1 people ask why you are still nursing. I may not want to nurse my kids as 4 year olds, but I have no problem with those who do.
Dr. Cindy
April 5, 2010
9:16 PM
Great question, Mignon! This is something JB and I discuss a lot. I didn’t start my cycle back for a long time (Harper was well over a year), and it is still far from regular… Sorry if that’s TMI! But, we want a lot of kids, and sometimes I get sad that our children may be really spaced far apart. However, it is something we have chosen to trust the Lord on, and just like w/ everything else, He truly knows best. So, the conviction amd conclusion that we came to is that it isn’t right for me to sacrifice Harper’s health just to rush and have another child. He is our one and only right now, and we called to work 100% on him. I feel that forcing him to wean early would be sacrificing his health. I understand where you are coming from though, it’s frustrating to have to worry about age! I think you will get a peace about what to do when the time comes to make the call. But, that’s just my 2 cents and what we have decided, for what it’s worth. Glad you like the blog, thanks for the comment
Heather
April 6, 2010
10:32 AM
Great post, Cindy. I think I will print it in flyer format to hand out when people gawk at me nursing my 27 month old. LOL!
vanessa
April 6, 2010
9:34 PM
i stopped with my first child at 6 months and with my 2nd at 9 months and i have absolutely no regrets. i think this is the mothers choice and i don’t know if i agree with all of these “studies”. my 4 year old has been sick MAYBE 3 times in her entire life and she is incredibly intelligent. she has always been far more advanced at everything than most children and her pediatrician constantly praises me for having such a healthy and smart child.
my 11 month old is also very bright and has been sick once so far because someone decided it would be a good idea to take their sick child to the church daycare where he exposed his illness to my son and probably a few other children :/
i thought this post deserved a comment from the “other side” as well. thanks.
Melanie
April 7, 2010
8:03 AM
Dr. Cindy, Found this blog through Hannah. Interesting. I don’t have children yet but look forward to breast feeding when the time comes. I do have a question though – what about the psychological effects on a boy’s mental and emotional health concerning being breast fed so long? I could see that for baby boys and girls it might be a bit different. Breastfeeding is a huge privilege and a wonderful thing that God created, I’m all for it, don’t get me wrong. But beyond about 1.5 or 2 years there is something a bit odd about a young boy sucking from his mom’s breasts, don’t you think? There are probably not enough studies to show it yet, but I could see homosexual tendencies developing later on due to a boy’s breast feeding so late. Certainly there are links between too-intimate mother relationships with boys and homosexual behaviors. Anyway, just curious what your take is on this. There are more types of health to consider than just physical.
vanessa
April 7, 2010
12:35 PM
i agree with melanie. not just for boys, but for girls as well.
thank you for sharing that question.
Mae
April 8, 2010
12:30 PM
Melanie,
While I don’t have any resources for you, I would like to address your question about homosexuality, based on my own opinion.
The assumption that a boy has more of a chance to turn to homosexuality because of breastfeeding than a girl is a little much. If you have the fear of one sex, you should fear both. I mean, if you’re concerned about the time a boy spends at the breast, shouldn’t you be equally concerned with your daughter? What if her “overexposure” to her mothers breasts causes her to become a lesbian?
It sounds absurd because it is.
And lets just take a look at society today.
There are more and more openly gay, and decided gay than ever before. Not to say this isn’t an age old sexual preference [I doubt it would be mentioned so often in the bible if it was unheard of] but there is a clearer presence in our society.
Now look at how many woman breastfeed, period- regardless of time. The numbers have dramatically decreased since the invention of formula. LLL and several others have proven this again and again.
If you graph it out, to me it would seem more logical to link NOT breastfeeding to an increase in homosexuality.
I am a mother of a nine month old baby girl and see a huge stigma on most of my friends who have baby boys, even at nine months. For some reason, it’s ok for me to feed her, than say Cindy to feed Harper at that day. I find that double standard highly offensive.
Kelly
April 17, 2010
6:50 AM
Hello Cindy,
I saw one of your comments on Heathers blog, after she made the connection that we all ‘know’ each other through your husband!! I hope you don’t mind me writing you. I just wanted to say a quick hello! It has been such a wonderful experience to work under Jim Bob’s care. We have three little ladies who just adore Jim Bob. Our 4 month old Savannah is always flashing him smiles during her appointment. ;0) I saw your family pictures at the office – you have a beautiful family. Harper is such a cutie and Jim Bob always speaks so highly of you and your sweet son! We love this about him because so many Dr’s these days act like they don’t have a family at home! This is probably way out there for a ‘first conversation’ but I was reading that you are a midwife!! We have never worked with a midwife before, though we came really close last summer with Savannah. I was wondering – do you feel comfortable working with women who want to deliver in a hospital? I ask this because we have had 3 very high risk pregnancies. With our first one I developed pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome and had to deliver 8 weeks early. As Jim Bob knows, we lost our second daughter to a very, very rare genetic disorder. We were SO blessed to spend 5 months caring for her, but sadly she passed away the day before my birthday in 2007. We found out that we were pregnant again right after she passed away and during my pregnancy our sweet baby was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in which case she almost didn’t make it. By the grace of God she is a now a happy, healthy 1 1/2 year old! Our 4th baby was our first FULL TERM HEALTHY BABY – Praise God!! I would like to pretend that all my fears have been erased, but that is just not the case. I would absolutely love to work with a midwife, but don’t really feel comfortable delivering at home or in a birth center because of our past. So I was just wondering if you personally are open to hospital births? We spoke with someone when we first moved to TX (I think they were located in Denton, but im not certain) and they weren’t all that fond of hospital births unless absolutely medically needed, like for an emergency..so we decided not to go any further at that time..just for our own peace of mind. I wasn’t sure how you felt about things?!? No matter what, I think being a midwife has to be such an amazing feeling. Knowing that you are working so closely with these little bits of Heaven is absolutely priceless!!!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I hope to hear back from you when you have a free minute. :0) God bless!
Kelly and Family
Aka;
Brett – my precious hubby
Aspen – soon to be 5 years old
Cheyenne – 1 1/2
Savannah – 4 months
Michelle
April 19, 2010
4:32 PM
Thank you for posting this. I can relate to how you feel. Aaron will be 3 in a few weeks, and while I don’t enjoy our nursing relationship like I use to, I can’t imaging making him stop doing something he still feels the need to do…especially when it’s so good for him not only physically but emotionally too. I had toyed with the idea of weaning him when he turned 3, but I really think I’ll try to wait it out and let him wean on his own. I wonder why some kids wean early (15-16 months) and then there are kids like ours who nurse for 2-3 years?
Melanie
April 23, 2010
7:29 AM
Hi there Mae,
Wow slow down there girl, no reason to get offended. I am a young bride without children of my own yet, and I’m asking genuine questions to those whom I hoped would be able to offer some wisdom and advice. I mean no accusations at all by my questions; they are genuine questions which have come from my own life experiences. My own brother is a homosexual man, so over the last few years I HAVE researched a LOT about this issue. When I ask these questions it’s also not only based on my own opinion (such as your answer which you said was merely your own opinion) but based on many studies, testimonies, stories and experiences. It might seem a bit of an odd question for somebody who has no idea where I’m coming from, but I am genuinely interested in Dr. Cindy’s answers or to know if she’s considered something like this before and done/read any credible research on it.
Simon
April 27, 2010
2:11 PM
Great post, Cindy. I think I will print it in flyer format to hand out when people gawk at me nursing my 27 month old. LOL!
Melanie Buck
May 27, 2010
1:49 PM
I found this blog in a whirlwind of research as I am trying to decide whether or not to wean my son who will turn two in a few weeks. Iam so glad I found it and enjoyed reading it very much. I nurse on demand and I am so grateful that you shared that sometimes it is not wonderful. Also, to add to the discussion of fertility and older mothers, I am 39 and my menstrual cycle and ovulation returned 7 weeks after the birth of my son, I never supplemented, pumped or went without a feeding for more than 2 hours. Also, I do have Gay friends and I have asked, they were all formula fed as babies.
Truly, Melanie B.