Dr. Jack Newman needs YOU!

Good afternoon everyone- Happy Friday!  I just received this email from Edith Kernerman from the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute and she has asked me to pass it along to all of you.

International Breastfeeding Centre

Hi All

We are emailing you to ask if you would consider volunteering your precious time with us (or know of someone who might) to help us in our new endeavours; to help secure funding for our organization, and to help develop our organization. 

As you may know:

At the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic (NBC), we help thousands of families each year with their breastfeeding issues.  Our clinical team is comprised of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and physicians who offer one-on-one counselling for mothers experiencing breastfeeding challenges.  We provide highly skilled support for all mother and/or baby difficulties that may lead to the premature discontinuation of breastfeeding.  The clinic also offers preventive care for anticipated breastfeeding challenges and presents prenatal breastfeeding classes for expectant families.    

What you may not know:

We recently incorporated as a not-for-profit Ontario organization:  The International Breastfeeding Centre (IBC).  IBC is one of the few organizations in Canada that is fully dedicated to providing care and resources for breastfeeding families.  Our mission is to empower mothers to achieve their own breastfeeding goals.  IBC sees mothers and their babies at our Newman Breastfeeding Clinic, teaches students in our Centre for Breastfeeding Education, and organizes and conducts studies and clinical trials at our Centre for Breastfeeding Research. 

The Centre for Breastfeeding Education (CBE) offers our Lactation Medicine Programme, which is unique in that it provides both onsite theoretical and hands-on practical training for multi-disciplinary health care professionals and non-health care professionals from all over the world.  It is also the only programme in Canada which has been granted the International designation of AARC Approval (www.aarclactation.org).  Through our Centre’s rigorous programme, which also encourages community awareness and evidence-based practice, our students are trained to become pioneering leaders in lactation medicine and active and integral members of the health care community and team. 

The research projects conducted at the Centre for Breastfeeding Studies (CBS) are driven by our students and faculty who are dedicated to advancing our understanding of lactation medicine.  We are investigating a wide range of topics, which address various aspects of breastfeeding including but not limited to the efficacy of clinical practices, creating various diagnostic and treatment protocols, and psychosocial aspects of breastfeeding management.   

Why does IBC need funding?

As our physicians are funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP—Ontario’s universal  health care system) and these physicians pay a locum fee to our clinic, those fees along with our patient fees, and to a lesser extent, our student fees,  comprise the majority of IBC’s income.  Due to the fact that lactation consultants and their services are not covered by OHIP, we ask a nominal suggested fee for our clinical services to those patients who are able to pay it; of course we will reduce or waive that fee entirely upon request.  As a result, the expenses for the clinic are not covered by patient fees and we are in need of external funding sources in order to continue to do our work.  In addition, NBC has a broad reach of patients who reside in various parts of Ontario and neighbouring provinces and beyond.  However, the number of patients we can see is restricted by the limited number of staff we are able to pay and the limited space we can afford to rent---both challenges leading to extensive wait times for our patients who often need immediate help.  Furthermore, these limitations directly affect the number of students we can train, and the amount of research we can conduct.

Where do you come in?

As someone who is familiar with what we do and who shares our values about breastfeeding and our concerns about the lack of breastfeeding support, we are appealing to your sense of wanting to help the world, to do good in your own backyard, to wanting to make a difference, and to your ability to facilitate change. 

What’s involved?

We are looking for a team of individuals who have anywhere from a few hours/week to a few hours/month.  We are looking for those able (or eager to learn!) to help in a variety of areas:  fundraising, computer, advertising, PR, grant writing, lobbying, soliciting donations, event planning. 

Now that we have piqued your interest, what’s next?

We are calling an information meeting of potential volunteers for Monday February 28^th at 12 noon-2:00 pm or Friday March 4^th,  from 12 noon till 2:00pm.  A light lunch will be served. 

How to RSVP?

Please email Kerrian at clinic@nbci.ca with your preferred date.  If you can potentially make either date please let us know—we will likely only hold one meeting date unless there is an even split amongst respondents.  For more information please email Edith Kernerman at edith@nbci.ca .

Thank you so much for considering our request.  Mothers and babies everywhere thank you too!!

Eileen Park, MSc, IBCLC               Jack Newman, MD, IBCLC                        Edith Kernerman, IBCLC

Executive Director                             Executive Director                                         Executive Director

institute@nbci.ca                              jack@nbci.ca                                                 edith@nbci.ca

International Breastfeeding Centre

1255 Sheppard Avenue East

Toronto, ON, Canada, M2K 1E2

416-498-0002, phone

416-498-0012, fax

www.nbci.ca

Milk Treats: A tasty way to boost your supply!

As many of you know, I've struggled with my milk supply since our youngest son was born just over 9 months ago.  The short story:  Kael was born with a tongue tie- I realized early on that his latch wasn't "perfect" but because I didn't have any pain I figured that it was fine..... then when he was 3 months old my milk supply almost completely tanked out and I was suddenly faced with a serious problem.  Kaels absolutely refused to nurse on my right breast, which had slower flow than the left, and the left breast wasn't not able to keep up to his voracious appetite.  Luckily I had an excellent support system and had lots of previous breastfeeding experience to fall back on to help me out.  My partner at Natural Mothering, Helen, is currently studying for her IBCLC at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute with the world famous Dr. Jack Newman.  As soon as I realized how serious the problem was Helen immediate drove almost 2 hours to come see Kael and I and she discovered his tongue tie issues.  I am also lucky because I know Jack  and Edith Kernerman quite well and I was able to get into the clinic to see them right away.  At the NBCI Clinic Jack released Kael's tongue tie- which is a 10 second minor surgery called a Frenotomy- you can see a video clip of a TT release at the Newman clinic HERE.  Immediately Kael's latch improved significantly, but now the really hard work began:  to rebuild my milk supply.  I started taking Domperidone  and the recommended herbal supplements of Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, and we worked on improving Kael's latch which would stimulate my breasts to produce more milk.  It was a long long journey that continues right to this day.

I learned some facts during all of this that have greatly changed my outlook and directed my steps to where I am today:
1- that it is a lot of work to change a baby's latch once they get to be older than a month or two- retraining the baby to latch is hard work!  This makes GOOD breastfeeding support immediately after birth so vital: we need babies to learn to latch the RIGHT way right from birth.
2- That if milk supply issues are not dealt with right away, it becomes far more difficult to rebuild a full supply.

I have had to finally admit that I will probably have to take Domperidone for the rest of my nursing relationship with my youngest son to support my milk production, But.... I have a few tricks up my sleeves that I'd like to share!!!

First of all, one of the most important things I have had to watch to keep up my milk supply is my water intake.  W.a.t.e.r.... not juice, not tea, not milk.... WATER. Every person is different and has different needs so what works for me might not work for everyone, BUT...... It's worth it to try my tricks!!  I drink about 3-4 litres of water every day, and if I don't - for whatever reason- I immediately notice a sudden drop in milk supply within12-18 hours. Another miracle milk maker is oatmeal!!  In previous times while breastfeeding my other children, if I ate a couple of bowls of oatmeal I would wake up the next day with melons on my chest!

A few months ago Peaceful Parenting posted a recipe for "Lactation Cookies" and I thought "Hmmmmmmm... I have a wicked granola bar recipe and I bet I could tweak it to make the perfect "Milk bar"!!!"  And so, that is what I'm going to post for you now: my tried and true "Milk Bars"!!!!  I have a hungry household that loves these granola bars so I always double this recipe.  You can also store the uncooked dough for a couple of days in the fridge, and a friend of mine has also stored uncooked dough in the freezer with excellent success.

Dani's Milk Bars

Cream together:

3/4 cup of butter or coconut oil and butter mix- half and half, or butter and peanut butter half and half
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (or whatever sweetener you prefer- honey etc,)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp molassas
1 egg
3-4 tbs milk (if the mixture is too "dry" add a bit more milk one tablespoon at a time)

Mix in:

3/4 cup of flour
3 cups of oats- large flake- NOT quick oats!  or 2 cups of oats and 1 cup of steel cut oats
1 cup of ground flax seed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
1/4 cup of dried coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
1/8 cup dried brewers yeast
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Add:

1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of nuts- optional
1/2 cup of dried cranberries/raisins/dried chopped fruit

This is a heavy dough to mix!  (hence the fact that my hubby gets to do this part of the job!)

Press dough into a parchment covered cookie sheet- about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick and try to keep the thickness even, lol,  and bake at 325 for 15- 20 minutes- depending on the size of your cookie sheet, the thickness of your bars  and whether you like them chewie or crisp.  Not only are these granola bars full of milk making goodness, they are delicious and full of protein and energy- a great snack for a busy nursing mother .... because we all know that we moms have a tendency to miss the odd breakkie and the occasional lunch!!  Having these handy has kept me from blood sugar crashes many many times!  (and my hubby loves them as a mid- afternoon snack for work!)



Another great way to add oatmeal into your daily meal plans is making your own granola cereal- it's very easy and is delicious by itself with milk, or on top of yogurt or fruit salad.  I even put some on my hot oatmeal to add a bit of crunch!


Dani's Coconut Granola Cereal


7 cups of large flake oats
1 cup ground flax seed
1 cup wheat germ
4 tbs brewers yeast
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 cup of coconut milk (I use canned milk- taking the thickest coconut "cream" from the top to use)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup butter
1 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries, or rasins, or chopped dried fruit
1 cup of sunflower seeds
1/4 cup of sesame seeds

 - heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

- In a large bowl, stir together the oats,and dry ingredients (exclusing dried fruit/rasins/cranberries). Divide between two large baking sheets, and spread into an even layer.
   
-Bake for 7 or 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted- half way through shake the pan to stir up the mix.. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then return to the large bowl.

- While the oats are toasting, combine the coconut milk, coconut oil, butter and honey in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it comes to a boil. Low boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla. Pour the syrup over the granola in the bowl, and stir until the dry ingredients are fully coated.

-Divide between the two baking sheets, and spread evenly. Bake for 8 minutes in the heated oven, or until fragrant and toasted. Cool in the pans, then mix in the dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container at room temperature....guaranteed to be yummy!!!



These are tasty ways to help boost your breastmilk supply!!  Combining with making sure that your baby has a good latch and following Dr. Jack Newman's instructions for herbal and natural supplements   should ensure that you have an excellent milk supply!!  For more information about achieving a good latch and how to initiate good breastfeeding positions, please visit  www.nbci.ca where you can read Dr Jack Newmans excellent hand outs and watch video clips of babies latching and nursing!!

Help the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic Contest!!!!!!!

Help Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute! Pass along this e-mail to spread the word in our $10,000 Holiday Video Contest Grand Prize: $1,000 to the winning video's cause $250 Amazon gift card to the iGive member who entered it Plus $50 each for the first 100 videos submitted and 18 other cash prizes!
			Help More: Shoot A Video Create a short, fun video (2 minutes or less) about Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute, and how iGive helps support it. Get the kids and pets involved! Think Halloween, Thanksgiving, and holiday themes. The top 18 videos (by votes) win cash prizes for their causes!
			Early Bird Prizes Put your video on YouTube, and starting November 1, 2010, submit it to iGive.com. Early Bird Winners: The first 100 videos entered (which get at least 10 votes) will win $50 for their cause!
			Tell The World Rally friends and family to become iGive members (free, of course!) and vote for Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute's video every day. Share this e-mail so that they can join early. We'll send you more info on easy sharing when you submit a video. Voting begins November 1, 2010 and ends November 30, 2010.
			Vote Every Day Get an early start toward that $1,000 Grand Prize, because the most votes wins. It's really easy, you don't have to be a pro to make a cute video, and you'll have fun making a video, or even just voting for your favorite.

Being the change you wish to see in the world

I talk here on Informed Parenting about change and about women (and men) standing up and fighting for their Rights- their Rights to Birth their children in peace and without violence or emotional trauma. Their Right to birth at home. Their Rights to Nurse their babies, in public and at home, without guilt and without worry, and to be supported in their journey of nursing their children for as long as they wish.  Their Rights to take their WHOLE baby home, intact and unmolested.  Their RIGHTS. For without taking a stand our Rights will be trodden on and trampled by the galloping hoards of faceless bureaucrats and the cold medical machine that suffers a god complex. If we don't speak out, who will? If we don't speak out, who will encourage others to raise their voices with us? It all starts with one voice.

There are people that stand out as activists of the first order.  People who were not afraid to stand up and be heard, who saw injustice and inequality and said "This is WRONG!" And they stood tall and proud regardless of the ridicule and persecution. Dr. Martin Luther King comes to mind when we think of this kind of activist. Dr. King was arrested 30 times for taking a stand and speaking out against racism in the 50's and 60's, yet now he is revered as hero and the changes he stood up for are accepted as the norm in society. It didn't happen over night and it wasn't easy but nothing worth fighting for ever is. 

Within the circles of Childbirth and Childrens Rights activists there are a few names that stand out. Gloria Lemay is one of our greatest activists and heros, who has suffered over and over, including going to prison for what she believed in, but has never given up or bowed to the pressure that was put upon her.  In "Jan's Corner" of Midwifery Today Magazine Jan Tritten writes about "Midwifery under Fire".  Jan writes:

"We’ve had a period of relative calm in the North American midwifery community since 2002. In an issue of Midwifery Today E-News from July 2001 (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0329.asp), Sandra Stine, CNM, wrote about the history of midwives under fire:
“I am thinking about Yvonne Cryns, Nan Koehler, Abby Odam, the granny midwives and every other traditional birth attendant in this country who has been crucified by the AMA or another source,” Stine stated. “Wonderful, loving, competent midwives have been jailed, lost their homes, spent thousands of dollars defending themselves, or were placed under house arrest while serving families competently. The AMA (American Medical Association) has a track record of prosecuting midwives in almost every state!”
In July of 2002, Gloria Lemay was imprisoned for contempt of court in Canada. A few months later, Mennonite midwife Freida Miller was arrested and imprisoned for contempt of court in Ohio. Thanks to easy Internet access in 2002, the stories of these imprisonments—and of the events that built up to them—were relayed around the globe. Both women were mature adults and both went to prison knowing they had widespread support in the international community. They went to prison with their heads held high and their supporters worked behind the scenes, fundraising and researching to free them. Money and well wishes flowed in from all over the world. North American midwives had entered a new era.
While in prison, Lemay learned that she would be given an award for being “the woman in Canada who had made the biggest contribution to midwifery care in the year 2002.” (Women’s Voice Award).

 ""We’ve had a period of relative calm in the North American midwifery community since 2002" Jan says.... yet it would seem that this period of relative calm is coming to an end, and not just in the field of Midwifery.  Recently there have been negative articles in the media about the safety of home births, negative articles in the media about Breastfeeding, and now articles about male circumcision that hint that the CDC and the American Paediatric Society might be about to do a flip flop and change their official recommendations that there is no medical reason to support Male Circumcision. (which is absolutely false BTW).

All around us we see the Medical Machine, Big Pharma and other professional associations, with their assumed godhead, trying to chip away if not yank right out from under us our Human Rights. But worse is that there are the innocent sheeple out there that are going to listen and are going to assume that this is how it must be.  They will tow the official party line and maybe not discover until much too late that their Rights have been burned at the stake on the altar of the big green buck. That they have lost something precious that can never be reclaimed because they blindly followed the recommendations of those who serve themselves while pretending to be working for the people. Some people might sneer that it's their own damn fault for not researching and educating themselves about their choices, but we cannot blame the sheeple for their blind devotion- children grow up only knowing what they've been taught by their elders and if their elders knew no better than how can they teach the younger generation to think for themselves?  The sheeple will never learn about their Rights and the real information and choices unless those of us who DO know better stand up and tell them.

It isn't easy being the lone voice.  It isn't easy being that person standing above the bellowing crowds on a soap box trying to make yourself heard.  But if you don't do it who will?  There are voices of reason out there that are fighting for YOUR Rights, and the Rights of your children, every day.  People like Gloria Lemay who even in prison kept educating women. People like Danelle Frisbie  of  "Peaceful Parenting" who Fights for the Rights of infant boys everywhere to keep all of their body parts and not suffer mutilation at the hands of those who deem it "OK".  People like Dr. Jack Newman and Edith Kernerman of the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute who continually challenge the government to provide more Breastfeeding support and better education for medical personnel.  THESE people are your champions and deserve to hear OUR voices!!!

One of the worlds greatest activists Mahatma Gandhi once said "You must be the change that you want to see in the world". 

If you think the world is wrong, that the need for change is great, then lend your voices to the few so that they may soon become the many. A whisper can become a roar if enough voices are heard at once and NOW is the time to raise your voice!

Breastfeeding and Medications- by Dr. Jack Newman

   
Breastfeeding and Medications    

Introduction 

Over the years, far too many women have been wrongly told they had to stop breastfeeding because they must take a particular drug. The decision about continuing breastfeeding when the mother takes a drug, for example, is far more involved than whether the baby will get any of the drug in the milk. It also involves taking into consideration the risks of not breastfeeding, for the mother, the baby and the family, as well as society. And there are plenty of risks in not breastfeeding, so the question essentially boils down to: Does the addition of a small amount of medication to the mother’s milk make breastfeeding more hazardous than formula feeding? The answer is almost never. Breastfeeding with a little drug in the milk is almost always safer. In other words, being careful means continuing breastfeeding, not stopping.

Remember that stopping breastfeeding for a week may result in permanent weaning since the baby may then not take the breast again. On the other hand, it should be taken into consideration that some babies may refuse to take the bottle completely, so that the advice to stop is not only incorrect, but often impractical as well. On top of that it is easy to advise the mother to pump her milk while the baby is not breastfeeding, but this is not always easy in practice and the mother may end up painfully engorged.

 

Breastfeeding and Maternal Medications
Most drugs appear in the milk, but usually only in tiny amounts. Although a very few drugs may still cause problems for infants even in tiny doses, this is not the case for the vast majority. Breastfeeding mothers who are told they must stop breastfeeding because of a certain drug should ask the physician to make sure of this by checking with reliable sources. Note that the CPS (in Canada) and the PDR (in the USA) are not reliable sources of information about drugs and breastfeeding. These “resources” are merely a compilation of the information provided by the drug manufacturers who are more interested in their medical legal liability than the interests of the mother and baby. Their policy is essentially “We can’t be held responsible if the mother interrupts breastfeeding”. Or the mother should ask the physician to prescribe an alternate medication that is acceptable during breastfeeding. In this day and age, it should not be a problem to find a safe alternative. If the prescribing physician is not flexible, the mother should seek another opinion, but not stop breastfeeding.

Why do most drugs appear in the milk in only small amounts? Because what gets into the milk depends on the concentration in the mother’s blood, and the concentration in the mother’s blood is often measured in micro- or even nano-grams per millilitre (millionths or billionths of a gram), whereas the mother takes the drug in milligrams (thousandths of grams) or even grams. Furthermore, not all the drug in the mother’s blood can get into the milk. Only the drug that is not attached to protein in the mother’s blood can get into the milk. Many drugs are almost completely attached to protein in the mother’s blood. Thus, the baby is not getting amounts of drug similar to the mother’s intake, but almost always, much less on a weight basis. For example, in one study with the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil), the mother got over 300 micrograms per kg per day, whereas the baby got about 1 microgram per kg per day).

 

Most Drugs Are Safe If:
They are commonly prescribed for infants. The amount the baby would get through the milk is much less than he would get if given directly.

They are considered safe in pregnancy. This is not always true, since during the pregnancy, the mother’s body is helping the baby’s get rid of drug. Thus it is theoretically possible that worrisome accumulation of the drug might occur during breastfeeding when it wouldn’t during pregnancy (though this is probably rare). However, if the concern is for the baby’s getting exposed to a drug, say an antidepressant, then the baby is getting exposed to much more drug at a much more sensitive time during pregnancy than during breastfeeding. Recent studies about withdrawal symptoms in newborn babies exposed to SSRI type antidepressants (Paxil, for example) during the pregnancy somehow managed to implicate breastfeeding as if this type of problem requires a mother not to breastfeed. (Good example of how breastfeeding is blamed for everything.) In fact, you cannot prevent these withdrawal symptoms in the baby by breastfeeding, because the baby gets so little in the milk.

They are not absorbed from the stomach or intestines. These include many, but not all, drugs given by injection. Examples are gentamicin (and other drugs in this family of antibiotics), heparin, interferon, local anaesthetics, omeprazole. Omeprazole (Losec, Prilosec) is interesting because it is destroyed very quickly in the stomach. During the manufacture of the drug, a protective layer is added to the drug to prevent its destruction and the drug is thus absorbed into the mother’s body. Thus, the drug is covered by a protective layer that prevents its destruction in the stomach. However, when the baby gets the drug (in tiny amounts incidentally) there is no protective layer on the drug, so it is immediately destroyed in the baby’s stomach.

They are not excreted into the milk. Some drugs are just too big to get into the milk. Examples are heparin, interferon, insulin, infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel).

 

The Following Are A Few Commonly Used Drugs Considered Safe During Breastfeeding:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra), alcohol (in reasonable amounts), aspirin (in usual doses, for short periods). Most antiepileptic medications, most antihypertensive medications, tetracycline, codeine, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), prednisone, thyroxin, propylthiourocil (PTU), warfarin, tricyclic antidepressants, sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), other antidepressants, metronidazole (Flagyl), omperazole (Losec), Nix, Kwellada.

Note: Though generally safe, fluoxetine (Prozac) has a very long half life (stays in the body for a long time). Thus, a baby born to a mother on this drug during the pregnancy, will have large amounts in his body, and even the small amount added during breastfeeding may result in significant accumulation and side effects. These are rare, but have happened. There are two options that you might consider:

    * Stop the fluoxetine (Prozac) for the last 4 to 8 weeks of your pregnancy. In this way, you will eliminate the drug from your body and so will the baby. Once the baby is born, he will be free of drug and the small amounts in the milk will not usually cause problems and you can restart the fluoxetine (Prozac).
    * If it is not possible to stop fluoxetine (Prozac) during your pregnancy, consider changing to another drug that does not get into the milk in significant amounts once the baby is born. Two good choices are sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil).

Medications applied to the skin, inhaled (for example, drugs for asthma) or applied to the eyes or nose, are almost always safe for breastfeeding.

Drugs for local or regional anaesthesia are not absorbed from the baby’s stomach and are safe. Drugs for general anaesthesia will get into the milk in only tiny amounts (like all drugs) and are extremely unlikely to cause any effects on your baby. They usually have very short half lives and are eliminated extremely rapidly from your body. You can breastfeed as soon as you are awake and up to it.

Immunizations given to the mother do not require her to stop breastfeeding. On the contrary, the immunization will help the baby develop immunity to that immunization, if anything gets into the milk. In fact, most of the time nothing does get into the milk, except, possibly some of the live virus immunizations, such as German Measles. And that’s good, not bad.

X-rays and scans. Ordinary X-rays do not require a mother to interrupt breastfeeding even when used with contrast material (example, intravenous pyelogram). The reason is that the material does not get into the milk, and even if it did it would not be absorbed by the baby. The same is true for CT scans and MRI scans. You do not have to stop for even a second.

 

What About Radioactive Scans?
We do not want babies to get radioactivity, but we rarely hesitate to do radioactive scans on them. When a mother gets a lung scan, or lymphangiogram with radioactive material, or a bone scan, it is usually done with technetium (though other materials are possible). Technetium has a half life (the length of time it takes for ½ of all the drug to leave the body) of 6 hours, which means that after 5 half lives it will be gone from the mother’s body. Thus, 30 hours after injection all of it will be gone (well 98% will be gone) and the mother can breastfeed her baby without concern about his getting radiation. But does all the radioactivity need be gone? After 12 hours, 75% of the technetium is gone, and the concentration in the milk very low. I think that waiting 2 half lives is enough, for a material such as technetium. But: Not all technetium scans require stopping breastfeeding at all (HIDA scan, for example). It depends on which molecule the technetium is attached to. In the first few days, there is very little milk (though there is enough). In this situation it would be unnecessary for the mother to stop breastfeeding after a lung scan, for example. However, one of the most common reasons to do a lung scan is to diagnose a clot in the lung. This can now be done better and faster with CT scan, which does not require interrupting breastfeeding for even 1 second.

If you decide that interruption of breastfeeding is the best course to follow, then express milk for several days in advance (if you have advance warning about the test) and this can be fed via cup for a few days. Then while not breastfeeding, express your milk but don’t throw away the milk. The radioactive tracer that is present in the milk decays and the radiation is gone in 5 half-lives. So, even for I¹³¹ used in thyroid scans (see below), the radioactivity of the iodine will be gone in 5 half-lives, so the milk can be used in 6 to 8 weeks (the half-life of I¹³¹ is about 8 days). Only occasionally is a radioactive scan so urgent that it cannot be delayed for a few days.

Thyroid scans are different. Radioactive iodine (I¹³¹) is concentrated in milk and will be ingested by the baby and it will go to his thyroid where it will stay for a long time. This is definitely of concern. So, the mother will have to stop breastfeeding? No, because often the test does not need to be done at all. Differentiating postpartum thyroiditis from Graves’ Disease (the most common reason for doing the scan in breastfeeding mothers) does not require a thyroid scan. Get more information from the clinic. If a scan needs to be done, it is possible to do a thyroid scan I¹²³ which requires stopping for only 12 to 24 hours, depending on the dose given or technetium (see above). Don’t forget to express milk in advance so the baby can get it instead of formula.
***************************************************************************
Questions? First look at the website nbci.ca or drjacknewman.com. If the information you need is not there, go to Contact Us and give us the information listed there in your email. Information is also available in Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding (called The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers in the USA); and/or our DVD, Dr. Jack Newman’s Visual Guide to Breastfeeding (available in French or with subtitles in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian); and/or The Latch Book and Other Keys to Breastfeeding Success; and/or L-eat Latch and Transfer Tool; and/or the GamePlan for Protecting and Supporting Breastfeeding in the First 24 Hours of Life and Beyond.

To make an appointment online with our clinic please visit www.nbci.ca. If you do not have easy access to email or internet, you may phone (416) 498-0002.

Breastfeeding and Medication, 2009©
Written and revised (under other names) by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC, 1995-2005©
Revised Jack Newman MD, FRCPC, IBCLC and Edith Kernerman, IBCLC, 2008, 2009©

   

WHO International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (1981)
and subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions.

If you don’t know what this means, please email us to ask!

HERE to go directly to the NBCI site to read original article

Breastfeeding: guilt, statistics, support, and making a choice

... OK I know that many of you are going to shake your heads and say "Here she goes again..." but I have to pull out my soap box and rant on this topic some more.


Two recent articles in the Globe & Mail talk about breastfeeding in Canada (although this articles could seriously be about about the US or England just as easily).  One is the usual media propaganda about how mothers are made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding their babies, and the other one is about Canada's abysmal breastfeeding statistics.


Lets talk about the ridiculousness of the first article:
What’s wrong with feeding your baby formula?

Laura Leyshon for The Globe and Mail

Women who feed their babies formula face guilt – not to mention the unkindness of strangers.

*Before I even start reading the article my hackles are immediately up. Why is there this instance that there are finger pointers hiding around every corner and why are Breastfeeding advocates the usual suspects?!

    From the day he was born, Alison Evans breastfed her son Christopher with the understanding that breast milk is the most nourishing, natural and healthy thing a mother can feed her baby. So when, at four weeks old, he suddenly began rejecting her milk and stopped gaining weight, Ms. Evans was distraught and uncertain about turning to infant formula.

    “I’d had this ... idea [breastfeeding]’s what I’m supposed to do,”

 ...Followed by the comment that her son's health immediately improved on a formula diet.

 This is the story that we hear constantly.  Parents-to-be take a class in childbirth, read books about all the important things you're suppose to know about babies, they give birth to these wonderfully beautiful beings and are sent on their way home to enjoy their new family life...

Mothers know they're suppose to breastfeed their babies.  They know it's the healthiest choice and will give their babies the best start in life- offering them some of their mothers immunities and some vital protection from diseases, lessening their risks of diabetes, certain cancers, obesedy, and maybe even increase their IQ by a few points along the way.  As an added bonus, mom's are offered some protection from breast & ovarian cancer, post partum depression and might even loose that baby wieght a bit faster!!  And it's FREE!!  Over all it's a "win-win" situation, right? 

But what happens when that mother gets home? She probably tired, maybe sore from the birth, perhaps dealing with unexpected trauma from the birth of her baby: inductions, forcept/vacuum assisted birth, episiotomy, Caesarean section..(all of which are known to have a negative effect on breastfeeding)..?  Is the baby sleepy because of medical interventions used during his birth?  "How is he feeding?  Does he have a good latch?" are the questions a new mum might hear, but how the hell is a new mom suppose to know?!   One book said that breastfeeding is hard and it can hurt, another book said that breastfeeding is natural and only hurts if there is a problem with the baby's latch.  One book says to nurse the baby for 10 minutes on each side every 2 hours, one book says to nurse the baby on demand when ever they want to eat.  One web site says that this is the best nursing position, one site says that that position will cause blocked ducts and will cause problems because you can't see the baby's latch. One nurse in the hospital told her to use this method to get the baby to latch, but the night time nurse told her that it was wrong and she should use this method instead.  This is what we call a recipe for failure- before this baby is even a week old, he's already on the road to bottles of formula because his exhausted stressed out mother is unsure of anything to do with breastfeeding.  She can't get any support to make breastfeeding work for her or give her the confidence to persevere and keep nursing regardless of any issues that might arise. The emotionally wrung out mother goes to the doctor with her crying baby and begs for help and advice.  The doctor is affraid to cause her guilt about breastfeeding, or has no interest/education in lactation management, so instead of sending her to the right people to get proper support and advice, he pats her on the back and tells her it's ok, some women/babies just can't breastfeed and that formula feeding would be so much easier because then her husband/mother/sister could feed the baby and let her sleep.  He gives her a perscription for some sleeping/anti depressants/anti anxiety pills and sends her on her way with a gift pack of formula samples and a book of coupons for free baby bottles and matching diaper bag.

Then the Media make s a big production about how women are MADE to feel guilty about not breastfeeding.

Guilt?!  The last thing this mother should feel is guilt!!!!

This woman should be rip roaring mad!!  She should be stomping her feet and demanding WHY she didn't have the support and information she needed to do something that women have been doing for a millennia!! She has nothing to feel guilty for- she was failed by every single person and place she went to to look for information and support and advice! 

A good friend of mine once told me something very important:  "No one can make you feel guilty.  Guilt is an emotion that is caused by internal struggles"  Don't believe me?  How about this:

 guilt

Pronunciation: \ˈgilt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, delinquency, guilt, from Old English gylt delinquency

Date: before 12th century

1 : the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty; broadly : guilty conduct
2 a : the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously b : feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : self-reproach
3 : a feeling of culpability for offenses

It's also been my experience that it's the mothers who've had to struggle under severe pressure and unbelievable situations that feel this "breastfeeding guilt" the most.  I have a friend who has gone through one of the worst nightmares a parent can possibly live through. Her son was born just weeks before her older child had to have cancer surgery.  This mum had to travel 3 hours every day to be with her child at Sick Kids Hospital... with a newborn.  Then during the ensuing weeks, she had to leave the baby with her husband to care for her child during chemo.... and the outcome was that her little baby became use to the bottles and refused to nurse any more.  So she pumped, and pumped.... but when her supply dried up she turned to formula.  This mum feels "guilty".  Its makes me want to cry.  Here is a woman who has been through so much and done so much for her children, and SHE feels guilty about not breastfeeding longer.  This Mum should be MAD.  What support did she get to continue to breastfeed?  None. Yet she feels the guilt that the media says she must feel. ....and that makes ME mad!!

And it's the inflammatory articles like this one in The Globe & Mail that really make me angry, because they feed the flames of the breastfeeding  vs formula feeding debate:  "What's wrong with feeding your baby formula?" goes on to say:

"While research clearly shows the benefits of breastfeeding, the intense demands breastfeeding places on a mother are not captured by the medical studies. The messages mothers receive about breast milk versus formula are “phenomenally black and white and unequivocal,” she says.

Breastfeeding lobby groups have become increasingly influential on social policy, and they have put the onus on individuals to “choose health” or else risk becoming a social burden, Dr. Lee says.

“The moral dimension, I think, comes in with babies where people say, ‘Well, actually it isn’t just your choice, Mum. What’s at issue is another person – a particularly vulnerable person – so actually it’s not right to say, ‘Well I just don’t want to do this.’...

The bottle-feeding taboo is especially strong when it comes to women who choose not to breastfeed for non-medical reasons. Recently, an article by Kathryn Blundell, the deputy editor of Britain’s Mother & Baby Magazine, caused a stir because she said breastfeeding was “creepy,” she wanted her “body back,” and her “fun bags” were part of her sexuality. The piece sparked criticism from online commenters who called her “selfish,” “self-centred” and “vain.”

Sparked criticism?!  Oh please, if the shoe fits....

When it comes to parenting debates, formula vs breastfeeding is the pinacle fight.  This article is yet again tryign to play the guilt card for formula feeding mothers. But you have to ask the question WHY the debate exists to begin with?  I think that Dr. Jack Newman's thoughts on Breastfeeding and guilt hit the mark, a bullseye that the media  seem to miss entirely:


Breastfeeding and Guilt    
Written by Dr Jack Newman , MD FRCPC
 

One of the most powerful arguments many health professionals, government agencies and formula company manufacturers make for not promoting and supporting breastfeeding is that we should "not make the mother feel guilty for not breastfeeding". Even some strong breastfeeding advocates are disarmed by this "not making mothers feel guilty" ploy.

It is, in fact, nothing more than a ploy. It is an argument that deflects attention from the lack of knowledge and understanding of too many health professionals about breastfeeding. This allows them not to feel guilty for their ignorance of how to help women overcome difficulties with breastfeeding, which could have been overcome and usually could have been prevented in the first place if mothers were not so undermined in their attempts to breastfeed. This argument also seems to allow formula companies and health professionals to pass out formula company literature and free samples of formula to pregnant women and new mothers without pangs of guilt, despite the fact that it has been well demonstrated that this literature and the free samples decrease the rate and duration of breastfeeding.

Let's look at real life. If a pregnant woman went to her physician and admitted she smoked a pack of cigarettes, is there not a strong chance that she would leave the office feeling guilty for endangering her developing baby? If she admitted to drinking a couple of beers every so often, is there not a strong chance that she would leave the office feeling guilty? If a mother admitted to sleeping in the same bed with her baby, would most physicians not make her feel guilty for this even though it is, in fact, the best thing for her and the baby? If she went to the office with her one week old baby and told the physician that she was feeding her baby homogenized milk, what would be the reaction of her physician? Most would practically collapse and have a fit. And they would have no problem at all making that mother feel guilty for feeding her baby cow's milk, and then pressuring her to feed the baby formula. (Not pressuring her to breastfeed, it should be noted, because "you wouldn't want to make a woman feel guilty for not breastfeeding".)

Why such indulgence for formula? The reason of course, is that the formula companies have succeeded so brilliantly with their advertising to convince most of the world that formula feeding is just about as good as breastfeeding, and therefore there is no need to make such a big deal about women not breastfeeding. As a vice-president of Nestle here in Toronto was quoted as saying "Obviously, advertising works". It is also a balm for the consciences of many health professionals who, themselves, did not breastfeed, or their wives did not breastfeed. "I will not make women feel guilty for not breastfeeding, because I don't want to feel guilty for my child not being breastfed"....

So how should we approach support for breastfeeding? All pregnant women and their families need to know the risks of artificial feeding. All should be encouraged to breastfeed, and all should get the best support available for starting breastfeeding once the baby is born. Because all the good intentions in the world will not help a mother who has developed terribly sore nipples because of the baby's poor latch at the breast. Or a mother who has been told, almost always inappropriately, that she must stop breastfeeding because of some medication or illness in her or her baby. Or a mother whose supply has not built up properly because she was given wrong information. Make no mistake about it—health professionals' advice is often the single most significant reason for mothers' failing at breastfeeding! Not the only one, and other factors are important, but health professionals often have influence and authority far beyond their knowledge and experience....

Finally, who does feel guilty about breastfeeding? Not the women who make an informed choice to bottle feed. It is the woman who wanted to breastfeed, who tried, but was unable to breastfeed who feels guilty. In order to prevent women feeling guilty about not breastfeeding what is required is not avoiding promotion of breastfeeding, but promotion of breastfeeding coupled with good, knowledgeable and skillful support. This is not happening in most North American or European societies."

HERE to read the entire article on Natural Mothering

And again I say:  Guilt is internal.  If a mother feels guilty for a decision she's made, then she needs to evaluate her guilt, find the cause of it, scrutinize the situations that lead to that decision and look at it honestly.  Then either change the decision if possible, or make the changes necessary to make the best of the situation that she's choosen.  But don't blame the Breastfeeding advocates or the medical recommendations that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and for breastfeeding to continue for two years and beyond. Giveing out facts and good advice are NOT a ploy to make mothers feel guilty and miserable.

If you failed at breastfeeding and you want to point a finger at someone, then point the finger at a target that deserves your anger and frustration: The government that refuses to adequately fund breastfeeding support services and education, and the media who creates a circus by pitting mothers against mothers and allowing authors to muddy the waters by writing articles entitled "What's wrong with feeding your baby formula?"

The Globe and Mail printed another article that at least touches on the real problems that face mothers.

Why aren’t more women breastfeeding?

 Health experts are increasingly concerned about the lack of increase in breastfeeding rates in Canada, which they say is tied to a lack of support for mothers from the medical community and the influence of formula manufacturers.

Many mothers seek advice on breastfeeding from family doctors, but they often don’t have answers about techniques or other specific breastfeeding issues. “They don’t necessarily know how to counsel the mother on how to breastfeed,” said Catherine-Maude Pound, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Ottawa and consulting pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, who participated in a discussion of the challenges to Canada’s breastfeeding rates at a conference held by the Canadian Paediatric Society last month.
In Canada, about 90 per cent of new mothers start breastfeeding when their children are born – an excellent rate. . But by three months, only half of them are still exclusively breastfeeding, while about two-thirds combine breast and bottle feeding, according to a study of more than 6,400 Canadian mothers published in the journal Birth in June, 2009....
For the majority of women who do want to breastfeed, not finding support when they encounter problems - such failing to get the baby to latch on, or pain during nursing - can cause them to turn to formula. The situation needs to be addressed by policy-makers if anything is to change, experts say.

The key issue is that mothers often don’t receive sufficient guidance on proper methods of breastfeeding from the health-care system, said Jean Kouba, president of the Canadian Lactation Consultant Association. Although there are lactation consultants in Canada, there aren’t enough to meet the need, Ms. Kouba said.

That’s why Dr. Pound believes doctors should receive some formal training in breastfeeding techniques.

HERE to read the entire article

Hence the need for FUNDING. Funding for the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute (NBCI) so that they can keep their doors open to help mothers and babies reach their breastfeeding goals, and to educate the medical personell who are in contact with new mothers and babies and NEED to be able to offer REAL support based on scientific studies and facts, not on myths and personal opinions.   Until our government steps up and starts providing the funding and the backing to breastfeeding support, our babies will continue to end up on a bottle  of formula, and mothers will keep spiraling down in the abyss of guilt that is not their own.


Honestly?  I'm surprized that more women don't give up within the first week after their baby is born. I'm not saying that they should, but it certainly proves the point that women are strong and resilient and capable of overcoming ridiculous odds to beat the obsticles thrown at them. How else would we be capable of breastfeeding our babies at all when most of the support women find is hidden though piles of old wives tales and incorrect information.

I have one last thing to add (which will probably get me verbally flogged by the Kathryn Blundell's of the world)..... We don't choose to use a car seat.  We do it because it's the safest method of travelling in a car with our infants.  Breastfeeding IS Best.  Breastfeeding IS the Norm.  Everything else is inferior.If you can't breastfeed- TRULY can't. Then Don't feel guilty.  You can only do what you can do. Guilt is your internal monitoring system and only you can see inside and know the truth.

The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute

I just wrote this article/ad for Birth Issues Magazine (which is a wonderful magazine- contact me if you're interested), to promote awareness of Dr. Jack Newman & Edith Kernerman's plight and their call for help.  I'm sharing it here for you all to spread the word far and wide- please share this article with your groups, forums, friends and families.

 

Breastfeeding isn't Best, Breastfeeding is Normal.

But getting good support to breastfeed isn't normal and sometimes is almost impossible.

Right now in Toronto, The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute (NBCI), a world leader in breastfeeding education and support, is in serious danger of closing down. NBCI lost all Government funding in 2005, and since then has relied on the support of a few private donors and charitable contributions.   Unfortunately, when the economic downturn hit the world it hit NBCI's donors as well.

The Clinic helps over 2500 mothers every year, and is a place of last resort for mothers who aren't able to find help from other clinics or private lactation consultants, doctors, or public health nurses. Many times mothers and babies have to wait weeks to get an appointment due to an extremely full schedule and the lack of funding. BUt help is still only a click away: Dr. Jack Newman and Executive Director Edith Kernerman answer thousands of emails every year from concerned mothers looking for help. Emails are usually answered within hours and have saved mothers from stopping or quitting breastfeeding as well as helped to keep babies out of the emergency room.  Newman and Kernerman also receive emails from other healthcare profesionals looking for information on how to help guide their patients in breastfeeding.  As well, NBCI also brings a variety of education services in lactation management and breastfeeding support to communities through educating doctors, naturopaths, midwives, nurses, and dietiticians.

Mothers and their families who come to the clinic are seen by an experienced lactation consultant for at least 90 minutes for the first visit and 60 for the follow-up visits.  Every mother and baby is also seen by a second set of experienced "lactation eyes" and a pediatrician as well.  So, in essence, there is a built-in second and third opinion helping to advise and empower the mother to achieve her own breastfeeding goals.

Many groups of people have struggled to bring the plight of NBCI to the government's attention, including mass letter writing, 2 nurse-ins at Ontario's Queen's Park , and numerous phone calls and emails and petitions. We hope that they are listening, but in the meantime the Clinic needs financial help NOW.

Donations can be made online at canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org.
Please direct your donation (Fund/Designation) to nbci - The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic &Institute


New Twist on no-cost donating!
Here is a way to financially help NBCI at no extra cost to yourself.  NBCI has joined up with http://www.charityservices.ca/   The way Charity Services works is that you purchase gift cards to your favourite grocery stores and gas stations and a portion of those proceeds are donated to nbci. Most of us shop at the same stores on a regular basis so why not contribute to a good cause at the same time?
For more details about this program, please go the the NBCI website at http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=37
....and let all your friends and family know too!

Dr. Newman: Breastfeeding Basics for Prenatal Families

Please share this with any families you know in the GTA who are having a baby!!

Register now for nbci’s newest class,

Breastfeeding Basics for Prenatal Families presented by nbci and New Growth Nutrition

Whether this is your first baby or the newest addition to your growing family, we encourage you to take this breastfeeding class in your third trimester to help you achieve your own breastfeeding goals.  Leading the class is Dallas Parsons, a Registered Dietitian and Lactation Specialist (IBCLC Candidate).  She will guide you through this interactive 3-hour class where you can get your questions answered and expect to learn about:

•       How to get breastfeeding off to a good start in hospital and at home

•       Guiding your baby to latch and drink effectively

•       The benefits of skin to skin contact

•       Managing breast milk supply and flow

•       Reading your baby’s feeding cues

•       How to know if your baby is getting enough milk

•       How to help you and your baby get more sleep

•       Nutrition tips for breastfeeding moms

•       How to know when breastfeeding is going well and what to do if it is not

When:                  Saturday, July 10^th, 2010

Time:                    9:00am to 12:00pm

Location:             Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

Rm 2080 at 1255 Sheppard Avenue East (Leslie and Sheppard), Toronto

Cost:                      $70.00 per couple (receipt will be provided at the class)

Please see attached for Registration Form

For more information, please email dallas@newgrowthnutrition.com or call 647-519-6150

Breastfeeding a Toddler: Why on Earth!?

This past Monday I was at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute (NBCI) for an appointment (which I'll be writing all about next week some time).  While the LC (Lactation Consultant) was taking down our history I chatted with Edith Kernerman, (Director of NBCI), and Jack (who appeared and disappeared continuously).  One of the questions on the History sheets is "How long do you plan on breastfeeding for?" .  Jack made some joke about college and Edith chimed in that I'd probably be ready to quite once Kael turned 12 (years, not months, lol), and we all had a good giggle.

You know, there aren't that many places in the world, let alone medical establishments, where you can comfortably talk about nursing your daughter when she was 4 years old, while tandem nursing her 18 month old brother. Yet at NBCI, Jack and Edith and the staff of well trained IBCLC's wouldn't bat an eyelash, and would most likely cheer you on!  Nursing toddlers are a wonderful thing in their books.

Since I was thinking about that conversation (and giggle fest) this evening, I decided to post one of my fav Handouts by the good doctor.  Enjoy!

Breastfeed a Toddler: Why on Earth?!

Now that more and more women are breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially thought they would. UNICEF has long encouraged breastfeeding for two years and longer, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is now on record as encouraging mothers to breastfeed at least one year and then for as long after as the mother and baby desire. Even the Canadian Paediatric Society, in its latest feeding statement acknowledges that women may want to breastfeed for two years or longer and Health Canada has put out a statement similar to UNICEF’s. Breastfeeding to 3 and 4 years of age has been common in much of the world until recently in human history, and it is still common in many societies for toddlers to breastfeed. Why should breastfeeding continue past six months? Because mothers and babies often enjoy breastfeeding a lot. Why stop an enjoyable relationship? And continued breastfeeding is good for the health and welfare of both the mother and child. But it is said that breastmilk has no value after six months. Perhaps this is said, but it is patently wrong. That anyone (including paediatricians) can say such a thing only shows how ill-informed so many people in our society are about breastfeeding. Breastmilk is, after all, milk. Even after six months, it still contains protein, fat, and other nutritionally important and appropriate elements which babies and children need. Breastmilk still contains immunologic factors that help protect the child even if he is 2 or older. In fact, some immune factors in breastmilk that protect the baby against infection are present in greater amounts in the second year of life than in the first. This is, of course as it should be, since children older than a year are generally exposed to more infections than young babies. Breastmilk still contains special growth factors that help the immune system to mature, and which help the brain, gut, and other organs to develop and mature. It has been well shown that children in daycare who are still breastfeeding have far fewer and less severe infections than the children who are not breastfeeding. The mother thus loses less work time if she continues breastfeeding her baby once she is back at her paid work. It is interesting that formula company marketing pushes the use of formula (a very poor copy of breastmilk) for a year, yet implies that breastmilk (which formula tries unsuccessfully to copy) is only worthwhile for 6 months or even less (“the best nutrition for newborns”). Too many health professionals have taken up the refrain. I have heard that the immunologic factors in breastmilk prevent the baby from developing his own immunity if I breastfeed past six months. This is untrue; in fact, this is absurd. It is unbelievable how so many people in our society twist around the advantages of breastfeeding and turn them into disadvantages. We give babies immunizations so that they are able to defend themselves against the real infection. Breastmilk also helps the baby to fight off infections. When the baby fights off these infections, he becomes immune. Naturally. But I want my baby to become independent And breastfeeding makes the toddler dependent? Don’t believe it. The child who breastfeeds until he weans himself (usually from 2 to 4 years), is usually more independent, and, perhaps, more importantly, more secure in his independence. He has received comfort and security from the breast, until he is ready to make the step himself to stop. And when a child makes that step himself, he knows he has achieved something, he knows he has moved ahead. It is a milestone in his life of which he is proud. Often we push children to become ‘independent” too quickly. To sleep alone too soon, to wean from the breast too soon, to do without their parents too soon, to do everything too soon. Don’t push and the child will become independent soon enough. What’s the rush? Soon they will be leaving home. You want them to leave home at 14? If a need is met, it goes away. If a need is unmet (such as the need to breastfeed and be close to his mother), it remains a need well into childhood and even the teenage years. Of course, breastfeeding can, in some situations, be used to foster an over-dependent relationship. But so can food or toilet training. The problem is not the breastfeeding. This is another issue. What else? Possibly the most important aspect of breastfeeding a toddler is not the nutritional or immunologic benefits, important as they are. I believe the most important aspect of breastfeeding a toddler is the special relationship between child and his mother. Breastfeeding is a life-affirming act of love that repeats itself every time the child goes to the breast. This continues when the baby becomes a toddler. Anyone without prejudices, who has ever observed an older baby or toddler breastfeeding can testify that there is something special, something far beyond food, going on. A toddler will sometimes spontaneously, for no obvious reason, break into laughter while he is breastfeeding. His delight in the breast goes far beyond a source of food. And if the mother allows herself, breastfeeding becomes a source of delight for her as well, far beyond the pleasure of providing food. Of course, it’s not always great, but what is? And when it is, it makes it all so worthwhile. And if the child does become ill or gets hurt (and they do as they meet other children and become more daring), what easier way to comfort the child than breastfeeding? I remember nights in the emergency department when mothers would walk their ill, non-breastfeeding babies or toddlers up and down the halls trying, often unsuccessfully, to console them, while the breastfeeding mothers were sitting quietly with their comforted, if not necessarily happy, babies at the breast. The mother comforts the sick child with breastfeeding and the child comforts the mother by breastfeeding.

NBCI no longer receives government funding for the clinic and they are in real danger of having to close.  If you value this service, please consider a donation to the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation (registered charity) and earmark the donation for the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute.  You can donate through their website http://www.canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org/

See also the article at:

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_26992.aspx