In my Tips for When Your Baby Resists Solid Food, I made the remark that “there is no rush to get the baby to eat solids because breast milk provides complete nutrition through the first year.” I’ve since revised that statement to “there is no rush to get the baby to eat much solid food because breast milk provides the bulk of nutrition through the first year (and in fact some babies thrive on breast milk alone)” based on the following comment that that post received:

http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/WHO_NHD_00.1/en/index.html - see page 10 + 11

Breastmilk does not provide complete nutrition for the second six months of life. I am all for full term breastfeeding (I am still feeding my 18 month old), but I think it is fair to point out that the energy gap between what a baby needs and what breastmilk can provide gets wider from about 6 months.

There are other important nutrients which are also needed - iron stores from birth run out at around six months, so it’s important for babies to get some iron from other foods.

While I think that many doctors are ill informed and try to bully us into pushing solids before the baby is really ready, it’s important for parents to be informed of the facts, so they can make an informed decision.

Baby who resisted rice cereal (Photo by LizaWasHere)

As I replied in the comments section:

“In general I agree that it’s a good idea to start solids around 6 months of age and I certainly believe every mother should do her own research and consult a doctor for medical advice.

When a baby resists solid food and/or has a family history of allergies or shows signs of severe and numerous food allergies, some mothers choose to rely on breast milk for the baby’s sole (if not “complete”) source of nutrition. Kellymom.com says: “Some babies are exclusively breastfed for a year (and occasionally up to two years) with no problems at all. In addition, some doctors recommend that babies with a high risk for allergies be exclusively breastfed for a year.”

Kellymom also notes: “The current research indicates that a baby’s iron stores should last between six and twelve months, depending upon the baby.” Your comment implies that there is no iron in breast milk, although perhaps that is not what you intended. The good news on iron is that “up to 50% of the iron in human milk can be absorbed by the infant, as compared to 10% in cow’s milk, and 4% in iron-fortified formulas.” (LLL fact list). Some (many?) babies might need an additional source of iron (from solid food or vitamin supplements) at some point after 6 months, but not all babies will.

The points I hope to make are that parents need not worry quite as much as some seem to about getting solids into a baby, that breast milk continues to provide the bulk of nutrition, that it’s not always a good idea to push solid food when the baby resists or has allergies, and that there is anecdotal evidence (and perhaps more) that some babies thrive on breast milk alone for up to one year and even beyond.”

Your Thoughts?

Did anyone reading this delay (or stop feeding) solid foods after six months of age? What was your experience and reasoning?

A groundbreaking program at UC San Diego Medical Center encourages mothers of premature infants to initiate lactation and express breast milk to provide for their preemies who cannot suckle at the breast full-time or even part-time. The CBS interview linked to below reveals fascinating information about the life-saving benefits of breast milk for pre-term babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. What’s even more interesting is that the expressed breast milk provides a benefit not only for the babies but for their mothers as well! Cathy Robinson, the mother of premature twins Naomi and Caldwell, explained:

You can’t be there [physically in the NICU] all the time. So it was my way to be able to be there for them all the time. I’m providing for them.

This sentiment echoes exactly what Australian researcher Linda Sweet found when she interviewed parents for her study “Expressed breast milk as ‘connection’ and its influence on the construction of ‘motherhood’ for mothers of preterm infants: a qualitative study,” published in the International Breastfeeding Journal last December. Sweet concluded:

Providing expressed breast milk offered one way the mothers could be physiologically and emotionally connected to their preterm infant while they were in the constant care of hospital staff. Indeed, breast milk was considered the only way the new mother could connect her body (or part there of) to her preterm baby in hospital.

International Breastfeeding Journal 2008, 3:30.

You can see Cathy Robinson’s story and learn invaluable information from the UC San Diego Medical Center staff on the importance of breast milk for premature infants in this CBS interview. Thanks to Mama Knows Breast for highlighting this video!

I had no idea how the latest poll would turn out. When I asked “Have you ever tasted breast milk as an adult?” the answers consistently ran 2-to-1 in favor of having tasted breast milk at some point. The final results after 211 votes:

Please vote in the new poll in the side bar!

Photo credit: ar.go.naut

Many of us tasted breast milk as infants of course, but have you ever tasted it as an adult? Maybe you were curious like Friends on television, illustrating a point like this professor, using it to treat cancer, or you have a breast milk fetish.

It’s the easiest poll ever!

To see all past poll results, click here.

Feel free to leave a comment! Have you tried breast milk, why, and what did you think (keep it clean or I won’t approve your comment)?

My six-year-old walked up to me, paused, and said, “You smell like milk!” I wasn’t sure whether or not to take that as a compliment. Later in the day, my three-year-old snuggled up in my arms for storytime, and when she leaned her head against my chest, she said, “Your mum-mums smell like fruit!” Compliment, I guess! Still, I made sure to take a shower before heading out to Back to School Night!

It was bound to happen eventually. We made it all the way to the third week of school before my first grader and preschooler brought home the first colds of the season. I reminded my preschooler not to kiss or touch the baby (if anything she gives her a little too much love) but I knew we were history when she accidentally sneezed on Nicole.

At 10 weeks, Nicole is weathering the cold just fine. She’s generally as happy as ever, and she quite enjoys the sneezes! *sneeze* *coo*! The only time she gets upset is when she wants to nurse but she can’t breathe through her nose. The situation got quite desperate when I’d pulled over the car and stopped in a parking lot to nurse. It was 99 degrees Fahrenheit (so much for fall!) on the blacktop and I was alternately trying to nurse her and soothe her by walking around. It was an exercise in frustration for both of us, until I remembered the tip Sinead mentioned on this post about breast milk curing pink eye. She said breast milk can help clear a stuffy nose, much like saline nose drops. I tried it and it worked like a charm! Nicole nursed herself to sleep, I popped her back in her car seat, and we drove on our merry way!

When a breastfeeding mother expressed discomfort with nursing in public but a desire to try to do so, several other mothers on an email group jumped in with their helpful advice. That inspired me to come up with this list.

Tips for Gaining Confidence at NIP

1. Keep in mind that you only need to be as “discreet” as makes you feel comfortable. While no one ever intends to offend others, breastfeeding simply shouldn’t be offensive. It’s the most natural way to feed babies.

2. Practice in front of a mirror before you go out in public. You might be surprised with how little skin is visible.

3. Attend a La Leche League meeting. It’s a supportive environment that’s the best place to practice nursing in public. You can also ask for advice and even see how other mothers confidently latch their babies on in front of others.

4. Learn the law about breastfeeding in public in your area.

5. Find a combination of clothing that makes you most comfortable.

For more, see Tips for Nursing a Newborn in Public.

Your Experience

Do you have tips for nursing in public? Share your ideas by leaving a comment!

Remember when I interviewed Dr. Jane Morton about breastfeeding education for medical professionals? Remember when I mentioned her free online video on hand expression of breast milk? Well today I learned from About.com Breastfeeding that Dr. Morton has another fascinating free video online, this time about increasing breast milk supply when it is necessary to pump for a baby in the NICU or any baby not nursing well at the breast. It is called “Maximizing Milk Production” and in 9 minutes 35 seconds, it explains how to increase milk supply without medication. Dr. Morton recommends and demonstrates such techniques as skin-to-skin contact, breast massage, “hands-on pumping,” breast compressions, and hand expression after pumping. What was really amazing to me was to see how much milk mothers were able to hand express after a pumping session!

The controversy over the California Milk Processor Board’s objections to the “got breastmilk?” parody of the “got milk?” campaign got me thinking about human consumption of cow’s milk. Then I read an email on Lactnet that referred to cow’s milk as “bovine infant milk” and that really got me thinking.

~ Is it cruel and unethical to separate calves prematurely from their mothers in order for cows’ milk to be collected for human consumption? Do you have a moral objection to it? Do you also object to eating meat or wearing leather, or are those entirely different issues?

~ Are humans not meant to consume milk specifically designed with particular proteins and antibodies for baby cows?

I am just raising the questions; I don’t know how I feel about the answers personally. I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you consume bovine infant milk? Do you think dairy is healthful for humans? Have you eliminated dairy from your diet for one reason or another? Leave a comment!