If your baby won't breastfeed... amazing blog posts

[Fuschia]

I wish I had read these while I was struggling around Xmas (newest babyF is now propelry bf, since about 6 weeks, amazingly!)

http://mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com/2010/12/make-your-boobs-happy-place.html

http://mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-to-do-if-your-baby-wont-nurse.html

[Gussy]

Great links to post F. I keep meaning to start a blog myself about my experiences (and ongoing struggles!) with bfeeding....if it gives comfort to others etc. There's still not enough support out there.

[Fuschia]

I loved the stuff about getting the baby to love your boob...I wish I had read all that when I was struggling with my non-latching tongue-tied baby a month or so ago. Inspirational and lods of lovely ideas, inc for those whose baby never becomes fully bf but instead feeds a little for "comfort"

[Saffron]

I can never understand why so many people discourage comfort sucking and frown on it so much. Gina Ford advises never to let a baby suck on an empty breast (which just shows she's not the most knowledgeable anyway, b/c the breast is never truly empty as long as you're lactating...). And the nurse at my local GP's practice actually told me not to let my baby comfort suck! (She also told me bfing should stop when Baby gets teeth b/c breastmilk is bad for teeth. What utter rubbish. Breastmilk actually has antibacterial properties.

I totally agree there should be more support for bfing. And there should be more acceptance for different styles of bfing. I like the La Leche philosophy that every mother-baby dyad is different.

Bravo to the mum in the blog who got her infant to suckle at such an advanced age. I know Little Saff would still reflexively head-bob for the breast around 4/4.5 months. Even my lactation consultant was surprised (and pleased) to see the reflex still present at such a late date.

We all have so much for to learn (and share) about feeding babies.

[Moos]

There was a comment on the dentist thread about breastmilk being bad for teeth, because it's sugary.

[Fuschia]

Moos Wrote:

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> There was a comment on the dentist thread about

> breastmilk being bad for teeth, because it's

> sugary.

think it is a debated topic... research to say it's protective but i don't think all night sucking is wise just in case!

[Saffron]

Moos Wrote:

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> There was a comment on the dentist thread about

> breastmilk being bad for teeth, because it's

> sugary.

While it's true that breastmilk has sugar (lactose) in it, 'sugary' is a relative term, and it is inaccurate and misleading to use it to describe breastmilk from a scientific POV. Antibodies and other proteins in whole fresh breastmilk counteract the effect of bacteria in the mouth. Both immersion testing (Erickson et al 1999) and in situ testing (Tinanoff N. et al) have shown whole breast milk to be not dissimilar to water in its effect on teeth.

Moreover neither extended nighttime nursing/bfing to sleep (Torney PH 1992), nor bfing older children (Alaluusua 1990), has been correlated with an increase in dental caries. So if your LO will only latch/suckle well at night (Little Saff was a night nurser until about 10 mo!), there's actually no need to worry about the effect on their teeth as long as you follow a good brushing routine.

[Moos]

Thanks Saffron, that's very interesting.