[neverdem]

After mentioning that breast feeding should go up to age 2 if possible, and that kids should suckle for at least 1 year, motor vehicle accidents caused by animals and the periodic climate phenomena called el nino were discussed.

[neverdem]

ping

[Paleo Conservative]

What? No pictures?

[null and void]

Yeah, but boiling the nipples is a real drag...

[atomicpossum]

At least some percentage of women are simply unable to breastfeed, work or no.

[biblewonk]

It's friday and you said breast.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

Studies have shown that when babies are exclusively breast-fed for the first six months of life they grow better without getting too fat, are less likely to develop infections and may keep those benefits through childhood.

What studies? Has anyone ever seen those studies? I haven't and I've looked for them.

What organization out there is paying the cost of a legitimate, scientific study that monitors the health of breast-fed and non-breast-fed children throughout childhood? Think about it. That would be a very large and difficult undertaking. Do you know anyone who has every participated in such a study? I thought not.

I have a friend who is a pediatrician and who works in research at a large university. She is an advocate of breast feeding and is always referring to the "studies". I asked her one day to show me the studies. She sent me some referrences to governmental studies that she claimed supported the claims of the breast feeding advocates. But upon close examination, those studies did nothing of the kind.

I'm not saying that breast feeding is not worthwhile. My wife just finished breast feeding our youngest daughter at age 3-1/2. However, I do think that breast feeding's benefits are way over-hyped. Our 3-1/2 year old had her share of the common childhood illnesses. Breast feeding didn't seem to provide her with the supposed benefits.

Mother's who don't breast feed shouldn't be made to feel that they've let their children down. I think the evidence is clearly out on that.

[hopespringseternal]

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and most other experts recommend that mothers give their babies breast milk only -- no formula, juice or solid food -- until they are 6 months old.

With our first, the doc said 4 months, we made it three until breast milk just wasn't cutting it. My wife was making enough, but a bellyful of milk just didn't hold her over for very long.

For the second, the doc said 6 months and we said yeah, whatever doc. She was eating table food by six months, having little use for baby food.

Every one is different and it is best to give them what works, not what some committee of academics pulls out of their posteriors.