From: dal3@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (dale.e.parson)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: La Leche League
Date: 8 Apr 92 16:10:52 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <76qj7l+@lynx.unm.edu> bhjelle@vaxine.unm.edu (Brian Hjelle) writes:
>In article <1992Apr7.213546.7843@cbfsb.cb.att.com> dal3@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (dale.e.parson) writes:
>>>
>>
>>LLL a few times for advice during our 1st kid's early days. The first
>>few days are the most hectic, nothing like listening to your firstborn's
>>cries when there's no milk & very little colostrum. Of course many
>>doctors will start pushing (just a little formula...uh huh...)
>>during such times, but LLL will staunchly advise, "hold out, milk's
>>a comin'". Milk arrived, everything was fine. They're probably less
>>necessary if you have a pediatrician who REALLY supports nursing
>>but most pediatricians DON'T, they pay lip service only, and advise you
>>to stop nursing at the first problem (e.g., diarrhea, sleeplessness,
>>crankiness, etc. ad infinitum). Of course the best solution here is
>>to ditch the pediatrician, but if you're not ready for that & need
>>moral support when making your decision to ignore an ignorant pediatrician,
>>call your local LLL volunteer.
>>
>Yes, pretty typical of the fanaticism of some LLL members. If your
>pediatrician notices your baby drying up and tries to prevent it,
>s/he is "ignorant" and should be "ditched". In fact, anyone who
>disagrees with your fanatical notions is, by definition, ignorant.
>
>This is a topic that merits serious thought, not knee-jerk notions
>that breast feeding is *always* better, in all circumstances, than
>bottle feeding. Yes, you should try hard to breast feed exclusively
>in the first few days, but your baby is a human being, and *needs
>fluids* to survive. If you can't provide that, it is not OK to
>just deprive him/her because LLL tells you to. 
>
>Brian


Oh boy! The first time I've ever even been MILDLY tempted to engage in
a net flame response. I find that dealing with combative personalities
at work fulfills my quota, though, so I'll respond with a few pertinent
facts for Brian and add another thread to my kill file:

Two weeks ago we had our two year old in a hospital for dehydration
brought on by acute stomach flu / diarrhea. Luckily he snapped right
out of it, unlike a few with more recalcitrant cases we've heard of
for the virus making the local Pa. rounds recently. Our pediatrician is 
supported of nursing, his speciality is gastroenterology, and with his
blessing our son was permitted exactly TWO sources of nutrition
during his hospital stay.
1) I.V. drip
2) nursing
By contrast, my niece had a similar experience with her 1-year old son
a year ago, & the first thing her pediatrician told her to do was
STOP NURSING. So the kid lay in the hospital & screemed unnecessarily,
wanting to nurse, her milk dried up (the doctor made the stop-nursing
long term), & the kid came out of the stomach flu / dehydration no
faster than the typical nursing baby in similar circumstances. Some
nice way to be weaned, huh?

As for the case of our first-born, the reasons not to shove formula
down their throats at the first cry include:
1) nursing brings on the milk flow. If they don't nurse, milk flow
delays even longer.
2) sucking mechanics for bottles are different than for breasts.
Sensations are different. Kids learn FAST how to get milk out of
breast, and faster if they don't have bottles distracting them
3) early nursing, REAL NURSING--not letting them try for a minute
before shoving the bottle in--is an important part of bonding.

There was no danger of dehydration in the time frame that it takes the
milk to come in. Millions of years of breast-fed mammals attest to
the effectiveness of nursing as the sole source of newborn food, and
the primary source of food for young kids. Under circumstances like
this, doctors who prescribe bottles do so to shut the parents up,
or out of ignorance (yes Brian, doctors can be ignorant too!,
especially if they've spent most of their carrers looking at the
effects of American-commercial feeding of babies as blessed by
the medical establishment. Ever compare strict-nursing baby poop
to non-nursing baby poop? I've cleaned up tons of it, the former is
much looser, some pediatricians not used to it would call it diarrhea
a tell the mother to stop nursing.).

If we want quality medical care, we have to become educated and
aware of the issues, facts, and alternatives. La Leche League is
one resource in the process of becoming more educated. Calling a
LLL volunteer typically results in a conversation that is a lot more
satisfactory than the one you get when your doctor's answering
service beeps him on the golf course & he may or may not interrupt
his game. Blind trust of the medical establishmest, LLL, or any other
org. is a mistake. Take all advice with a grain of salt, but LLL
can certainly supply some useful, fact-driven advice.

Dale Parson