Author Topic: Is this ped reaction normal?  (Read 2967 times)

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Offline branwen

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« on: November 02, 2005, 03:28:50 am »
Hi there-

I just need to vent about my visit to my pediatrician today for Eirwen's 9 month well baby check.  He exclaimed in shock when I told him that I had never offered her formula.  He furrowed his brow and said "well how long to you plan to continue." to breastfeed he means....I told him as long as she wants or that I would probably start weaning her on purpose at 18 months if she didn't self initiate before...and he just stared blankly at me and said "well at 12 months you might want to start giving her whole milk...so she's more portable."  Ummmm...I feel quite portable in regards to breastfeeding and have little modesty left in regards to whipping out the nipple... :wink:

Anyway, I am so sad that this is today's world...I thought that most doc's were caught up on the benefits of breast feeding and "how that goes" and such.  Am I just living in the dark? Should I have expected more support than this? :(
Branwen
Mama to Eirwen 1/22/05


Offline GraceKellysmom

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2005, 03:47:20 am »
Wow, I'm surprised you haven't had issues with him prior to now! Maybe turn it around and take it as a chance to educate the poor guy?  :wink:

Kudos to you for knowing what's best for your sweetie. I think as time goes on, what is now considered "extended" nursing is going to be the norm. We are paving the way!
Stacy, Mama to
Grace Kelly 01/03, Maximilian Alexander 07/04, Faith Noelle 03/07, Henry Patrick 12/08
and my angel babies

Offline kim&savannah

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2005, 04:27:50 am »
Don't let him make you feel bad or abnormal for what you are doing.  I got really lucky and had completely supportive ped's, although they weren't as educated on the problems I had in the beginning, but the hospital's support group helped me with that.

I also think its sad when the medical profession doesn't recognize what has been shown to be beneficial.  That said, maybe he didn't quite mean the milk comment they way it came out.  We started giving dd a little milk (rice milk because she'd had some issues with dairy) at a year just to give us more options and start to get her used to it so weaning would be a little easier, and it did lead to me finishing the weaning process around 14 months, which was pretty much what I was aiming for.  I have to say though, her sleep problems did not magically go away.  That was my last hope besides waiting for all her teeth, and it didn't work out for us (I had several friends tell me that the final sleep issues went away when they finished bf--and these were people who waited until after the first b-day to wean, so I was hoping for a similar experience--oh well).

Enjoy every second of it and try to spread your knowledge--if people don't know, they can't be supportive.

~Kim
~Kim

Savannah,  6/04
Abraham,   11/06
Henry, 5/8/11

Offline Mommyslc4

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2005, 05:00:03 am »
American Pediatric Association recommends breastfeeding until at least 1 year.  So, yeah--his reaction isn't inline with the norm at all.

annamum

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2005, 07:07:29 am »
Quote from: Mommyslc4
American Pediatric Association recommends breastfeeding until at least 1 year.
Yes, Mommyslc4, you are right!
This is from AAP:
Quote (selected)
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)

I am always appalled by lack of knowledge, or should I say, ignorance on a subject of breastfeeding among the pediatricians. I am a lucky one, we basically never needed to see one, Anna was always very healthy and we skipped the well-baby exams because I didn't want to hear similar comments.

Offline branwen

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2005, 15:27:38 pm »
Thanks for all your comments everyone.  I thought he was a bit off.  It was just very frustrating having to justify what I thought was a GOOD THING! I have come to a decision and since we're moving anyway I'm going to find someone else for Eirwen.  She deserves better AND SO DO I!

I do plan to introduce whole milk at 12 months so we will probably keep our morning and night bf.  I just want her to go at her own pace...within reason of course within my comfort level.

Also- what is the definition of extended nursing- into toddlerhood?
Branwen
Mama to Eirwen 1/22/05


Offline GraceKellysmom

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2005, 19:31:24 pm »
I'm pretty sure it is considered anything past a year ... I've looked at articles on kellymom and LLL's website.
Stacy, Mama to
Grace Kelly 01/03, Maximilian Alexander 07/04, Faith Noelle 03/07, Henry Patrick 12/08
and my angel babies

Offline Erin M

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2005, 21:06:33 pm »
IMO, that reaction is NOT normal.  Every checkup I bring Katie for, my ped asks, "What's she eating?" and I tell him/her (depending on who we see) - breastmilk, cereal, fruits, veggies, etc and he/she basically says "Great!" and is very supportive.  So, there are great peds out there, hope you find one!

Offline Lilah'sMommy

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2005, 21:46:34 pm »
Everyone lese has summed it up, but I just wanted to express my outrage as well! :evil:   I can't believe that a pediatrician would recommend that you introduce formula!

We are also extended nursers, and I wouldn't do it any other way.  Lilah does take cow's milk for snack during the day, but we nurse in the morning and right before bed.  I plan to continue as long as she wants to.  I feel that the fact that Lilah has never been sick (not so much as a cold) is attributed in great part to breastfeeding.

I'm going to start an "extended nursers" thread so we can get together and support each other.
Sabrina
wife to Roy, 6-29-01
mom to Lilah, 9-5-04
Iris, 1-8-07
and Eve, 4-9-09

annamum

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2005, 21:50:59 pm »
Yay, Sabrina, great idea!

Offline GG

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2005, 21:57:56 pm »
I'm lucky as well.  My pedi is pro-bf and has mentioned that even ebf for up to one year without solids is perfectly fine (unless the baby isn't gaining weight, like my bub  :().  But he's even told me that, as long as ds gets extra calories in him so that he can gain at least .75 oz of weight a day, he can bf for as long as I have milk to give him and he still wants to nurse, even up to birth. (edited to add: birth of the second baby)

Unfortunately for me, it's my mother that's ignorant on the subject.  She makes me feel bad for still bf'ing him since I'm pregnant. :evil:  Oh well... tough for her.  DS wants to nurse, so he will nurse!
Georgia, mom to 3 sweet babes: touchy Foti, spirited Lena & not-so-tiny Joanna




Offline GraceKellysmom

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2005, 21:59:42 pm »
Good for you Georgia! (I didn't tell my mom I was preggo with #2 until 13 weeks  :oops:  and dd was near weaned)

.75oz seems like a lot, but I guess it isn't?
Stacy, Mama to
Grace Kelly 01/03, Maximilian Alexander 07/04, Faith Noelle 03/07, Henry Patrick 12/08
and my angel babies

Offline jaxnp

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2005, 04:38:56 am »
Good grief!  Well, at least YOU know better!

Offline kzener

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2005, 03:40:08 am »
By the way, I took a breastfeeding class when I was pregnant.  The LC said that the world average is 4 years!!

Colleen

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #14 on: November 09, 2005, 04:46:49 am »
Luckily you knew you were doing a good thing -- imagine all the poor moms who hear him say those things and think "he is the doctor so he must know best and I must be wrong for still bf."  :roll:  :cry:

I had a wonderful family doctor while I was bf Brayton (his wife bf all TEN of his kids for at least a year including twins) who was very supportive when I questioned whether to continue bf when he was falling lower and lower on the growth charts.

Then when Griffin was born, I saw another pediatrician (part of a HUGE local practice) who told me at his 2 week checkup -- when he was ONE OUNCE below his birth weight mind you -- that he wanted to weigh him before and after nursing because "if he doesn't start gaining better, you will have to put him on forumula."  :shock: Needless to say, we went right back to our beloved family doctor.

Offline Katet

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Is this ped reaction normal?
« Reply #15 on: November 09, 2005, 05:04:50 am »
I have never been to a ped, (not unusual for Australia - where we have clinics for healthy babies) with either of my boys, but I do know one who was telling me his "older" collegues tend to base "too much" of their comments on what they were taught when they are training & not even keeping up with information supplied by their own Acadamy... he was talking about in Australia, but I think from some things said on this site it is relevent for the US & UK
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05