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Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: elegantlywasted on 04/05/2007 17:16:47

Title: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: elegantlywasted on 04/05/2007 17:16:47

We all know about the positive benefits of breastfeeding your baby, for both the baby (healthier) and you (calories burned). Now if instead of stopping breastfeeding when your child gets too big (if there is still the milk) couldnt one continue to express milk, through a pump, and continue to reap the benefits of burning calories and keeping a smaller waist, larger breasts, ect.??

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: another_someone on 04/05/2007 17:38:09

You want to go into wet nursing for a career move?

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: elegantlywasted on 04/05/2007 17:46:14

No. I do not like children, nor do I ever want to have one, or have random ones drinking from my breasts.
This is a simple statement generally directed at women who complain about gaining weight after the baby is born. Wouldn't it make sense to continue to express milk until there is no more milk left, so that one is burning a large amount of calories?

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: Karen W. on 04/05/2007 17:47:59

Yes You can as George said, and frankly There are many reasons besides those you mentioned to do just that!. There are a lot of premature babies out there that need mothers milk and many people who could benefit by the use of that service. I understand it is time consuming and also restrictive of your time. You should call for information on the topic. Here in California we have an organization Called "La Leche league" I am not spelling that right! Sorry. They would have information . It is a group set up to help breastfeeding or lactating women!

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: elegantlywasted on 04/05/2007 17:56:16

This just came to mind after seeing an older episode of Desperate Housewives where a woman didnt want to stop breastfeeding because it kept her skinny, and then Felicity Huffmans character gave the kid chocolate milk, and skinny mom had a breakdown because she was going to get fat. Which got me thinking...

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: another_someone on 04/05/2007 20:42:56

Quote from: elegantlywasted on 04/05/2007 17:56:16

This just came to mind after seeing an older episode of Desperate Housewives where a woman didnt want to stop breastfeeding because it kept her skinny, and then Felicity Huffmans character gave the kid chocolate milk, and skinny mom had a breakdown because she was going to get fat. Which got me thinking...

Never watched desperate housewives (OK, I don't have a TV, so don't want anything), but it does sound somewhat melodramatic.

Weening a child of breast milk is not something that usually happens overnight, so the fact that the child chocolate milk does not mean the child will immediately stop feeding from the breast.

In any case, when you stop breast feedsing is a very variable thing.  Most mothers in our communites will stop about 6 to 18 months, but in many primitive hunter gatherer societies, breast feeding will continue until the child is around 3 years of age.

One thing about breast feeding is that it is a great contraceptive (not guaranteed - but then no contraceptive is 100% guaranteed -but is does significantly reduce the likelihood of conception - which is one reason why women who wanted large families would employ wet nurses).

Title: Re: Why stop Breastfeeding at 6 months?
Post by: iko on 04/05/2007 21:17:42

Hi everyone,

I think there are better ways to burn calories than breastfeeding babies around!

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww-users.cs.umn.edu%2F%7Eechi%2Fjournal%2F2000-05-europe%2FGirlOnBike2.jpg&hash=0f5b91e8042914cf296cd91812105fff)
http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~echi/journal/2000-05-europe/GirlOnBike2.jpg

Bikes and Bikes
Many people (especially young women) seem to have decided that the bicycle is the best form of transportation.  So all day long, you see these big tall blonde Dutch whizzing by you on the sidewalk.  You'd almost swear that you don't mind being hit by one of them.

more reading from: http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~echi/journal/2000-05-europe/TravelLogEuropeWeek1.html   

Bikod   [^]