Strollerderby

I’d lean towards it being a medication issue, I don’t think I’d have BF’ed while taking them- but that’s me.  Besides she hasn’t been ordered by the court to stop, the child’s guardian ad litem issued a recommendation, based on an interview with her own nurse practitioner.  The judge won’t make any decisions until next month, so it could depend on how much weight that individual judge gives to COG’s recommendations. According to this article www.startribune.com/.../1365184.html Christa Burton is already weaning her son.  I’d just have supplemented with formula when we were in public, what goes on in my own home is nobody’s business.

I'd say that when it comes to pregnancy and breastfeeding and certain medications, people are still very very conservative, despite evidence that most medications are fine.  I took an antidepressant while nursing and when people found out, they *freaked*, even though my OB and my pediatrician said it was fine.

Also, depending on how the toddler feels about the weaning issue, I would think forcing Burton to stop bf could be harmful to the baby.  Divorces and custody fights are stressful for all those involved, so why force a child to give up something comforting?

Karen, did you read the article you linked to? "She [Christa's nurse practitioner] told the investigator 'she recommended that given the developmental delays that Christa stop breast feeding' as the various medications can cause delays." This sounds to me that the nurse practitioner was concerned that Carter's developmental delays were being caused by Christa's medications. It seems perfectly reasonable to stop breastfeeding. I'm surprised that Christa would need a court order (not yet issued) to do so.

this is ridiculous. you shouldn't take anything and breastfeed. her health doesn't require any of these medications and if it was important to breast feed, stop taking them instead of weaning your child.

Why don't they just order her to stop taking medications?

There is so much misinformation about medications and breastfeeding.  Doctors will give meds to pregnant women and then freak about giving the same ones to breastfeeding women.  Besides, a nurse practitioner doesn't have the academic or pharmacologic background to make an advanced decision regarding medication and breastfeeding.  Where's a pharmacist's opinion in all of this?

It does sound like people are just uncomfortable about a mother nursing a child who is "old enough to ask for it".  It is better to give a child breastmilk that could possibly contain a nanogram of a medication than to feed that child formula.  No one questions the pesticides and bovine hormones that are in formula!  Or the corn syrup for that matter.  

If the milk came from her chin or kneecaps, it wouldn't be an issue I'm sure.  But people are so worked up about their own body and sexuality issues that an infant or toddler putting his mouth on his mother's breast makes them squirm.

So I think it goes in this order:

1.  The dad is pissed that mom would get "automatic custody" so he is gonna fight her tooth and nail with no regard for the child's best interests.

2.  The child's age--people get disgusted by a child over 6 months being fed from the mom's breast.  Again--"titties" are for sex only in their opinion, and a toddler needing mommy's boobs is just gross to them.

3.  They are just using the meds as an excuse to make her stop nursing so dad can get his way and get back at mom for something.  He wants to hit her where it hurts in this divorce, and he knows that she's committed to nursing the child.  A devoted father (even one getting divorced) would know that his child needed to be nursed as long as the child wanted.