How many bath tubs?

According to figures obtained from

Smith JP, LH Ingham & MD Dunstone, The economic value of breastfeeding in Australia. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australia National University, 1998

(where average production per child: 234 L in 1st year, 111 L in 2nd year - Total: 345 L over 2 years)

I have made approximately 1335 litres of milk. (Very approximately!)

I'm trying to think of some kind of comparative measure to get a handle of what 1335 litres looks like.

Snake family

Here is a playdough creation of Aidan's from last week. It is a snake family. From top to bottom, we have Orla, Isabelle, Aidan, Mummy, and Daddy.

Mummy snake is easily identifiable from the two round appendages on her chest. Aidan said "the left is smaller because it has no more milk in it!"

Spectacular gymnastic feats

My favourite quote from the internet this week is by Stacie, from a breastfeeding website. I guess she is American, given that she has used the word "nursing". Nursing always makes me thing of women in white uniforms taking my temperature. Anyway....

Nursing a baby is cuddling with the sweetest person in the world. Nursing a toddler is being attacked by a crazed acrobat.

Hehehe

Happy birthday?

Being interested in the health and wellbeing of my baby, I picked up an information sheet on iron at the Plunket rooms recently. All interesting stuff - facts and figures, haem vs non-haem foods, suggested eating plans.

One sentence caught my eye: "Continue breastfeeding until about 1 year".

Why one year?

The World Health Organisation says that breastfeeding should be continued up to two years of age or beyond (see this for example).

Anthropologist Kathy Dettwyler notes that the predicted age for weaning for humans is somewhere between 2.5 and 7 years here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is closest to the 12 months thing, recommending breastfeeding for at least 12 months and as long thereafter as mutually desired (taken from here - my emphasis). However, if you've ever read breastfeeding literature from the States or the breastfeeding blog listed in my links over there on the right, then you may notice that attitudes to breastfeeding, especially in public, appear to be much more conservative than those which we enjoy in New Zealand.

From my reading and discussions with mothers, it appears that true self-weaning in Western societies seems to occur somewhere between 18 months and 4 years for most children. In other words, there's significant variance.

So where has this one year figure been plucked from?

My thoughts are that culturally, in this country breastfeeding is usually seen as being for babies. Once your baby is walking - at about one year - they are uncomfortably toddler-like. Surely they don't need it anymore. Surely....I don't know, it just doesn't seem right .

Taking a step back a little - in New Zealand, we appear to be focusing on ensuring that the youngest babies get breast milk. This seems an entirely appropriate strategy, given that our breastfeeding rates, which for 2006 were:

At six weeks, the full and exclusive breastfeeding overall rate was 66% with a breakdown of 70% of European/Other babies, 59% of Māori babies, 57% of Pacific babies and 55% of Asian babies.

At three months, the full and exclusive breastfeeding overall rate was 55% with a breakdown of 60% of European/Other babies, 45% of Māori babies, 48% of Pacific babies and 53% of Asian babies.

At six months, the full and exclusive breastfeeding overall rate was 25% with 29% of European/Other babies, 17% of Māori, 19% of Pacific babies and 25% of Asian babies.

I got those stats from the Ministry of Health.

It makes sense to target your initiatives where you are going to get best bang for buck - and let's face it, if you start talking 2-7 years to a woman who is pregnant or has just given birth, I think that the most likely reaction would be shock and horror! Start small, get breastfeeding established - and worry about duration once our smallest and youngest citizens have been looked after.

And why does it matter anyway?

Because on public health grounds alone, breastfeeding is a continuous good news story. From cancer to obesity, from ear infections to gastro-intestinal complaints, breastfeeding just keeps oncoming out on top.

"We need to remind mothers that breastfeeding remains the most powerful prevention against both malnutrition and infectious diseases."

1. Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General,
   World Health Organization;
   August 10, 1998 (from here)

And it's cheap. And it's environmentally sound. And convenient. And a powerful emotional experience for mother and child. These benefits don't just stop when a child turns one. Sure, marginal benefits apply and the relative benefits of breastfeeding diminish as a child grows. But the benefits are still there.

However, breastfeeding doesn't necessarily come easily. It may be natural, but it is a learned activity. Breastfeeding families need support to learn the art, and to solve any problems that come their way.

So where am I going with this?

Well, New Zealand Beef and Lamb marketing people, if you are going to distribute information on iron you had better make sure that your factual statements are actually factual, and that opinions are identified as opinions. Or else rabid breastfeeders will blog about you!

I am sure they are quaking in their (leather) boots. ;-)