Journal of Human Lactation

Questionnaire data were gathered on the experiences of 57 women who were concurrently pregnant and breastfeeding. Respondents provided information on nursing and weaning patterns, informational and emotional support, and pregnancy history. The main reasons given for continued breastfeeding after conception were the emotional needs of the child or child-led weaning. Forty-three percent of the children continued to breastfeed throughout the pregnancy and tandem nurse after the birth. Mothers who initiated weaning cited breast and/or nipple pain as the principal reason. Most weanings initiated by the children occurred during the second trimester, corresponding with the diminution of breastmilk. The infants born to these mothers were healthy and appropriate for gestational age.

At the Vancouver Breastfeeding Centre (VBC), breastfeeding is facilitated through a process of assessment, analysis, diagnosis, care and counsel, and evaluation. This process is described and related to phases of breastfeeding kinetics by considering two presenting problems: sore nipples, and inadequate production of milk.

Declining breastfeeding rates and the aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes has blurred the distinction between breastmilk and formula. Claims that infant formula is safe, economical, easy to use, and nutritionally complete are challenged in this article, the intent of which is to raise the awareness of health workers to the non-publicized side of infant formula. Non-proprietary, referenced data is provided to illustrate that formula and breastmilk are not the same thing, and that health outcomes of infants who consume each may be different. Guilt is often cited by health workers as a reason to avoid informing parents about the risks of artificial feeding. Suggestions are offered for addressing this reasoning.