Reinventing the wheel may not be the brightest idea, nevertheless, it is perpetuated by clever marketing, driven by a capitalist agenda. Sell. Sell. Sell. Sell bottles with plastic nipples, formula, sterilizing supplies, carrying cases, sell plastic surgery etc, etc… A counter intuitive idea, to say the least. Let’s revisit the scientific evidence for breastfeeding baby Homo-Sapiens, for a fair start at the innings called life, shall we? By breastfeeding, I mean exclusive breastfeeding. No other beverages or formula in addition to the mother’s milk, via the breast, not pumped and fed by a manufactured appliance. And, by mother, I mean, the birth mother, not a cow, goat or any other domesticated creature.
The 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on breastfeeding and use of human milk documents the important reductions in health risks for infants and children, mothers, families and society, that are attributable to breastfeeding and the use of human milk for feeding. These advantages are: developmental, economic, health, nutritional, immunological, psychological, social and environmental. In other words, it’s a no brainer. Breast milk is the only source of nutrition a healthy infant requires for the first six months of life. It is produced, stored, and delivered by a pair of multitasking mammary glands. There is no need for pasteurization, heating, refrigeration and is custom made for the baby. Daily. Seamlessly. Naturally. The secretory immunoglobulins Ig(A) and Ig(G) in breast milk, provide anti-inflammatory properties that help the infant’s immature immune system.
Here is a list of reduced health risks for breast fed children :
- Protection against short-term infections like middle ear infections, gastroenteritis and diarrhea.
- Protection against serious infections like respiratory tract infections like, pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, necrotizing enterocolitis, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and leukemia.
- Protection against chronic diseases and conditions like asthma and obesity.
Nature designs with a win-win problem-solution approach. Giving is receiving. Here’s how:
The mother has the following ‘incentives’:
- Decreased postpartum bleeding and hemorrhage risk.
- Lactation amenorrhea (no periods ! ) due to suppression of ovulation, a much needed break to recover, often considered the non- pharmacological method of family planning. And it gets better…
- Breast cancer protection by reduced estrogen exposure, anti-inflammatory response and delayed ovulation.
- Reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
- A lighter diaper bag.
So far, so good. Now for the fun stuff. Cranio-facial-cervical growth and development. A fancy way of saying head, face and neck, growth and development! Form follows function. Form and function follow the DNA code and its interaction with the ‘environment’ (a.k.a. Epigenetics ). Functional stimuli like nasal breathing, swallowing, chewing and suckling shape growth and development. Nutrition is the other key environmental factor, part of ‘nurture’. The DNA code is part of ‘nature’. Breast feeding or nutritive suckling requires a concerted effort by the jaw muscles, the tongue muscles, proper engagement of the palate and importantly, efficacious nasal breathing. This is the built in, wireless orthodontic service the baby is born with, and it is complimentary!
Bottle feeding (even, if it’s the mother’s milk, and not of a different species) is nutritive sucking, more like a easy straw-like-sucking action. Instant gratification. Short term gain, long term loss. The most harmful is the non-nutritive sucking actions like a pacifier (hopefully BPA free!) or digit sucking. Thumb sucking has been attributed to separation anxiety. Electro myographic (jaw muscle EMG) studies have revealed that, exclusively breastfed children are less likely to develop dysfunctional muscular patterns of the jaw muscles. Bottle fed babies are predisposed to develop malocclusion, i.e. a bad bite, upper and lower jaws out of sync with each other, crowded teeth, the works. Basically, many expensive trips to the local orthodontist.
Breastfeeding enhances facial proportions, balance, symmetry and hence, the facial aesthetics of the child. Bottle fed babies tend to have an under developed mid face, narrow palate and the malformed jaw relationship. These features sets the stage for Upper Airway Restriction Syndrome (UARS), or snoring, sinus congestion and sleep apnea, further lead to ADD, ADHD, poor cognitive development, poor immune response, headaches, sick days from school and prolonged bed wetting. Children who do not develop sleep apnea eventually do, as adults. It’s not uncommon to find jaw joint problems a.k.a TMJ dysfunction and neck problems in bottle fed children. The upper cervical vertebrae (especially C1 and C2) are partnered with teeth alignment and jaws in the synchrony of growth and development. This could not be a dental blog without the mention of ‘cavities’.
Here goes, breastfeeding for longer than one year and night time breastfeeding have NOT been associated with ‘Early Childhood Caries’ ( ECC ) or Nursing caries syndrome, while cases of ‘baby bottle caries’ have been reportedly worse, due to formula. Human breast milk has antibacterial properties. While, it is debatable how long nursing should be done, my personal recommendation is, exclusively up to 6 months, upto at least 2 years followed by gradual weaning, based on demand and the needs of the child and beliefs of the mother. By the age of two, most children have 20 teeth and they can talk. Mothers and mother nature know best. It’s best to let them decide when a baby is ready to be weaned off. The appropriate oral hygiene maintenance using a wash cloth or soft toothbrush are essential. WHO recommends at least 2 years of nursing.
Mothers who need to express milk due to work obligations must know, it is way better than formula or cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is for baby cows, who grow horns, hoofs and a ton of hair. We would not consider transfusing a cow’s blood if a human baby’s life depended on it, would we? Then, why is the concept of human milk banks sound so far out? We also are more open to leasing another woman’s womb to suit our wants and needs. There is a grave need to revisit our nation’s maternity leave laws, work culture and nursing culture. As a solution, shall we demote best practices to second best practices for a baby who has no voice? Or make it possible for parents to give the future of this nation the best start at life?
The solutions we choose are going to determine the fate of a nation. The mothers who are unable to nurse or are adoptive, and babies who can’t nurse due to any given medical condition or life circumstance, do have the option of bottle feeding as a last resort. These are usually exceptions. We will be doing a disservice by not including fathers and adoptive fathers who like or have to nurse. Human (breast) milk banks are available across the US and there are artificial nipples designed to model the real thing, the truth is, it’s not that simple. This will always be second best. The ‘formula’ for favorable outcomes in these cases depends on being well informed about the alternative formula milk options. Decisions will be undoubtedly difficult and personal. Needless to say, the love and sincerity is deeply nourishing, early intervention with myo-functional therapy and orthopedic correction will help counter and eliminate the developmental deficit. In all honesty, I am ‘selling’ too, albeit, an idea. The idea that nature is ‘smart’, humans ‘over smart’. That, is a problem. The solution, is simple. Keep it simple. Every body part is designed for a reason. Breasts were designed for nursing, not porn. From purpose to pleasure to perversion, humans have stretched these organs on a spectrum, with, nature’s will at one end and free will at the other. For the most part, these multipurpose organs have reached their elastic limit and recoiled to serve a decorative purpose.
Pleasure and breasts are intimately related, an evolutionary instinct. Nature rewards desirable behavior and for the same reason, breasts continue to fascinate both men and women way past infancy. Porn and breast implants are products of human free will, if you will, not nature. In my opinion, this is why plastic surgery and porn are so obsessive, there is no satisfaction factor. It’s like any other obsession, a dis-‘ease’. Should a pair of mammary glands define a woman’s sexual appeal or the lack hereof? How is an unfortunate mastectomy any different from losing a tooth or a toe to disease? Prosthesis to replace the same are an example of the human ability to ‘co-create’ with nature. We can focus on the ability to ‘implant’ a revised perspective, that image is not everything. The downward descent of these glands with time is breasts obeying the laws of gravity, it’s normal.
We can justify free will, but may I gently remind us all, we are competing with nature’s will. We will have to ask the right questions, to come up with the cautious, seamless and intuitive answers, like mother nature does. Longitudinal studies in nature span only tens of millions of years. Right? Now then, one would wonder…… why do men have nipples? Well, men have nipples for a reason too, that, will be another blog, another day.
B’logging off with smiles and a perspective, Preet This is a “live” blog, hungry for feedback, if you will . Please comment below and keep this dialogue going, by asking more questions and sharing thoughts. Thank you! References ; JADA 1449(2) http://jada.ada.org and about 90 peer reviewed papers available on request. Key Words Search on Medline, PubMED ( my favorite Pub !)And Google Scholar.
I’m somewhat obsessed with efficiency, and to me, breastfeeding seemed like the simplest, natural, healthy and convenient way to feed my babies! Glad to know their oral health has also benefited!!!
Janine,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I am afraid, in the field of nursing an infant, humans ( corporates ) have not been able to produce, store, transport, sterilise and deliver nutrition as well as nature has. The side effects are infact benefits, nursing allows proper development of jaws and teeth position. The code in the DNA gets the proper gene expression. It’s a miracle! You are a role model for women who are enlightened, for you practice the intuitive, the natural way of life. You inspire me.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Awesome article Doc!
I was reading a book about the brain recently and amazingly there was a whole chapter dedicated to the importance of breast- feeding in cognitive development. To quote:
Your brain never outgrows its need for a good diet, but the nutritional demands of children are especially important if they are to reach their full intellectual potential.
Dr. Minear ( M.D, Ph.D) , an instructor in peds in Harvard Medical School, stresses the enormous value of breast-feeding for a child’s development, because of both good nutrition and the physchological benefits of mother- infant bonding. Mother’s milk is the “single best brain food we know about ” he says. And although a child must eventually leave the breast for solid food, Dr. Minear recommends a diet that continues to yeild roughly the same ratios of nutrients as mothers milk : 50 %fats, 35-45% complex carbs and 8-15% proteins.
So Thank You for bring up such an important topic. Waiting eagerly for the next one!
Thank you, Sanjiv.
I couldn’t agree more with your post. A big part of the deviation from a tried and tested natural solution, is industrialization. It’s less to do with progress and more to do with greed, in my personal opinion. Progress would be, finding a solution with side effects that are also benefits, symbiosis is a overlooked concept. Nutrition and Dentistry have fallen prey to the tentacles of Capitalism. Food, Pharmacueticals, and the Health industries are in bed with you know who, symbiosis in a way, but not for the greater good. Nature rules. Sooner or later, humans will find themselves back to square one. An expensive trial and error exercise….
Mother’s milk and nutrition recommendations for an adult, have the same formula. That is no accident. Nature conducts its experiments as longitudinal studies, that span over tens of millions of years. Humans do too much, too soon.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
A lot of the information related to jaw formation was new to me, so that was really interesting to read! It is so important to think about health in a more holistic way. I am definitely a believer that breast is best when it’s possible, and that’s been my choice for my child. One thing, though, to keep in mind is that there are some women who, for various reasons, can’t breastfeed. I think it’s also important to help those who have to make a different choice not feel guilty about that choice, and to highlight other steps they can take that will keep their children’s teeth and jaws healthy even if their children were not breastfed. I look forward to future posts!
Thank you, Magarita.
Your time and feedback are valued greatly. You bring up an important point. The fact that humans can “co-create” with nature serves us a huge advantage. In cases where, breast feeding is not possible due to any given reason, here are the ‘next best’ practices, in order :
1. Bottle feeding expressed mothers milk, use BPA free bottles and “nuk” nipples ( designed by the legendary, late, Dr. James Garry, DDS, a pioneer, one of my greatest teachers. )
2. Wet Nurses ( We have thrown them out the window! ) Jokes apart, we need to look at the solutions objectively, advantages would be, same species and the functional stimulus via the breast. The idea of surrogate mothers comes to mind, the disadvantages are not hard to imagine.
3. Human milk sourced via milk banks.
4. Raw milk sourced from domesticated animals via bottles.
5. Pasteurized milk sourced from fellow animals via bottles.
6. Formula via bottles.
Nutritional compensations that can help growth, development and health in general :
*Raw foods and whole foods
*Avoid processed foods
*Dairy and gluten, being major sources of allergies, with professional and personal investigation, need to be selected carefully to be part of the infant’s diet. Lactose ‘intolerance’ is normal while lactose tolerance is the adaption we made over time.
Allergies, are important to point out, since humans are obligate nasal breathers. Proper nasal breathing, swallowing, concerted efforts to chew the food will give the growing child the right “functional” stimulus. Nutritional content helps with immunity, cognition, sleep and healing, in other words, homeostatsis or harmony.
Food is medicine, but its not just ‘what’ we feed infants, its ‘how’ we deliver it, makes all the difference. Sucking vs suckling, if you will, as mentioned in the blog will result in different outcomes, given the same baby, the same mothers milk. Same follows suit with raw vs pasteurized, whole vs processed. Lets not forget, a cow’s milk is for a baby cow, that develops hoofs, horns and a ton of hair.
A neuromuscular dentist or a dentist trained in myo – functional therapy and functional Orthopedics as a part of Orthodontics, must be sought for ‘early’ intervention, to avoid crowding of teeth and the need for elective teeth extractions later. We were designed to have 2 eyes, 32 teeth and 10 toes. The reason why there is no room for 4 wisdom teeth and sometimes, additionally 4 bicuspids (or pre-molars) is purely man-made, its developmental. We have the technology to fix it at any stage, be it prevention or restoration.
The choice is always in the hands of the parents, the infant, alas, has none.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Preet,
Your article was fantastic – excellently-written, and loved the title! Yes – me too… curious why men have nipples!
I knew much of what you wrote about, but some was new to me, and I love to learn, so thank you! I have known forever about the health benefits for babies who nurse. There are also health benefits for the mom, too… I read that nursing moms are less susceptable to breast cancer!
My mother told me that (at least in areas where it snows in the winter) that mothers (in the “old days”) nursed their babies up to the “second Spring” of the babies’ life, and then the weaning process was to take place. Of course, this was during the Victorian and up to WWII days, and the “Great Depression”, so they wanted the babies to have the best health advantage as possible, in order to prepare them for the hard, cold, cruel world.
Keep up the great work, Preet – you are a fantastic role model!
Thank you, Diane.
I appreciate you sharing your experiences and the pat on my back. When we are better informed, we make better choices. I live to love, love to learn and learn to live…. in order. Small wonder, I look to nature to guide me. In this jungle of free will gone wild, I decided to sit back on mother earth and untangle my prejudices. The more I learnt, the less normal the modern world seemed, the more I lived, the more intelligent nature became. We, humans create the problems, then the solutions and soar to great heights propelled by our inflated egos… sigh…
As a caregiver, I am focused not just on the solutions to the problems ‘we’ create, but more importantly, on PREVENTING, those very problems. Only humans come up with solutions that are problems too. Focus on prevention would also help solve the cost of healthcare issue. The only side effects of prevention is eventual elimination of a industry, or two…. or…. uh oh! I may be stirring trouble!
Thank you for sharing your Mom’s anecdotes, through story telling, is born change.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Preet,
A really great post. People too often forget the simple things. It is important to get back a little more trust in the nature. We can prove scientifically countless benefits.
But we must not forget: “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”
The emotional and unverbale exchange between mother and baby is a true gift.
If we take time for that unique gift, that can improve the happiness and joys of humanity.
Mahatma Gandhi said:
“If we want to achieve true peace in the world, we must begin with the children.”
And what we get for it themselves, also is wonderful. Certainly!
Thank you, Michael.
Your feedback matters, since men have an equal, if not greater stake in it. This is not just a children’s and women’s issue, but a human issue. Its a nutrition and prevention issue. Its a nature-nurture issue. The bonding, happiness and joy you bring up, has health benefits, mothers uniquely privileged to give and receive.
You have shared the real ‘formula’ the child needs, and ‘bonding’ is irreplaceable (also, for a cosmetic dentist obsessed with adhesion! ).
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Wonderful post – Nature continues to be the smartest design… there is perfection in breasts, breastfeeding, mother’s milk, and all the health benefits that come with it… bonding… and more. Love how you balanced facts/statistics with personal opinion. Can’t wait to read the next issue!
lots love,
Brian
Thank you, Brian.
Your feedback means a lot, especially, if you are THE Brian I am assuming you are! It also means a lot when sons, fathers and to be fathers are the pillars of support, for a cause like this. Nature rarely makes mistakes, and when it does, they are few and far between. The innate intelligence is immense and impossible to ignore. ( The i’s were not intentional ! ) I will write the next one soon, its titled ” Heavy Metal – music to your ears ? ” -its about heavy metal toxcity, may be tricky to get clever with a subject as dull as Mercury… but then, what is life without a challenge ?
Thanks for the love, I really needed a dose today.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Wow! Didn’t realise how out of the box your approach is, it’s refreshing to see a dentist think with the ‘whole’ big picture in mind. Bravo! Will look forward to the next post. Thanks, Dr. Sahota!
Thank you, Pat.
Thanks for the encouragement. Prevention is better than cure, is not merely a saying, its a ” doing “. Nursing and nutrition is part of preventive medicine and dentistry. Just connecting the dots…
Wholistic, because its about wholesomeness, the whole person.
Any feedback and critique is very much welcome, I will look forward to it too.
With Smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Preet
Very interesting, learnt more than a few things, especially like how you tie it all together. Engaging. I had to read it twice! Its nice to know my dentist has a great hand at writing, too. I would love an email link when the next one is published. And I will share it further. Maybe, you can write a shorter version too. Just a thought, a blog bite, this is more like an article and then maybe a chapter…..Thanks. As you say it, with smiles and gratitude,
Max
Thank you, Max.
Thanks for taking the time and the thoughtfulness. Trust me, your dentist is ‘digitally’ impaired in more ways than one…. typing limitations and carpel tunnel lurking in the shadows…. technology is something I love and use, but only if I have to.
I like that the idea of a shorter version, will do. Thanks for sharing it further.
And, indeed,
with smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Nicely stated Doc! It is such a small window of opportunity and breastfeeding offers babies such a huge chance for a healthier life and growth and development! At LVI we have discussed these issues for over a decade and have relied on the volumes of work by great thinkers like Dr. Jim Garry and Dr. Weston Price and their research that spans decades. There is no longer any question as to the benefits of balance in the system and the answer has been there all along!
I am so glad to see doctors sharing it with their patients! So much of what we are forced to deal with are diseases of choice, or rather, are diseases that could be prevented if we were to provide the right support at the right times. Nutrition is such a key element to health and one that the health care professions are just now beginning to wake up to.
Kudos to you for leading the way!
Mark Duncan, DDS, FAGD, DICOI, LVIF, FICCMO
Clinical Director
Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
Thank you, Dr. Duncan.
I am so grateful that you took the time to encourage a student, something all mentors at LVI do so well, they go above and beyond. I have to say, my education at dental school was “PRICE” less, there was no mention of dentists like Dr. Weston Price and Dr. Jim Garry. Las Vegas Institute was the first dental post graduate institution to do just that. I had the honor to hear Dr. Garry lecture at LVI, I was blown away with how well Neuromuscular Dentistry, connected the dots, with elegant precision – be it physiology, mechanics, prevention or restoration back to homeostasis. I do stand on the shoulders of many giants and many of them, teachers at LVI. Thank you all, you know who you are!
I am forever indebted. I play at the leading edge only because I have teachers that push me beyond my comfort zone of blissful ignorance, to the playing field bound ( only ) by envelope of leading edge, here’s a big shout out to all the Neuromuscular dentists and especially LVI. Thanks, for your feedback and encouragement, its greatly valued, Dr. Duncan.
With smiles, gratitude and a salute from the heart,
Preet
P>S. For clinicians and clients – Neuromuscular dentistry and LVI ( Las Vegas Institute) are key words totally worth a Google search !
Dr. Preet,
That was a great read, and entertaining too. I was curious about how breast feeding prevents SIDS and the connection to bed wetting ?! I will share this further and if only you could write a shorter version, so I could get my short attention span friends to read it too.
Thanks, I will look for your next blog.
Cheers! Sarah
Thank you, Sarah.
You did keep your word and read through it! Nice. So, those are really good questions, same answer. I will give you the short answer and email you the long one privately (if you like).
SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has the following causes – infections, suffocation due to inability to reposition in bedding, brain, heart or diaphragm malfunction, infanticide or abuse, sleep apnea – the baby version. The last one is connected to breast feeding.
An infant is an obligate nasal breather, in other words, can breathe and swallow at the same time. Adults can’t – DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!! ; ) take my word for it. This is to enable nursing via breast by suckling not sucking. The larynx is higher, the epiglottis is in close proximity to the uvula and the tongue completely within the mouth. Are you still with me ?! What bottle feeding does is, by changing the swallowing pattern and position of tongue, alters the breathing pattern. Very critical upto 6 months of age, after which, the baby starts to sit up, sprouts teeth, supports the head and the breathing pattern changes into more adult like ” oral tidal respiration “.
Many scientists argue about this point – personally, I believe, breast fed babies have an edge over bottle fed babies. Period.
Bed wetting – is related to altered REM ( rapid eye movement ) sleep, the part of the sleep cycle where all muscles are paralysed ( to literally prevent sleep walking and acting out the wild dreams ), however the only two skeletal muscles that work are eyelids and urinary bladder sphincter. ( b.t.w. cardiac muscles and all smooth muscles are totally functional ). New meaning to wet dreams – and it’s far from funny. These kids develop hyperactivity, attention deficit, poor cognitive skills ( memory deficit plus attention deficit) – all this trauma could be prevented, no, no, not by Ritalin, et el, but by proper breathing, sleep, nutrition and exercise. It’s not complicated. Proper swallowing, breathing and nutrition begin with breast feeding. There! That’s the short version…
Email me anytime, for the long version, that is! There are amazing anthropological studies on the skulls at the Smithsonian. Really.
Talk to you soon.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Very well written article, Preet.
You have covered what and why very very well.
Just my 2 cents that it will be great if you can also cover “how” (ie breastfeeding tips and pointers) in a followup blog to make it helpful for moms (specially first time moms).
Thank you, Raman.
I appreciate your support. You are exactly right, the next step would be ‘how’. As a dentist, my expertise is limited to oral – systemic links and breastfeeding is a measure of prevention of oral problems ( and systemic ones ). The purpose of the blog was to stimulate thought and discussion. The new moms are advised by OBG-GYNs, PCPs and lactation specialists. I am not trained in that aspect. Most lactation challenges can be overcome. But, in the exceptional cases, formula is here to rescue the baby, the contents of which must be carefully studied and selected.
Progress that takes us two steps forward and five back, is not progress after all. Solutions that create more problems than they solve, are not solutions after all. I have received a lot of private messages about the “guilt” factor, mothers experience when they choose to bottle feed. All I can say is, it is the parents’ decision and particularly the mother’s, the baby has no choice. After all research, if the mother ‘has to’ or ‘chooses to’ bottle feed, there should be no ‘guilt’. There is a need, however, to make a well informed decision, that’s all .
Thanks again!
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Thanks Preet for the supportive and well written article. My family is nearly all breastfed, grandparents, parents, my generation, our kids.. the only family members with significant health troubles and tooth alignment problems are the bottle fed or bottle supplemented ones.
Keep up the good work!
love,
Maia
Thank you, Maia.
I am very grateful for your time and your comments. It’s been a pleasure serving your family and heartening to witness wholesome family values at work. Healthcare begins at home, with nutrition. Mothers do know best.
It’s all about awareness and choices. You inspire me.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Thanks Preet for voicing these facts that are sadly falling by the wayside~ away from the common, intuitive knowledge that it once was. I breastfed both of my kids when they were babies. They rarely got sick and when they did have a cold, it was short-lived. Nursing during these times especially ensured they would not get dehydrated, they received extra immunities, and they received extra comfort. My kids also never had an ear infection.
Additionally, I never had to deal with the hassling of measuring and making some foreign substance for my precious little ones. Whenever they needed the nourishment of breast milk, it was there and ready, simple as that! 😀
Thank you, CJ.
It’s really inspiring to witness mothers like you who are allowing nature to take it’s course. Life is all about choices, and your choice is allowing your children a great start at life. Thanks for validating the facts science and nature have presented us.
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet
Hello,
I am a lactation consultant, and I think it’s wonderful to see dentists getting involved in helping educate about breastfeeding. I wish our OBs and Peds would take as much time on this subject as you have!
I’m taking you at your word that you welcome feedback. I have a couple of admittedly small things. The first is that I have heard the feeding experts Lynn Wolf and Robin Glass say the Nuk nipple is of limited use in situations where a baby needs help with certain tongue shaping. Other babies may need a more narrow nipple. Nuk is not for everybody, in other words.
The other thing is, and again, this is a small thing, but the photo you have chosen with this article is one I have noticed before… It stands out for me because I am pretty sure it is a model who is not really nursing a baby. Maybe it’s not so obvious to others but I find it somewhat disturbing.
Keep up the good work, doctor. This is important stuff!
Thank you, Sue.
I am pleased that you took the time to render expert feedback, this is exactly what I had hoped for – dialogue.
You are right, indeed.
We always advise new moms to seek help from lactation experts, as far as the NUK nipple is concerned. There is also the question of pacifier use. I had the honor to train with Dr. James Garry, the dentist who help invent the NUK, and even he said in his lecture that it is far from natural.
Your comment about the ” model nursing ” made me chuckle, just because it resonates with my own thoughts on it. It’s a stock picture, not sure where our Website manager found it. After mulling over whether to keep it or not, I reluctantly, allowed it, for the lack of a genuine model. I agree with you. Thank you for the feedback.
I am very impressed by the work Lactation experts do, since babies have no voice, they can do with all the help!
With smiles and gratitude,
Preet