Opinions about EC'ing

This is an exceprt from an article on the leleche league site. I have added the link if you want to read it all.

Ruth Lawrence has said, "If one were to determine the appropriate time for weaning to take place it would be based on nutritional needs and developmental goals. Observations among other mammals suggest that achievement of a degree of maturity that allows the young animal to forage for food is a trigger for initiating weaning by the mother."

According to anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler, "Many primates wean their offspring when they are erupting their first permanent molars. First permanent molar eruption occurs around five-and-a-half to six years in modern humans. It is interesting to note that achievement of adult immune competence in humans also occurs at approximately six years of age suggesting that throughout our recent evolutionary past the active immunities provided by breast milk were normally available to the child until about this age."

It is theorized that the six year nursing practice was probably modified by the use of fire in cooking 0.5-1 million years ago followed by the domestication and processing of grains about ten thousand years ago, providing alternatives to uncooked vegetation and raw animal foods.

Around the middle of the first year most babies show signs of wanting something other than human milk. This begins the weaning process, but the length of time before a baby is fully weaned varies from baby to baby. Some are enthusiastic and others are not. Mothers can be reminded that human milk is the most important food for their babies during the first year.

Developmentally the baby is ready to chew solids at about six months even though not all of his teeth have erupted. The sucking pads in the baby's cheeks begin to disappear at the end of the first year. The rooting reflex has also been lost by this time. The development of the chew-swallow reflex is necessary for successful introduction of solids. Some think this reflex is a learned behavior encouraged by oral stimulation after the baby reaches a certain level of neurological development. If supplemental food is introduced too early, the baby will push his tongue against a spoon to eliminate solids from his mouth.

The introduction of new foods is important both socially and nutritionally. Additional protein becomes necessary toward the end of the first year and the infant also needs bulk or roughage about this time. Eating solids and learning to drink from a cup are important social achievements. This does not mean, however, that breastfeeding should end, only that the baby's diet now includes solid foods and other liquids.

www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVDec00Jan01p112.html

Claudia- thanks for your honest comments. I agree, i think a lot of people do take BLW out of context and i have always allowed my boy to explore his food but from 6m breastmilk does not contain enough iron for a baby's requirements and certainly if they are not able to chew the food then they do need to be fed the right nutrients through the pureed foods.

I don't think nutritional requirements actually have anything to do with when the baby 'realizes food makes it full'. from 6m and sometimes 4m depending on the child, a baby actaully needs more than breast milk and whilst i am all for exclusively breast feeding to 6 months i do honestly believe a baby needs more nutritional intake from then and simply playing and exploring with food will not fill that nutritional void.

T- you know me, I'm a pretty simple person, my baby gets what it needs no more and no less, i just don't see the point in complicating things beyond what it already is for a first time mother.

Its getting hot in here. Everyone has the right to do what they want to do. Go for it with all your might. Tada.

@ Vix Christopher. I agre with not really seeing the benefits of EC'ing, but I just thought I would comment on your statement "like BLW lets let babies be babies for a while" (I am not attacking, this statement, but I actually read the BLW book, so I think a lot of people have gotten the wrong nd of the stick...)

"True BLW" encourages prolongued demand breastfeeding and the babies abiltiy to "explore food" rather than actually eat it. If prolongued breastfeeding and playing with food isnt allowing a baby to be a baby, then I dont know what is. (in the book most babies onlt start realising that food makes them full from about 9 months and before this are still depandant on milk feeds for the bulk of their diet)
I'm not saying do it, I understand why people areatracted to purees and untill I read the book I thought it was completely crazy. BLW was researched by a dietician and health visitor and is supported by UNICEF, so its not completely off the wall:)

Vix-Christopher-16/10/2008 wrote:

I am a SAHM and i don't have the time nor energy to be consistent enough for all this kind of thing.

I don't personally see the REAL benefits in it, it's not like your child is going to be potty trained much earlier as they each do it at their own pace.

I have always just left my boy to be a baby and wear nappies and he himself at about 18m decided he would point his willy into the potty like Daddy does to the toilet. I can leave him for hours in underpants and he will tell me when he needs to wee but that's not because of any method, he just was obviously ready.

how many nappies would you go through taking them on and off to try and 'catch' a pee or poo? you can't seriously want to open a wee nappy and put that same one that has now gone cold back on after they wee in the potty? My boy only uses 3 nappies daytime max and one at night, if i had to try and catch pee and poo i will forever be putting new nappies back on.

ohhhh nooo sorry completely not for me, same as BLW lets just let babies be babies for a while shall we?

I refrained myself from this thread for such a long time, since I feel IF I say something, MAYBE people may find that I'm personally attacking/critizising/ridiculing/whatever them... But Vix, I gotta say... BRILLIANT answer. Could not have said it better.

I am a SAHM and i don't have the time nor energy to be consistent enough for all this kind of thing.

I don't personally see the REAL benefits in it, it's not like your child is going to be potty trained much earlier as they each do it at their own pace.

I have always just left my boy to be a baby and wear nappies and he himself at about 18m decided he would point his willy into the potty like Daddy does to the toilet. I can leave him for hours in underpants and he will tell me when he needs to wee but that's not because of any method, he just was obviously ready.

how many nappies would you go through taking them on and off to try and 'catch' a pee or poo? you can't seriously want to open a wee nappy and put that same one that has now gone cold back on after they wee in the potty? My boy only uses 3 nappies daytime max and one at night, if i had to try and catch pee and poo i will forever be putting new nappies back on.

ohhhh nooo sorry completely not for me, same as BLW lets just let babies be babies for a while shall we?

I know for sure that this method works. Like I said in the other thread (potty train from 4 months) my family has been doing it for years and it worked with no stress. Obviously you don't just place a baby there and tell them to do it. They just do what comes naturally for them.

And just like a baby learn how to do all other things we teach them it life, they just learn that for them to pee or poo they do it seated. That is all. Most of the responsibility is on parents to know baby's signs and to put them on. The media is mostly confused about some staff. There's education about how to read baby talk and how it benefits baby and all. Then what's the problem with reading this type of baby talk and showing them you understand them and can even respond to her cues. I think the same results continues, baby becomes a confident and secured baby. And there's no unlearning that goes on later but just a continuation of a good habit built from early on.