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  • 1.  Breastfeeding of 6 yr old by mom who hasn't lactated in years?

    Posted 05-11-2017 01:57 PM
    Client says he learned from his six-year-old daughter that mom has been "nursing" her. The problem / concern is that mom stopped lactating almost 4 years ago. Child was clear about what's going on, saying "mommy's nipples haven't had milk in a long, long time but she still wants me to nurse." He says he didn't "push" the issue with the child as he didn't want to alert her that something might be amiss with this.

    How pathological is this? Client isn't sure whether to call DCPP, raise it, discuss it with mom in upcoming mediation, or what, but he's not comfortable with it. I'm all for breastfeeding and all, but...this sounds weird to me. What say you?


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    David Perry Davis, Esq.
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       www.FamilyLawNJ.pro
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    112 West Franklin Avenue
    Pennington, NJ 08534
    Voice: 609-737-2222
    Fax:    609-737-3222

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  • 2.  RE: Breastfeeding of 6 yr old by mom who hasn't lactated in years?

    Posted 05-11-2017 02:11 PM

    Breast-feeding a 6 year old is not "normal" no matter how you define "normal" regardless of whether or not the mom is still lactating.

    Debra Schneider Esq.

     




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Breastfeeding of 6 yr old by mom who hasn't lactated in years?

    Posted 05-11-2017 02:29 PM
    Dave -

    Here's a 2015 article by an anthropologist calling it "within the normal range of human variation." http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/01/15/377384587/what-s-right-about-a-six-year-old-who-breastfeeds 

    Certainly age 4-5 is not at all unusual in some cultures. I knew a mother years ago who nursed her two sons to around age 7. They seemed quite happy and well-adjusted. However the article does presuppose that the child is actually getting breast-milk. In addition it seems to me there's emphasis on both mother and child wanting to continue.

    - Megan

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    C. Megan Oltman Esq.
    Princeton NJ
    (609)947-0784
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    Original Message