Comments on: Ezzo’s Dangerous Breastfeeding Schedules

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:31:28 +0000

The cultural residue Ezzo an the like leave long after their direct influence fades is palpable and terrible. We are now at a point in our culture when breastfeeding is becoming the norm. And at this point it is essential to get both correct information and accomodation. Ezzo’s information is easy to dispell, but their lack of accomodation. Breastfeeding is commonly discourged when percieved to be a source of stress, even if the perception is questionable. There is no winding back the clock once breastfeeding is abandoned. And this, to Ezzo standards, is no real loss. This is antiquaited thinking with no basis in modern research or regard for mother and child.

I speak as a mother who breastfed all three of her children. Breastfeeding is probably one of the
most powerful acts, after pregnancy, the female body performs. Schedules, rules and outdated science have no place and serve no purpose here.

By: Midou

Midou — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:35:48 +0000

First I want to thank you Jessica for sending me this email.I’m totaly disagree with Ezzo’s breastfeeding because it is something unnatural.And I think we mustn’t schedul breastfeed’but let it as it is…

By: Multi-Tasking Mommy

Multi-Tasking Mommy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:58:31 +0000

All so true!
And yes, I’m sure babies do get thirsty, especially after crying so much. Makes a lot of sense.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:09:39 +0000

And Karen, I agree that babies do get thirsty, especially when it’s summer or the house is hot. They can’t just go get a drink of water after all. And giving them a bottle of water just because you think they are thirsty could lead to supressing their hunger and failure to thrive. What is really neat, is that when a mother sweats from the heat, it stimulates her milk supply and allows for more watery foremilk to quench the baby’s thirst.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:05:03 +0000

Thank you ladies for your thoughtful posts. A thought just ocurred to me now:

In those early days, I would wake up to nurse a hungry baby and find a full diaper that needed changing. Letting the baby sleep all night without a nursing break could lead to baby sleeping in a dirty diaper, and that could lead to diaper rash. So there’s yet another reason take care of the baby during the night when they want you.

By: Emma's MAMA

Emma's MAMA — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:52:47 +0000

You are absolutely right… When you feed on a schedule, you are missing those precious bonding opportunities. As much as I longed for sleep during those first few months, I cherish those middle of the night/early morning feedings. All the little cues and body language that went along with it! You learn so much more about how to communicate with your child and let them know you want to hear them. The way I see it, they grow so fast, why rush the time away. Enjoy every precious moment! I do agree with Multi tasking mama about the self soothing, but once again, I think you can learn to distinguish between the desire to “chew” or suckle and the desire for your baby to want to eat by nursing on demand and learning their body language!
Breastfeeding goes way beyond a food source. Books like Baby Wise cheapen the point of the whole experience. Are you going to follow what ever a book says for the rest of your child’s life… no- you will learn what kind of child they are…what their needs are and how to respond accordingly. Why not do that from the beginning!

By: Karen Montana

Karen Montana — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:44:17 +0000

First of all – did anyone ever think that a baby might be THIRSTY. Sometimes my sweet baby will nurse well and then 30 minutes to an hour he will drink for a minute or two and be done. I think he’s thirsty.

Babies actually end up with failure to thrive and some even die from this barbaric form of “childcare.” Google it! The Ezzos are disgusting and cruel. It’s common sense to eat when we ourselves are hungry and sometimes that may mean we snack throughout the day, at other times we may go hours without food. Every body is different, every day is different. I can’t imagine letting my baby cry like they suggest. The thought hurts deeply in my soul….to imagine that some babies exhaust themselves crying with their mothers on the other side of the door crying as well. Ridiculous!!

The Ezzos are on some kind of weird power trip.
YES – a baby will control your life. It does not last forever. One day they will be grown and gone and we will remember this time in our lives and think it did not last very long at all. Our homes will be quiet and spotless. We will get what we want, time for ourselves, freedom, no messes. If we are *lucky*, our grandchildren will come to us and leave their fingerprints on the glass and crumbs on the kitchen floor.

Enjoy your babies now.
Hold them when they cry. Comfort them. Feed them. Quench their thirst.

What’s wrong with that and why would anyone choose to listen to a sad baby calling out for the love of his mother and choose to ignore that plea!? I am 36 and get lonely and sad and feel lost and scared, this is when I need my best friend – why should I expect my baby to be above that?! Why should my baby have to comfort himself ALL the time when I myself do not ALL the time.

Sometimes we all just need to be loved.

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:17:32 +0000

hi! Mothers should let be taken by intincts. Do what they feel. I’m a 9 months old baby’s mother and I’d be surprised any time I visited the doctor, she asked me if a only breastfed my baby, ’cause she was gaining weight very well. How she was asking me that? Had she prescribed some sort of milk? No! And better she didn’t ’cause my baby turn out to be cow’s milk protein alergic. So, I conclude that I did well breastfeeding my baby any time she needed. My milk production was enough to her, to grow healthy.

By: Kelley Ahearn

Kelley Ahearn — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:50:06 +0000

Thank you for sharing this with new mommas. I was in this teaching back in the 90’s and I thought it was crazy then and I have talked a lot of parents out of this. The Ezzo’s were very off in their teaching. Again Thank you!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:19:28 +0000

Just keep in mind that when a baby cries hard, their blood sugar drops, so there’s nothing wrong with breastfeeding to soothe a fussy child. But of course be sure to also check for any other needs they might have as well.