Our section arrives: Ask the midwife With a new topic that will answer a question that is sure to be of interest to you. Midwife Marina Fernández collaborates with Babies and more and every week answers a question related to pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum or breastfeeding that our readers leave for her. This week we are going to talk about the prolonged breastfeeding and colecho.
Marina Fernandez She is a midwife, specializing in home birth, a lactation consultant and an expert in complementary therapies. She is a member of the Professional Association Born at Home and a founding partner of Multilacta.Each week he will collaborate with Babies and more by answering a question from our readers. You can know her better on her Marina Matrona page.
The matron Marina Fernández answers a question today left in our section by Kessia about whether it is harmful Prolonged and nocturnal breastfeeding.
My baby is almost two years old and I breastfeed whenever he wants, even if it's night. The fact is that upon learning this certain doctor hit the cry to the sky and said that I was doing great brain damage because I do not know what hormone was being damaged and that would cause dizziness and I do not know how many permanent damage to my brain. I guess she thinks that like most of us here the baby sleeps apart but the baby sleeps with us so I just wake up for that. My question is, is that true? Should I take my baby's breast at night today that will reach two years?
This is the answer that midwife Marina Fernández does not offer:
"I think it is a topic for debate in today's society, there are many arguments in favor and against colecho and prolonged breastfeeding.
But I'm going to talk about the possible consequences it has for hormones; and the physical and emotional well-being of the mother, since that is the question and on the other topics there are already many articles to read.
When talking about colecho and prolonged breastfeeding, normally people who are against it have arguments of the type of…. you're spoiling him, you make him dependent, your milk doesn't feed anymore, you don't have intimacy as a couple, etc. But it is the first time that they tell me that a doctor says that this situation can permanently damage the brain of the mother and suffer dizziness, all because of a hormone that "may" be altering.
On the one hand, the main hormones of breastfeeding are prolactin and oxytocin, I believe that these hormones can not cause brain damage or breastfeeding older than 2 years.
On the other hand, the hormones produced during sleep are GH (Growth Hormone), Melatonin, Prolactin, Cortisol and Adrenocorticotropic. In addition to adenosines and neuropeptides. I imagine that it will refer to Cortisol and Adrenocorticotropic, which are those that can cause alterations with a lack of regular sleep.
As for the question that is being asked, about breastfeeding in particular; Although the baby is already a little older, it is still on demand and that means that when the child wishes to breastfeed, the breast is offered. With which, during the night, it continues being this way. It is normal for a baby to wake up several times at night, and this is not proven to be avoided with bottles or with taking him to another room.
The baby is already approaching only the mother's breast, with the advantage for the mother, of not having to wake up almost and much less, get up to another room and then leave it again separated from her.
The mother's dream continues almost without alterations, since there are many mothers who are not aware of how many times their baby has breastfed if you ask them the next day. Sleep recovers almost immediately, also due to the influence of lactation hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin, the mother is more prepared for these nocturnal awakenings, than a woman who does not have these high hormonal levels.
The consequences that can be derived from prolonged insomnia (which I imagine is what the doctor refers to) can be several on a psychological level such as depression, difficulties in concentration, daytime sleepiness, constant tiredness, irritability, memorization difficulties, disorientation, confusion, bad mood, anxiety, and problems on a physical level such as cardiac, skin, bone, vision, speech, etc. alterations.
But all these consequences, normally, do not occur in mothers who collect and breastfeed because with this practice it is common that there is no long awakening for the mother, nor a difficulty in falling asleep again. As I mentioned, children usually breastfeed alone and the mother does not wake up or if she does, she goes back to sleep quickly. "
We encourage you to keep leaving here ask our midwife and next week will answer another question left by our readers for her.
