Ask The Doctor

Dear Amy,
I hear the exact same caution from my mother-in-law when I was breastfeeding my first child, my son who is now 30 years old and fine. There is no end to the amount of fear that our society is capable of, often directed at mothers who are simply trying to do the best for their children. My advice to you is to continue to breast-feed, as there are some things over which we simply do not have control, and this is one of them. Think of how many mothers, while breastfeeding their infants, also smoke, or take drugs (legal or illegal), or drink alcoholic beverages. In most situations, the overwhelming advantages of breast milk far outweigh concerns about contaminants which might be unavoidable. Your research would best be directed not to the level of contaminants in your breastmilk, but how to avoid ingestion of the toxins in the environment from this point on. There is no reason to think that cow’s milk (or soy) formula would have less contaminants, and of course with artificial feeding there are none of the advantages of breastfeeding your baby.
Susan Markel, M.D.

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Dr. Susan Markel, MD, is a Board Certified Pediatrician, and Attachment Parenting Advisor. She is also the author of, "Ask The Doctor," in partnership with ERGObaby. If you have additional questions, please feel free to visit her website at http://www.AttachmentParentingDoctor.com and request a private consultation.