how elimination communication supports breastfeeding

3. Encouraging communication and nursing on demand. DiaperFreeBaby has this on its list, but Dr. Newman’s stories made me realize more how true it is. He had a lot of examples of mothers who measure breastmilk and time feedings and stress about every detail of feeding their babies. He said at one point that breastfeeding is actually a confidence game as much as anything else: you need to trust it and your body and relax about it, not measure everything and stress about it. He talked about women in South Africa, where he worked at a clinic, whose babies have “terrible” latches and yet who breastfeed and thrive. Why? Because the mothers don’t worry about it. They don’t time feedings or measure amounts. “Every time the baby squawks, the mother offers the breast,” he said. They listen to their babies’ communication. And EC, done right, is amazing practice for teaching mothers the skill of listening to their babies. Yes, it’s possible to stress about EC just like you can stress about any parenting practice. It’s possible to time pees and potty by the clock. But that’s not how EC is done best. It’s best done as a combination of intuition, communication, and almost-psychic awareness of your baby. It’s best done as an experiment in trust. That’s why I always tell families that the only way to do anything “wrong” with EC is to not enjoy it. If it’s fun, then you’re doing it right.

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