AboutSally Wendkos Olds Expertise What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good
for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s
related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to
overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200
articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible
advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition.
I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009.
I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials
I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
Question hi....i am a mother to an 11 month old baby boy who has a cows milk protein allergy, i have been advised to give a milk free diet until he is 2 when the hospital will give him some cows milk under controlled conditions with drugs available if he needs them. i have therefore decided to continue breastfeeding until he is 2, my question is ...is weaning from the breast more difficult as the child gets older and on average how many times a day does an older baby nurse, at the moment he is still having about 4 feeds a day, do you think this is too many, he does now have water or juice from a cup
thanks for your advice...rachel
Answer Dear Rachel,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!
If he has a cow's milk protein allergy, I hope that you too are avoiding cow's milk products while you are nursing. Your decision to continue nursing until he is two years old makes special sense in your situation -- although I do have to say that many moms whose children are not allergic also nurse even beyond two years of age!
It is, as you suggest, often more difficult to wean an older child from the breast -- but of course it is doable, and women do it all the time. The number of times an older child nurses varies. Usually by the time a baby is eating a lot of solid foods, he needs -- and takes -- less milk. Some older nurslings nurse only morning and night; others will also nurse midday. And no, four feeds a day is not too many for now, as long as it works out fine for you.
I have a lot of information in my book (see below) about nursing and weaning older children. Also, there's a nice book called "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler" by Norma Jane Baumgartner.
Good luck!
Sally
Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
