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Old 08-02-2009, 05:54 PM
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JaeByrd JaeByrd is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Oklahoma, USA
Posts: 156
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke View Post
But the women that pop out a baby every 9 months and think that everyone else should be doing it and elevate themselves as spiritual above others just tick me off.
I have an issue in regards to that in that some go so far as to encourage getting pregnant again by weaning early. In the 1-3 month old range switching them over to formula. Leaving things in God's hands/timing/control is one thing, but purposely weaning early so you can get pregnant 3-6 months earlier than you would having a normal nursing relationship is stacking the deck in favor of more pregnancies/larger families in my opinion. Not to mention robbing your already born child of what God intended for nourishment and immunities.

In a natural, non scheduled, breastfeeding relationship fertility returns in the 3-9 month range. Depending on how much solids a baby starts to eat and how much nursing is continued. Fertility returns in the 6th or 7th month on average and is diminished until full weaning. (1-2 years is the medically recommended length of time and many of the benefits aren't seen until a full 6 months minimum of nursing.) Until fully weaned some cycles don't even make enough hormones to release an egg. By weaning in the 1-3 month time, before you are even introducing baby food, you have to substitute an artificial milk. If they full wean that early or don't even bother with breastfeeding fertility can return in a cycle or two and they can average one child a year.

Granted the variables change from each couple and some can naturally conceive that early even while nursing, but the very famous quiver full family does this as does several others I've seen. Most of those that really do just leave it to as it happens space out more like 18-24 months between babies not 9-12 months. Some even longer or not at all.