Christina Burton holds her son Carter in their St. Cloud, Minn., home. Burton is involved in a custody battle for her son, and has been advised by a court-appointed guardian that she should stop breast-feeding him because of medications she is taking.
Minneapolis — Christa Burton knew that child custody battles could take unusual twists, but she never imagined that a court could tell her to stop breast-feeding her 14-month-old son, Carter.
That, however, was the recommendation of Carter's guardian ad litem, or court-appointed advocate, who recently reviewed the multiple medications Burton takes and recommended a halt to the feedings. A judge will consider whether to impose such a restriction next month.
"I thoroughly researched all my medications before starting to breast-feed," the 31-year-old St. Cloud, Minn., woman said. "If I thought I was hurting Carter for a second, I would have stopped."
A district judge will review the recommendation at a September hearing to determine parental custody of Carter. Currently, Burton has sole physical and legal custody of the toddler. His father, Andrew Ahmann, has petitioned for custody, too.
Burton's story has sparked national interest, transforming the mother and part-time real estate worker into a heroine for some breast-feeding advocates.
"I never set out to be an advocate," she said. "But I found this was the best thing for Carter."
However, Mark Toogood, who oversees the state's guardian ad litem program, said it shouldn't be considered far-fetched for a guardian to make such a recommendation.
Guardians, who are court-appointed advocates on behalf of children, investigate such factors as the physical and mental health of the child and parents, and that can include scrutiny of the child's medical records.
"Who knows what the guardian discovered during the course of the investigation?" Toogood said. "There's usually more going on in these cases than is publicly available."
Burton acknowledges that she takes Topamax, an anti-seizure medication, to treat migraine headaches, Baclofen to treat muscle spasms, Ambien (occasionally) to help her sleep and Tylenol 3.
She said that the nurse practitioner at her son's clinic encouraged her to nurse her son, who was born prematurely, and that one of her son's doctors wrote a letter in support of her breast-feeding.
She also wrote to Thomas Hale, the author of a book called "Medications and Mother's Milk," asking him about the safety of the medications.
She forwarded his response to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It said, in part: "They (the medications) are basically all fine, particularly in a 14-month-old infant who can metabolize drugs as good if not better than an adult."
Carter's father was not available for comment; his attorney, Kendra Geiger, said it was in the best interest of the child not to discuss the issue.
Comments
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costello (anonymous) says…
In my opinion it's a little weird to breastfeed a 14 month old, but the court should probably take the doctor's recommendation over the GAL's.
"They (the medications) are basically all fine, particularly in a 14-month-old infant who can metabolize drugs as good if not better than an adult."
Shouldn't that be "as well as" an adult?
P.S. I think I'll change my last name to Toogood!
trinity (anonymous) says…
i agree that 14 mos. is somewhat over the line, far as nursing; sheesh, my nursing my baby ceased the 1st time, at about 6 months, she tried out her new teeth on me. OW! :)
and, i dunno, i'd have to just be really skeptical about the meds. haven't we turned in to enough of a pill-popping society, without this wee one ingesting those things via mom's milk? hmm? and not for one minute am i trying to say mom isn't having bad headaches, seizures and the like; but the ambien? tylenol 3? could mom possibly be a hypochondriac? could alternate methods of healing be explored? just too much we don't know. but i think at 14 months that child could and would get a very well balanced diet, maybe take vitamin supplements; whole lot better sounding that getting a fix off of ambien, tylenol 3(doesn't that have codiene?)etc.
formerfarmer (anonymous) says…
Why is there a guardian involved in the first place. Seems like some information has been left out of the article.
Bubbles (anonymous) says…
In the third world countries they breast feed them til they are 12.
coolmom (anonymous) says…
guardianad litems are given to pretty much every child that is involved in a court case with children. their job is to look out for the best intrest of the child. family court, foster care, adoptions basically anything to do with kids. normally it is the childs lawyer. in my opinion while i think breast feeding is the best thing that this kid is getting way to much drugs and i wonder if its a ploy by mom to keep custody from dad? i guess we will see when he is 9 and still breastfeeding.
coolmom (anonymous) says…
yep breastfeed till age 12 and marry them off at 13 and 14.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
not sure about the drugs not a doc or any thing but you are told to stop bottle feeding a 12months so why not stop breast feeding at same time?
Bubbles (anonymous) says…
Some women enjoy breast feeding for as long as possible.
Bubbles (anonymous) says…
My mom said she quit breast feeding me after I winked at her during one of my feedings.
kugrad (anonymous) says…
14 months is not over the line. Doctors recommend continuing breastfeeding (supported now by solid foods) to at least one year, and some studies were done feeding through the second year. A friend of mine participated in one of those studies, the results of which showed long-range benefits from the practice. Most mothers stop earlier because either their milk supply decreases or the child weans his/herself. However, there is nothing "weird" about breastfeeding a 14-month old. This is only 2 months beyond the one year date which is widely recommended.
A recent study showed that more than 80% of mothers stop breastfeeding too soon, failing to reach even six months. Maybe more knowledge and less opinion is needed on this issue.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
ooo kugrad such a slap to all us nobodys.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
Bubbles - You're a mess. LOL.
Ragingbear (anonymous) says…
A court appointed guardian is not a doctor or a psychiatrist. This guardian should be fired and banned from being a guardian in the future. It's just some whack-job making things up to promote their personal agenda. Bring in doctors and psychologist to testify of the impact on the child, or shut the hell up and let the mother raise her kid.
And for those that are asking, in most cases where a child is involved, a court guardian is commonly assigned. They aren't there to protect the kid, they are there to ensure that the child is represented in a fair matter, rather than being used as a tool. Which is exactly what this guardian is doing.
imastinker (anonymous) says…
THere is nothing wrong with 14 months. With our kids, when solid food was introduced, milk production stopped. Breast feeding is also a good way to delay fertility returning without using drugs. With both kids, her fertility returned as soon as water or formula was added to their meals.
I certianly would take the reccomendation of the doctors over the guardian. Remember, kids get drugs all the time. Most women now have epidurrals and take other medication when the baby is born. They are then given a whole array of shots and medications, before the other ones have even worn off.
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for 2 years. There is nothing "weird" about nursing a 14 month old baby, what is "weird" is people who have a problem with it. It is a major infringement on a parents rights for the court to try and tell a mother not to nurse her baby. Even a doctor can only make "recommendations" and not force a mother to stop breastfeeding.
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
Oops, my mistake the AAP recommends breastfeeding for at least one year and the World Health Organization recommends at least 2 years.
Home > Maternal/Child Health > Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding offers many advantages to infants and their mothers. Breastmilk is the best source of food for your baby, because it contains the ideal balance of nutrients and anti-infective substances. It has been shown to protect infants against illness and allergies and has been shown to provide vital substances needed for brain development. Breastfeeding also has positive health benefits for women; including faster recovery from pregnancy, labor, and delivery; less postpartum bleeding; quicker return to prepregnant weight; and decreased risk for certain cancers. Breastfeeding offers a unique opportunity for maternal-infant interaction and bonding, and it is always available when the baby is hungry.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), exclusive breastfeeding is the best source of infant nutrition for the first six months of life. The AAP also recommends breastfeeding for at least twelve months. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for at least two years.
Breastfeeding should begin almost immediately after birth, and babies should be fed whenever they are hungry. For successful breastfeeding, it is important to learn how to initiate and continue breastfeeding comfortably. If problems occur, it is important to seek help.
For further information on Breastfeeding:
American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org)
La Leche League International (www.lalecheleague.org)
Safe Motherhood Initiative (www.safemotherhood.org)
World Health Organization (www.who.org/inf-fs/en/fact178.html)
alm77 (anonymous) says…
No kidding. There is nothing "weird" about feeding your child the way nature intended. My kids were nursed to ages 12 mos, 16 mos and 14 mos. I stopped when I lost interest and felt they no longer needed it nutritionally. Not to mention weening often takes a while.
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Many mothers (including those on here) like to bash women who actually choose to breast-feed beyond a few months. The women who should really be bashed are the ones who decide to get breast implants prior to having their children. Breast implants can decrease milk production or desensitize a woman's nipples. I suppose they justify it by thinking to themselves, "If I get these implants, then I can get a future-baby-daddy. Otherwise, I'm here alone with my pathetic self and small boobies." It's disgusting that something as natural as breast-feeding is being blasted by women who'd rather feed their babies something as unnatural as formula.
kugrad (anonymous) says…
mommae...
I did not intend my comments as a "slap" to anybody, nor did I say or imply that other posters were "nobody." I have no idea where you got that idea.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
I do not care about breastfeeding vs bottle that should all be left to the person having the baby. I do care about people talking down to others about simple statements. I do not think I would breastfeed after 12 months did notbreast feed until 12 months was simple saying if bottle feeding should be stopped a 12 months why not breast feeding.
Now in this case I would be more worried about the rugs but like I said I am not a doc. or anything so not for me to decide.
If you want to breast feed please do it if you do not then fine no problem Just remember to love your kids and take care of them.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
opps meant that to say drugs. ku was your wording I guess, not to mention my headache making me a bit pissy.
trinity (anonymous) says…
*sigh* so much ado about an article with such sketchy information. and there goes rb, having a fit about said article. do you even have the first clue the extent to which many gals go through on a single case, rb? do you? and how on EARTH did you get to be such an authority on so many different subjects?? geez.
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Where's your source, b3?
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Really, b3? Can you even come up with any links to back that up?
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2gxUY...
littlelody (anonymous) says…
To any pregnant women out there:
Please try your hardest to breastfeed. It's not an easy road in the beginning, but it is the most beautiful gift in this life, for your own body to nourish another life. I wanted to quit many times when I had difficulties, but eventually they passed, and I feel so blessed that my son and I could share that bond. I wish everyone could experience the joy and gift that is breastfeeding. I would be so pissed if another person was trying to take that right from me.
trinity (anonymous) says…
and i get pissed thinking about women who are passing multiple medications on to their baby. six of one half dozen of the other.
i adored being a nursing mum; was by far the most precious and wonderful time in my life, bar none.
terrapin2 (anonymous) says…
Not all medications pass through mother's milk, and if they do, they are not always harmful. Let the doctors and mother decide. A lot of doctors will tell you that the huge benefits a child gains from breast milk far out way the risk from the medications. Even with the meds, a lot of medical professionals will tell you that breast milk is still superior to formula. As far as the age of the child being nursed; the people that have a problem with it need to educate themselves. The formula companies since the 1950's have done a great job of making breastfeeding look abnormal. We are the only industrialized western society that views breastfeeding after age 6mo-1yr as "wierd". Most other cultures let their children self wean which depending on the child, can happen at all different ages.
pace (anonymous) says…
i think that two years is pretty normal.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
I do not think breastfeeding as odd very natural thing and yes if possible should be done. But that being said not all parents can breastfeed or choose not to and this is also ok. In this case I will agree there is muh more to the story than what is printed.
I say that the mother could be using it to win her case and the dad is doing the same one saying it is all good the other saying that she needs to stop before she scars the kid. Parents do not always think of the children in these messy divorce and custody hearings only them selves.
Still way to much not reported just a suppose this could be it.
But with her being on this much med. I suggest she taks a long vacation and go to the spa and treat herself to some down time she sounds like she needs to relax and releive some stress. Not always an easy and doable thing.
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
As if the poor baby isn't going to have enough stress due to his parent's divorce without having to give up the comfort of nursing. The father who is apparently pushing this doesn't seem very sensitive to his child's needs, which makes his getting full custody sound all the more dubious.
mom_of_three (anonymous) says…
Maybe the mother was using breastfeeding to deny visitation rights to the father.....like others have said, there may be much more to the story.
No, I didn't breastfeed my kids, and are as healthy (or healthier) as the ones next door who were breastfed.
And when you have an epidural, some of the medication is passed onto the baby, and they say it actually increases the time of labor because the baby is medicated. At least, that is what I was told, but I still had it. It didn't hurt the baby, and I don't think it increased my labor time substantially.
But I can't believe some of those medications aren't passed onto the mother through nursing. I know of mothers who don't take their allergy medication because it's not good for baby. And nursing mothers don't drink. maybe some drugs and things have different effects than others.
All very curious.
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/...
Here is a list of some medications that are usually compatible with nursing.
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
Here are some medications that should be only given "with caution" to nursing moms (note it doesn't say NEVER)
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/...
manyblessings (anonymous) says…
Seriously though, if the medications were a concern then I think Dr. Hale would have been reluctant to give her a letter saying that it was okay for her to breastfeed. He is pretty well known for his expertise on the subject.
costello (anonymous) says…
I just took an informal poll at work. The woman in the next office, who is 60, agrees with me that breastfeeding that long is weird. The two younger women say it isn't. One breastfed her daughter to 3 years, and the other breastfed her son until he was 2.
I still think it's a little weird. ;-)
justthefacts (anonymous) says…
The reason an older woman might find prolonged breast feeding "odd" is b/c past generations (from the 50's) read Dr. Spock etc. who recommended bottles as best. Only backwards or poor women used their breasts to feed their babies. Some women from that era were/are therefore carrying that concept around in their phyche. It has only been in the last 30 or so years that the science on breast feeding has begun to support its renewed use in "civilized" countries. That may be why an informal poll of women of differing ages get different response. My son was nursed until he was 18 months old. My granddaughter until she was 22. So far, no one has suffered b/c they got good nutrition and lots of nurturing.
It's pretty fairly well established that there are many additional health and emotional benefits from breat feeding as opposed to bottle feeding. Of course, it doesn't fit into everyone's chosen life-style and there are medical or health conditions that make it harder or even impossible. It's really a personal choice. Kids who are fed formula aren't being abused, not really. What to feed a child is a parental choice, and one that should be respected by "outsiders" either way, as long as a child is not being harmed.
As for time to end, that is again a personal choice for the most part; based upon what is in the best interest of the child (in theory). If this mom is nursing to prevent dad from visiting or getting more time with his son, or if her medicines are in fact harming her son, she may find out that she's on the wrong side of court ruling. On the other hand, if dad or the guardian are just the type of people who think it's "Icky" for the boy to nurse that long, they may find they are out-of-step with modern health (mental and physical) principles!
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
Well no matter what I just hop the parents are not using this poor child but you know sometimes you just get that feeling? And I hope the meds are not harming the baby. I know, not all the facts are in.
Over all I still say the mom needs a vacation. If she was not breast feeding I would tell her mom to babysit over night and have her friends take her out for a very good night on the town.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Costello, what we knew about all this 30-40 years ago is at least a little different than what we know today.
In addition to all the nutritional benefits, I don't think anyone has mentioned the fact--scientifically-proven FACT--that breast milk also boosts and strengthens the infant's immune system. When a woman first starts breastfeeding, you actually don't get "milk" right away:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostrum
Our daughter was delivered via emergency C-section, just over five weeks early. When they were cutting my wife open, she kept telling me, "Go with the baby--leave me here." So, once the baby was moved to a location where I didn't have to see the big incision in my wife (I wanted to stay upright through all this!), I watched the nurses clean her up a bit, then take her across to the nursery, where she was put on the "special" bassinet, wired up with all sorts of monitors. Kind of a scary time, really, despite the fact that her APGAR scores were 9 and 10. But my wife was across the hall getting sewn up... the baby was screaming her head off... nurse standing there with a bottle of formula, like, "Do you wanna wait for your wife?" She was only 5 pounds 5 ounces, so I said "Better give it to her." So, my daughter's first meal was bottled formula.
Over the next three or four days, we tried all kinds of tricks and contraptions and schemes and Rube Goldberg devices to get her to "latch on." Never worked. Her mouth was just too tiny to grab hold, and I think there's some truth to the notion that if you miss that "window of opportunity" right after birth, it's gone.
So, we rented a breast pump from the hospital, a Medela "double-action," and for the next 9 months, my wife faithfully did her duty. Pump, bottle, feed, wash. Pump, bottle, feed, wash. Pump, bottle, feed, wash. Pump, bottle, feed, wash. You get the idea. Cool thing about it was that this way, we both got to feed her.
I'll say this, though: I'd recommend renting a pump from the hospital, rather than buying one at Target or Wal-Mart. Yes, it is more expensive ($50/month for us, versus buying one retail for $150-200), but consider: Once, our pump *did* develop a problem. Happened on a Thursday. We called the lactation nurse at the hospital. "I'm teaching a class on Saturday morning, just bring it by, and we'll swap it out." So we did just that. Just swapped the defect for a working one, no questions asked. Try doing *that* at Wal-Mart!
After @ 8 months, my wife had a conference in another state, and there was no practical way for her to continue pumping--so we just stopped. We saved up enough in the freezer to ease the transition to formula, and never had a problem. BTW, if you're in the formula market, give Target's stuff a whirl--awesome product at a great price!
And now you know more than you wanted to know... and from a man, no less!
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
oh funny, but I have heard of couple that do pump so that the dad can also feed a breast baby.
But really love the end there agnostick.
KansasKel (anonymous) says…
As Agnostick pointed out, even if the mother was insistent upon the child receiving the breastmilk for nutrition, there's no reason why she couldn't pump it to provide it for the child when he is under his father's care. Breastfeeding a child that age should not be reason enough to exclude an external caregiver.
Stain (anonymous) says…
If a kid has the potential to inherit food allergies, breastfeeding should continue as long as possible. Cow's milk is one of the worst allergens for young children. 14 months is not too old. Only in America are we squeamish about breastfeeding.
mldubose (anonymous) says…
It's really disgusting that moms have to deal with so much negativity because they use their breasts to feed their children. And yes, it's VERY normal for children to nurse for 3-4 years sometimes. It may seem unusual in the US, but it happens more than most people know because the moms who do it have to hide. If the milk came from their wrists or shoulders, people wouldn't care, but why do we get so worked up about boobs? And you know what? It's usually women who have the worst attitudes!
This mom had FULL physical and legal custody already, and it meant that more than likely the father had either cheated on her or was somehow deemed unfit to make decisions regarding the child's care. But he still had to pay child support. It is SO common for men to get tired of paying that they decide that it's easier to just get custody. It's the oldest trick in the book. Plus, she probably told him that overnight visits weren't an option until he was weaned. Now if this jerk was a real man and wanted what was best for his child, he would have realized that the child needed his mother at night and could see dad during the day. I wonder if dad was ever really involved to begin with. So the jerk decided to get even and play dirty.
These medications aren't serious either. It's not like mom is taking stuff for bipolar disorder or cancer. People get sooo worked up about a nursing mom taking a medication. Well, you know what? She can drink too! As long as she has a stretch of time of a couple of hours that she doesn't nurse, it's ok. She can even smoke cigarettes!!! Up to a half a pack a day!!! Not that smoking is good for mom, but to not breastfeed because you're a smoker is stupid!!!
People don't worry about pesticide residues in formula. Hel-lo!!! Those are chemicals. In fact, those are poisons!!! Do they consider the bovine hormones? Or the corn syrup that predisposes the kids to obesity? The also don't consider the estrogen-like effects from the soy formula. Or the fact that almost all soy grown in the world is genetically modified.
But nooooo. Just judge and criticize a mother for taking a few meds. And another thing--if we needed a substitute feeding system for our human babies, why doesn't it come from something a little closer to our own species? Cows are nothing like us. Their babies double their weight in a matter of weeks. So it would make more sense for us to use chimp or gorilla milk instead (if possible). If a chimp can smoke cigarettes, you can teach them to use a breastpump.
You wouldn't give rabbit milk to a dog. Or squirrel milk to a bear. So why the hell do we give our babies a "formula" based on milk from a hooved barn animal?