James Smith wrote:

> My wife could only breast feed for close to 5 months
> as she was not producing quality milk (this was pre-paleo). She is
> 8 months pregnant now & hopefully will be able to breastfeed for a
> year or two maybe three. We have been trying to find a paleo formula
> just in case. If any one knows of one please e-mail it to me directly.

I do not believe any formula is paleo. They are all animal milk based
(mostly cow milk), or soy based. The only paleo food for infants is human
breastmilk.

I would recommend doing some research about breastfeeding before your new
child is born. I've never heard of a woman "not producing quality milk" and
would suspect you've been given some misinformation. (This is not
surprising, as most medical professionals do not have proper training about
breastfeeding.) While some women do have a condition that prevents them from
making enough milk to nourish a child, this is an extremely rare event. Even
women who are living under starvation conditions actually produce adequate
breastmilk.

Here are some tips for successful breastfeeding:
-Nurse whenever the baby is hungry. This might mean every 2 hours, it might
mean every 20 minutes. The baby might have just eaten, and want to nurse
again 15 minutes later -- this is fine.
-The baby and the mother should sleep together. I'm sure all paleo newborns
slept with their mothers, and it just makes sense for establishing a safe
and successful breastfeeding relationship.
-Avoid bottles and pacifiers. If the father is concerned about bonding with
the new baby, he can bathe her or rock her to sleep or wear her in a sling
or take her to the grocery store or just about anything!

If you are concerned your wife will have trouble breastfeeding, I would
recommend lining up an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
(IBCLC) before the birth, so you have a resource to go to if necessary.
(You can search for local IBCLCs here: http://www.ilca.org/find/index.php )

In terms of when to stop breastfeeding, there is a very interesting article
at http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/detwean.html -- based on biological and
anthropological information, Dr. Detwyler determined the MINIMUM age for
weaning to be 2.5 years, with many children nursing much longer with much
benefit.

Hope this helps!
-Rosemary