Backing up Kellymom?

[BeanMachine]

On another forum I have posted on, after I referred to Kellymom as a source of reliable and solid breastfeeding advice (thanks, MN for originally leading me to it!), someone else said the original poster (concerned about vit D supplementation for bf baby) should refer to 'medical', 'official' and 'government' websites, such as those from the American assoc of paediatricians etc. Whilst I have no objection to this, it did therefore imply that Kellymom is a 'quack' website and that it (and by association, I) should not 'listened' to!

Not so bothered about what people think of my views, but don't want Kellymom getting bad press! Anyone got anything that I can use to show it's not a quack website?!

As an aside, where we live it's so sunny all year round (and near the equator) that IMO it'd be pretty hard to avoid making enough vit D - unless baby were kept inside for 6 months (which is what happens traditionally, actually) but we expats don't tend to shun the outdoors in the same way. Of course there is a skin cancer concern, but I just let my daughter have less than 5 mins of sun a day - before 8am - which I believe is sufficient for Vit D-making purposes and she didn't even have a hint of a tan! (until now when she wants to be in the pool all day, aged 20 months...!)

Thanks!

I'm not sure about the kellymom bit but as for the vit d it depends where you live. Here we have to supplement vit d from 14 weeks.

The advice to limit sun exposure (as you are doing) is great for skin cancer avoidance, but has lead (here in Aus at least) to doctors suddenly seeing children needing vitamin D.

Yes, Vit D supplement is recommended here (SE Asia), but my reading of things is that my daughter didn't need it, as a bf baby able to have around 5 mins of sun (note: not no sun) exposure daily.

I am aware of the results of skin cancer concerns leading to Vit D deficiency, and I believe there was a (British, widely accredited?) study last year which proposed that everyone get a little daily sun exposure - and in high latitude countries it was suggested this be close to the middle of the day. please correct me if I'm wrong about this, though.

Sorry - re-reading my post it sounds like i meant you were doing something wrong. I didn't mean that. I more meant that when people do what you're doing but take it too far it is starting to cause problems.
I think you info is pretty spot on. Amount of exposure required for Vit D varies depending on UV levels from a few mins per day to a few hours per week.

If the other posters are as a group recommending only medically endorsed sites, then there is nothing you can do - unless you can point to areas within Kellymom which carry explicit medical endorsement of the type they recommend.

I'd say "pick your battles" - different site have different herd mentalities. You are unlikely to achieve anything other than frustration if you cross shibboleths, no matter how strongly you (individually yourself, or plurally within a group elsewhere) feel about an issue.

Only you can decide if that other site is one where proselytising for a different style site/approach is likely to make any difference at all. I would however say that you are unlikely to make headway in the one you describe.

Bubbaluv - no offense taken!

meditrina: it's just a "parent-support" type forum, covering any and every topic linked to parenting in a foreign country, rather than anything more. I was just wanting to provide a bit of straightforward breastfeeding-related advice in a place where breastfeeding support is pretty hard to come by (reading Kellymom and MN before and after the birth of my daughter got me through the tough first few weeks) and slightly resented the implication that kellymom is somehow not up to the task. I do know what you mean though and perhaps I'll just step back!

They probably meant no slight at all!

If it's a very medicalised community, then I suggest you don't reference it on medical/nutritional issues, but do mention it for other aspects. People might be more ready to look at it in those circs, and might find the benefits you did. Glad it got you through!!

The kellymom site itself states that it was set up to provide "evidence based" information, which usually means it comes from reliable sources, often peer reviewed journals, etc.
For example, they don't officially recommend baby led weaning on kellymom due to the lack of peer reviewed research on the subject!
So i would say it is definitely not a quack site. It's certainly not just one person's lentil weavery ideas about BFing... ( though the site name doesn't do it many favors IMO)

It's written by an IBCLC and the more medical parts are appropriately referenced - two reasons why I like Kellymom.

In the UK, NHS advice is that bf babies should get vitamin drops from 6 months unless you didn't supplement vitamin D throughout pregnancy, in which case, it's from 1 month.

www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Vitamins.aspx

Vitamin D can only be made from the sun if the UV index is 3+ and your LO is not covered up or wearing sunscreen. In the UK therefore you can't get it from the sun in the winter.

Kellymom is well-referenced.

UK mothers should refer to UK websites for info on policies and guidelines, though. US public health policy and practice is very different - I think I am right in saying Vit D is recommended for all babies from a younger age than we do, for instance, and because there are no health visitors or baby clinics the way we have them, mothers take their babies to paediatricians for general healthcare and advice. Here, you'd normally only see a paed if your baby was ill or needed specialist investigation.

But Kellymom is pretty damn sound on breastfeeding.

Thanks, folks! I've just put a little message to suggest people not take my word for it, but look at the site for themselves as it is a good source of bf advice for those away from home / familiar sources of advice and will leave it at that. The doctors (paeds) here are from all over (local, US, UK, mainland Europe etc), so you hear different opinions and come across different approaches.

I agree about the site name, gastrognome, but I guess it's too well-known now to change it!

japhrimel: I'm originally from the N of Scotland and I believe research is ongoing as to the possible effects of lack of Vit D in the population. I'm not sure if it's myth or just unproven (I'm not a scientist or HP!) that MS may have some link to this.

I never knew about the vit D advice in the UK. Does anyone know how long this has been 'oficial' advice?