Practical parenting questions for practicsing Jehovah's Witnesses?

[peanutbutterkid]

Someone asked me and I coudldn't puzzle it out:

1. When you're growing a baby inside the uterus some of its blood mingles with the mother's own (that's why the AFP tests works to find genetic abnormalities in the baby). How do JW's reconcile this with the prohibition on mingling blood from different people?

2. If you're breastfeeding and you get cracked and bleeding nipples, what are you supposed to do? Is it okay to keep breastfeeding while you sort the problem out?

I am not a JW but a biology teacher.

There is no direct mixing of whole blood while the baby is developing. Some of the constituents of blood cross the placenta, but there is no direct connection between maternal and foetal blood.

When the baby ingests some maternal blood while breastfeeding, the blod enters the stomach, where it is broken down. It does not enter the babies blood stream directly.

Si I assume that JWs would say that there is no direct mingling of blood

hth

do any JWs agree with what MB said (thanks, btw)

I am a Jehovah's Witness, but do not know a direct answer to your question.

The guideline in the bible (acts 15:29) is to "abstain from blood" which in practical terms is blood transfusion (there are many alternatives that can be used btw) and eating blood (animals should have been bled, no blood pudding etc...)

What happens in the uterus is uncontrollable and part of the natural order of things, so this can't in my mind be an issue.

As for the breastfeeding, it would be up to the mother to decide. For instance some would suck their finger if they cut it, some wouldn't. It would be up to the person's conscience, personally I don't think I'd have a problem with it.