The Cavity Creeps - part 1

Have you heard about the link between nighttime breastfeeding and cavities in young children? I never did, until just a few days ago when I was reading the section in What to Expect the First Year on “The Seventh Month”, which Violet is about to enter. I figured I’d brush up on what Violet is supposed to and not supposed to be doing, just so I’d have an adequate supply of concerns for the month, and I was surprised to read the recommendation that we should cease all nighttime breastfeeding once Violet’s first tooth emerges. This is not some crackpot theory, this is straight from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The idea is that without the regular rinsing of the teeth that saliva provides during the waking hours, the sugars contained in breast milk will stay on the teeth, promoting decay.  I read the section to Linda, and we were both left wondering how we could possibly follow a “no breastfeeding at night” routine. Currently, Violet goes to sleep at 8 PM and (usually) sleeps for 7-8 hours. Then, since it’s still 3 or 4 AM, Linda brings her into bed and nurses her on and off until it’s time to get up at 8 or so. Stopping all nighttime feedings would mean shifting her to a later bedtime or trying to stretch her sleeping time from 8 to 12 hours. Neither of these was an attractive alternative. So, we did some research – tomorrow, I’ll let you know what we found out.

174 days old