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Why Are Children Developing So Early?

Have you ever noticed how girls nowadays are starting to look so much more…”mature”? Or ever thought to yourself, “Wow, I sure didn’t look like that when I was 10 years old!”

And it isn’t just about young girls wearing skinny jeans (jeez, I think I wore sweatpants to school sometimes), or sourcing product from the local Sephora before they hit middle school. There may be a serious issue here at hand.

In 2007, the Breast Cancer Fund commissioned a study about the falling age of puberty in American girls. According to the study, girls develop breasts at least one to two years earlier than they did 40 years ago. Likewise, the average onset of menarche is approximately two months earlier. While studies point to girls beginning and reaching puberty earlier, the evidence is less clear with boys.

Precocious Puberty

While the average age of girls beginning menses hasn’t changed overly drastically, and while most boys still seem to enter puberty at about the same time, what is on the rise is precocious puberty, a condition in which children begin the process of puberty at an early age. Children are said to experience precocious puberty when they begin the process at age 8 for girls, and age 9 for boys.

Studies show that approximately 23 percent of African American, 15 percent of Hispanic and 10 percent of Caucasian girls show signs of puberty by the time they are eight years old (yes, I know, EIGHT years old!!). Likewise, approximately 38 percent of African-American and 28 percent of Caucasian and Hispanic boys show signs of precocious puberty development.

Signs

Precocious puberty looks like regular puberty, it just occurs earlier in life. Girls entering puberty begin to get breasts, pubic hair, and underarm hair. They may also develop acne and mature body odors, as well as experience the onset of menstruation. Boys also develop pubic, underarm, and leg hair, mature body odors, and possible acne. They also experience a deepening of the voice and testicle and penis enlargement.

Health Effects

Early puberty has numerous physical and mental health effects. Some of the effects include:

  • In girls, longer exposure to estrogen starting earlier in life increases the risk of uterine and breast cancer.
  • Early puberty accelerates aging.
  • Children may experience embarrassment, poor body image, shame, self-consciousness, or loss of self-esteem.
  • Reaching puberty earlier may keep them from achieving their full adult height potential.

What’s Going on?

It’s a good question, and one health experts are asking as they study the shifting age of puberty in boys and girls. Certain factors seem to increase the risk of developing precocious puberty, including:

  • Obesity
  • Low birth weight and premature birth
  • Environmental exposure
  • Babies fed formula
  • Physical inactivity

Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the possible causes of early puberty.

Obesity

The possible connection: While multiple studies link obesity to puberty, the exact mechanism remains unknown. Some scientists hypothesize that leptin is to blame. The body must have a certain amount of leptin before it begins puberty, and fat cells create it. The more fat cells one has, the more leptin is present in the body, which may be at least one link between obesity and early onset puberty.

What can parents do? Help your kids maintain a healthy body weight. Limit sugar, fast food, and high-fructose corn syrup. Instead, feed them a healthy, plant-based diet and encourage them to get out and move as much as possible.

Meat and Dairy

The possible connection: Conventionally raised animals are fed hormones in order to produce rapid growth. While this cuts a rancher’s costs and gives them more animals they can slaughter and sell into the food supply quickly, these hormones may be having a devastating on the kids who eat them. When animals are fed hormones, they are also present in their products: meat, eggs, and dairy. This has led many experts to hypothesize that children consuming factory farmed animal proteins and dairy products are taking in hormones that lead to early puberty.

What can parents do? In my opinion, there’s no such thing as healthy dairy, even when it is organic and hormone-free. If you are wondering why, check out the whole section on the issues with dairy in The Beauty Detox Solution. Instead, feed your kids almond milk. If you must eat meat (and I recommend a plant-based diet: Green Smoothie Diet!), cut back on the overall amount and then know everything you can about the sources of animal protein you are consuming. Opt to purchase your animal-based foods from local farmers that do not use hormones or antibiotics, and raise their animals in a pastoral setting rather than a factory.

Bisphenol A

The possible connection: Many water bottles, baby bottles, and other products are made from bisphenol A (BPA), a petrochemically derived ingredient in polycarbonate plastic. BPA was originally produced as a synthetic hormone, and it can seep into foods and liquids contained in the packaging from which it is made. According to the CDC, BPA has been shown to affect the reproductive system in rodents, and it may have similar hormonal effects in humans.

What can parents do? Avoid packaging, water bottles, baby bottles, and other items containing BPA. Instead, use glass or metal bottles and containers.

Baby Formula

The possible connection: Baby formulas are made from either dairy products or soy. Both have potential negative hormonal effects. Dairy we briefly discussed above, but soy is not much better. Soy mimics estrogen in the body, which may lead to early onset puberty.

What can parents do? Breastfeeding is always best for baby if at all possible. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of baby’s life, and supplementing healthful foods with breastfeeding after that. Many experts recommend breastfeeding for even longer, ideally a year. If the child is a bit older, goat’s milk formulas may be an option for those that can’t breastfeed for any reason.

Know anyone with a young child or who is pregnant or looking to get pregnant? Be sure to share this article, and help to protect our next generation!

 

53 Comments

  1. Marina
    Marina on January 17, 2012 at 9:43 am

    This is very true, and love that your sharing this with the world Kim. You never let us down and always show us the truth! I shared it on my Facebook hopefully my friends read it.

    Reply
    • greg
      greg on June 24, 2012 at 5:33 pm

      Ok my daughter is a self proclaimed vegetarian at age 3. We are an organic household. The only one out of shape is me the husband. We try to use very little plastic (bpa issue). She exercises a lot. So explaine why my daughter is hitting puberty 7/8 years of age. Every reason giving has not applied to us. So I would love to know why?

      Reply
      • ruth
        ruth on April 15, 2013 at 6:28 am

        Chemtrails!

        Reply
  2. Crystal
    Crystal on January 17, 2012 at 9:49 am

    I completely agree. I started my cycle the day before my 9th birthday. I was in the lunch room at school and thought I must have hit myself on the monkey bars. It happened before my parents could have the talk with me.  It was very confusing; all I wanted to do was play and swim with the other kids. It was hard figuring out the balance between being a kid and starting puberty so young. I wonder if this could explain my stage III endometrioses and infertility. What do you think?

    Kind Regards,

    Crystal

    Reply
  3. marijka
    marijka on January 17, 2012 at 9:53 am

    PLEASE consider adding Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia to “What’s Going On”. I entered puberty at age 9, but doctors didn’t know enough about it in the early 70s to test my hormones or to even take it seriously, especially since I have normal genitalia (thank goodness). I was finally diagnosed at 28 after two years of horrendous symptoms, but could have avoided much grief – and 20 years of the steroid dexamethasone – if I had been diagnosed at an early age.

    These days, many states test at birth, but not all. So if a child is showing signs of early puberty, SEE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST!

    Reply
  4. Shelly
    Shelly on January 17, 2012 at 10:06 am

    Kimberly,

    This article is right on!! Thanks for sharing!

    I wondered about this several years ago when my daughter started getting breasts when she was only 8. I took her to the doctor who simply blew it off as precocious puberty. My daughter then started her period at 11 yrs. This is compared to me starting mine at 16 yrs. I fully expected her to follow my pattern more than she did. She is now 16 yrs and has reached her full adult height of 4’11”. This early puberty probably shortened her final height as well.

    It’s appalling to me all the dangers the government is allowing into our world. And all in the name of “big money”!!
    I think there is no way we can “stop” the government and “big businesses”, but we need to educate, educate, educate as many people as we can about this so they can ban these items from their lives as much as possible.

    Again, thanks for helping to get the word out!! I’ll sure be passing this article around.

    Reply
  5. Margaret Flanagan
    Margaret Flanagan on January 17, 2012 at 10:06 am

    I had this figured out 20 years ago. Unfortunate they had to spend, I’m sure, millions of dollars on studies.

    Reply
  6. Ninu
    Ninu on January 17, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Hi Kim! Thank you for this information!!

    What about parents that let their kids drink caffeinated sodas like Coke and Mountain Dew or even unsweetened caffeinated tea? People may not assume dairy and meat are bad based on the propaganda we’re fed, but they certainly must know that caffeine and sugar are no good! Are there any studies done on the negative health effects of caffeine or sugar in those quantities for younger kids? I would love to share this information to a friend of mine who lets his kids consume these things!

    Thank you again! I can’t wait to share this! 🙂

    Ninu

    Reply
  7. barbara warman
    barbara warman on January 17, 2012 at 10:41 am

    great blog. It is true , how you turn out in later Life starts before you are born.
    and continues until you grown.
    Compare to my Home Country Germany ,Kids here start the Day already unhealthy,sugary cereal, Soda, Coffee or any other unhealthy Fast Food on the go or worse yet no breakfast at all.
    The Parents should set an example,but many don’t.
    School Lunches are also very bad, processed Food, no Fresh Fruit or Vegetabel.
    About Dairy ,you right, Dairy is not a healthy Alternative, but served anyway.
    I believe Yoghurt is ok, so long it is home made.
    When my daughter was little ,I gave her fresh Vege or Fruit Juice to drink,because she didn’t like to eat them.
    There are many ways to feet yourself and your family healthy without spending a lot
    but the US is an on the go Society, it has to be fast and cheap.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      Hi Barbara,
      Yes you are right. Healthy eating for kids should be a priority. I read a study that said that kids accept new healthy foods sometimes after being offered it 8-13 times, and most parents give up after 5 times.
      And food should never be a “reward” for kids.
      xx

      Reply
      • Jacqueline
        Jacqueline on January 30, 2012 at 8:27 pm

        Hi Kimberly,
        I’m new to your blog, I am enjoying it!
        I’ve read that parents should be offering 15 times the new food to babies/toddlers

        Reply
        • Kimberly Snyder
          Kimberly Snyder on February 1, 2012 at 5:51 pm

          Yes, I read a study that said that as well!

          Reply
  8. Pernilla
    Pernilla on January 17, 2012 at 10:52 am

    I agree with everything you say Kimberly- I’ve seen kids fed with soy formula, get very big very fast.
    My question is what to do with kids with nut allergy, what other milk substitute do you recommend? And if you use grass fed organic dairy for the first few years (let’s say until 5 years old) how bad is it really?
    Thank you, your newsletters are very helpful.
    Pernilla

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:17 pm

      Hi Pernilla,
      In my opinion, organic dairy is still a big problem and I don’t recommend it. It still contains the casein protein and has many other issues- organic or not.

      The best other choice would be goat’s milk formula, which is what I just switched my clients’ child to. Goat’s milk and goat’s cheese is easier for humans to digest.

      xx

      Reply
  9. stacy
    stacy on January 17, 2012 at 11:02 am

    I was a long term breastfeeding mother. I weaned my daughter at age 5. She was always lean and muscular because she was physically active into her teens.

    I saw that she was lactose intolerant so I didn’t take in dairy nor did I feed her any. Our budget allowed us to purchase organic produce and meats. I had the same theory and I think there’s truth to it. However my daughter also developed earlier than I remember I did. I believe we’ve made pesticides and hormones such a huge part of our food culture, it’s in the air we breathe and the water drink.

    The socially premature maturation; wearing make-up and skin tight jeans at age 11 is the millions that go into seducing our daughters to look cool and sexy.

    As consumers and parents not voicing our objections thinking we can’t change anything. Start speaking up now and help get rid of the commercials and shows that rob our children of their innocence.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:20 pm

      Hi Stacy,
      Yes you are right, we live in a world that is much more saturated with chemicals.
      I too find the types of reality and other shows out there that teach young girls certain things, like putting a huge value on materialism and wearing a ton of makeup to look “pretty” extremely disturbing. Every family has to take a stand on what they think is appropriate for their children to watch and what not to watch. It makes me rarely want to turn on the TV though!

      Reply
  10. Miriam
    Miriam on January 17, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    We recently watched Forks Over Knives and are attempting to switch to a vegan/plant based diet. It is has been a real learning curve – learning how to cook different and trying to explain our new choices to friends and family. We have four little girls, 4 year old twins, a 2 year old, and a 6 month old. We have found very little about eating plant-based with children – your article was a breath of fresh air. It was nice to read something that supports the changes we are making, with reasons to back it up. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:31 pm

      HI Miriam,
      Congratulations on your new life changes! I know it is hard when most people are not eating a plant-based diet. But when you learn so many reasons to eat a plant-based diet, of course you want to create that type of diet for your children.

      The children of my clients who are given a fully, or mostly plant-based diet are incredibly healthy, don’t get common ailments like ear infections or lots of colds, and are happy and energetic.

      There is a lot of support out there for what you are doing! Stay connected here. xx

      Reply
  11. Ana
    Ana on January 17, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    I would love to know about a non-dairy non-soy baby formula for occasional supplementation. I have yet to find one in the United States and it is illegal to ship formula overseas. There is something called Alimentum, which is considered hypoallergenic, but it still contains dairy and soy and other chemicals–it’s just broken down more. I also know that there are goat milk formulas, but those are only considered safe for toddlers and not infants.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      The hypoallergenic formulas contain vegetables fats and corn, and also do contain “broken down” dairy fragments.
      Honestly, I’m not sure what brand to recommend b/c I’ve never had to find one right for a newborn infant, I’ve always had my clients breastfeed for a while then switch to other healthy foods and/or some of the goats milk formulas.
      Maybe someone in the community will share a brand or their experience.

      Reply
      • Rachel
        Rachel on January 20, 2012 at 9:14 am

        I saw that Nutur Me now has a brand of dehydrated baby foods, check them out. They are also all organic.

        Reply
  12. Chris
    Chris on January 17, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    In the past 5 years alone, i have seen many young girls
    developing at an ealry age. And some of them are
    more sexually active also.

    We live in in an absolute toxic world.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:36 pm

      Well that’s why it’s important to talk about these issues, so we can make improvements!

      Reply
  13. cat
    cat on January 17, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Hi kim. If you know what is happening, please contact me. In lak’ech.

    Reply
  14. Lauren
    Lauren on January 17, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Wow I’ve wondered this same thing for awhile! Girls are maturing so much faster now…
    Kim, I read your book last summer and I want to say how much it inspired me. It had a great impact on my life. I’m currently in the process of changing my major from biology to nutritional sciences so I can have the chance to help fight off the growing obesity rate in America with some of the philosophies I learned from you. I hope I can find someone like you to intern with, because I know they don’t teach the things you do at universities. Thank you for sharing your research!
    Lauren

    Reply
  15. Kimberly Snyder
    Kimberly Snyder on January 17, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Great, and thank you.

    Reply
  16. maryellen
    maryellen on January 17, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    What about vegetarianism for pre-teen and teen girls? My daughter is 14 yrs, and has been vegetarian for four years. Her menses started at 13, seemed like a reasonable age? Usually, I try to cook local & organic, veg. & starch (different rices, tabouleh, potatoes) – she only recently relented and eats tofu (hates tempeh) but I really and truly worry about her growing body and valuable nutrition.

    Although her beliefs are in place around vegetarianism, she does not eat balanced and healthy at friends’ houses, after soccer games, at parties etc. We pack a lunch for her everyday because at least she has the good sense not to eat the school cafeteria food. I try not to freak as I’m trying to avoid a power struggle around food – but I really worry about her health and how to ascertain she is getting the valuable nutrition she needs. She is also about 20 lbs. overweight and has acne, so I don’t think she is especially healthy. We don’t do vitamins or nutritional supplements. What are your ideas around this?

    Reply
  17. Katherine
    Katherine on January 17, 2012 at 7:50 pm

    The children in are family were born healthy; normal birth weight, breast fed for a minimum of 6 mos, are very physically active in individual and team sports from preschool, leaving environmental exposure or human evolution as the only plausible explanation for their collective precocious puberty. They all eat organic foods from home, but this excludes restaurants, school and friends homes. I’d be interested to know other peoples experiences with this issue.

    Reply
  18. gigi
    gigi on January 17, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    Hi, I know you don’t believe in organic dairy, but i was just wounder what you think about RAW organic, pasture raised, 100% grass fed milk and cheese. I went vegan for about 2 months, but after hearing how good it is for you. I am starting to get back on it. I am really confused.

    Reply
  19. Monika
    Monika on January 17, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    Kimberly,

    This is totally off topic but i really need your reply on this. I started imcorporating thimgs frm your blossoming beauty phase into my diet about a week back. Specifically i started eating about an avocado a day and eating a mostly greens based diet. My skin was clear when i started making these changes but now i have broken out into 4cysts. As someody who has struggled with acne all her life, this is a big concern to me. Do you think the avocado could be the reaspn for this. I have been a vegetarian all my life but did not eat too many greens and fresh vegetables. Please respond to this…i really want tis diet to work.

    Thanks in advance for your response

    Reply
    • Lena
      Lena on October 27, 2012 at 6:57 pm

      You’re most likely detoxing. It’s common to breakout in acne even if it wasn’t a problem before when you start eating a cleaner plant based diet. It usually subsides after a few weeks. I broke out in teenage like pimples all over my face both times I went on a high raw vegan diet and it cleared up in about 2 months both times.

      Reply
  20. Yolanda
    Yolanda on January 17, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    Hi Kimberly,
    I have recently started following your Beauty Detox plan and love the GGS. I have one problem though, I cannot kick my sugar habit, I crave sugar everyday. I’m also 8 mos. pregnant, so I’m not sure if the sugar cravings have to do with being pregnant or not, I’ve always had a sweet tooth. How do I overcome this to achieve my best results??

    Reply
  21. Karen
    Karen on January 17, 2012 at 9:55 pm

    Wow! I’m mostly African-American, was a very overweight child, but started my period at 12yrs. I started wearing a bra at 10, but that was mostly fat and Dr’s suggestion it would keep me from sagging (didn’t work!)

    Reply
  22. Joel
    Joel on January 17, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    Sex and the sexualization of young girls is entrenched everywhere in Western society.
    How many young girls have a Barbie or a Bratz doll with their ridiculous body proportions and want to be just like them and of course never will be.
    With TV shows, music videos, stores selling bras for 5 year olds, etc, along with the hormones and chemicals in food, young girls are brainwashed into wanting to be all grown up and looking like an adult even before they start their teens.
    It’s sad but children these days are really only ‘kids’ for about 6 – 7 years.
    As Frank Zappa so succinctly put it many years ago, a lot of the problem is the
    “slime oozing out of your TV set”

    Reply
  23. Becky
    Becky on January 18, 2012 at 7:29 am

    Hi Kim, I am a graduate student and currently in a dietetic internship. I have enjoyed reading “The Beauty Detox Solution”; it was very enlightening and also alarmed me because in my four years of college, dietetic professors and textbooks have endorsed the consumption of dairy and meat products. It is a shame that the real scientific evidence that demonstrates how these products cause disease is not present in any required nutrition text. If future dietitians aren’t given adequate information on diet, health, and lifestyle, how are we suppose to provide sound nutrition advice to disease compromised clients?

    Reply
  24. Tracie
    Tracie on January 18, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    I began puberty at a terribly young age of 7 and all I can say to others watching kids go through this, is nurture them, love them and help them understand what is happening. Girls need to learn self esteem and self respect to manage all that is changing with their bodies. I was barely 10, looked 15, and was treated older han I was. I hated myself for not being allowed to finish my childhood. My body matured but I didn’t, and to this day I often have to fight the demons resulting from my childhood (or lack thereof).
    Although I have a 4 year old boy, I make sure he eats balanced meals. He understands what is healthy and what is not because I tell him how important excercising and eating well is.
    Parents need to educate themselves and their families the importance of taking care of
    our health because doctors don’t always have the patient in their best interest.
    I don’t know what caused my early puberty but I’m cautiously waiting to see how it may effect my pre-menopause in the next 5 years. I’m just going to continue to eat a clean balanced diet and keep moving.

    Reply
  25. Rache
    Rache on January 18, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    I drank at least a half a gallon of milk a DAY in addition to tons of cheese and I didn’t get my period until i was 16!

    I have my own theories on this…but yeah, dairy is too draining for me now and I don’t drink milk anymore.

    Reply
    • Abby
      Abby on November 26, 2013 at 7:33 pm

      I drink 2 gallons of milk a week and I had my period at 10.

      Reply
  26. Holly
    Holly on January 20, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    I am curious to those of you that posted that you started your menstrual cycles – Do you have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)?

    Kim, I am curious on what your take on PCOS is. I have it and was diagnosed when I was 18. One of the “symptoms” is if you start your period young among lots of others. Do you recommend anything specific for those of us that have PCOS? As of now, there is no cure. Doctors have told me to keep my weight down by eating well and exercise (which I already did) and be on birth control pills. I would rather not be on birth control pills but unfortunately when I get off them, my symptoms return.

    Any advice/enlightenment would be fantastic! Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  27. Sarah
    Sarah on January 23, 2012 at 11:18 am

    Can’t agree with this more – thank you for getting this message out there!
    I have my twin toddlers off all animal products (ok…they are allowed the occasional slice of pizza…by my girl picks off the cheese!). They both drink the GGS every morning when they wake up and are obsessed. They call it juice and ask for more more more 🙂

    Reply
  28. Jennifer
    Jennifer on January 30, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    Hi Kim. I have read your book and you changed my life! I need your help… My daughter is 6 months and my breastmilk supply is very low. I pump in between feedings just to make enough and I am pumping less and less. Is there a formula I can give that you might recommend? I am so scared.

    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Kimberly Snyder
      Kimberly Snyder on February 1, 2012 at 5:54 pm

      Hi Jennifer, have you made improvements to your diet? Did your breast milk start strong and is now diminishing? There are so many possible factors that could be going on. But remember that it is wonderful that you’ve already breastfed for half a year. Maybe there is someone in the community that knows of a formula brand that is best for an infant that young. I usually get my clients’ babies on goat’s milk formulas after breast-feeding, but they are slightly older than your child. After that short period, they move to healthy pureed foods. Stay in touch! xx

      Reply
    • Amanda
      Amanda on February 2, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Drink Fenugreek tea or take the supplements until you start to smell like maple syrup. 🙂 That is what the La Leche League suggests and it usually works. Fenugreek can lower blood sugar, so adjust your diet accordingly. 🙂 Good Luck!!

      Reply
  29. Amanda
    Amanda on February 2, 2012 at 10:59 am

    I know I got my period at 9 and acne in 6th grade! Horrible! It was before the class they give you about periods so I freaked out, and acne in 6th grade?? I was teased SO badly. I remember having to go to the bathroom to cry. The plus side was I didn’t have acne in high school when everyone else did.

    I really believe that the hormones in meats and chemicals in processed foods are to blame. I know the bad consequences of those foods weren’t really made a big deal of 25 years ago. The bad thing about living in a smaller town is the lack of food options. We have ONE health food store and they deal more with supplements than with food. They have a little, but not much. We do have some farms that supply vegetables. But organic meat? I know we can buy local meat from a butcher here, it isn’t labeled organic.

    Reply
  30. patty
    patty on February 9, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    Great article Kimberly. I just want to add something about breastfeeding. I don’t think you’ve had kids yet, but if you were to get pregnant I’m quite certain you would do the research on pregnancy and raising a healthy baby. And if you did the research — given that you don’t subscribe to the mainstream views on things — you would find that extended breastfeeding is the BEST thing for your baby. The mainstream says 6 months to a year. But more knowledgeable sources, such as La Leche League and Mothering Magazine – amazing organizations both – know the REAL science behind breastfeeding and they advocate breastfeeding as long as the mother and baby want to breastfeed. And they make a great case for breastfeeding until the baby is 2, 3, 4, 5…

    I know. It sounds obscene and people really take it upon themselves to get angry at a mother if they know she is doing this. I’m not saying a mother should breastfeed her four year old in public. There’s no reason to do that. But honestly, when you break from the mainstream, you see that THIS is the way to build solid health in your child; that it’s been done like this around the world for thousands of years; that our only objection to it comes from some crazy modern fear of breasts and sexuality. How prudish is that?! People can’t see the science because of their squeamishness about sexuality. Thank God that’s not me! Slaves to some weird puritanical issue. There’s nothing sexual or deviant about breastfeeding a four year old, and I think it’s important that people as knowledgeable about true health as you are help to get the word out. The BEST superfood that there is is breastmilk. There’s no other food like it.

    It populates the gut with healthy bacteria – the longer you do it, the longer you avoid letting sugary snacks repopulate in their way. (Of course knowledgeable people try to avoid those too, but my point is, as long as you’re breastfeeding, you’re helping the gut flora. You can do this for 6 months… or you can do this for a number of years.)

    It works like a vaccine, it works like medicine. You can give your child nature’s vaccine (the only one for our family) for 6 months, or you could continue to give it much longer. Breastfeeding helps to keep a child from getting sick, but if your 4-year old does get sick, here comes breastmilk to the rescue. As far as I know, it really doesn’t matter what the sickness is, breastmilk is the best medicine there is! It feels great to be able to give that to your child. This holds true at 6 months and it holds true at 5 years old.

    I could write a very long article about the benefits of extended breastfeeding, but of course I won’t do that here. I will just add that I was ignorant about health and breastfeeding until I got pregnant and began to research. I never saw myself breastfeeding a toddler. That just seemed weird and unnecessary. But I’m open minded and fortunately my instincts led me to natural health and next thing you know, I was breastfeeding my four year old. We stopped before my daughter turned five. She’s now almost six and breastfeeding is a distant memory for both of us. There’s no weird residual anything – except for a really good, strong healthy body. She’s never had vaccines, antibiotics or medication of any sort. Her poop has never and still doesn’t smell, which I take to mean that she has some really clean insides! I attribute that to all the years of breastmilk populating the gut. Yipee! (Before she was born I had always known toddlers to be walking around in stinky diapers, and I just assumed that’s just how poop is – even in these adorable babies. My breastfed daughter surprised me with her simply un-disgusting diapers.) Enough about poop.

    Great article. I love getting your newsletter!

    Reply
  31. patty
    patty on February 9, 2012 at 11:07 pm

    oh my gosh… it was so insensitive of me to write my post. It was accidental though. I didn’t read Jennifer’s message until after mine went up. Jennifer – I really, really wanted to breastfeed and then… I had a very hard time with it. My milk supply was very low, and I too was very scared. I COMPLETELY know that feeling. It’s awful. I tried fenugreek and all of the other remedies out there, and still… very little milk. A lactation consultant finally suggested I try a pill – I can’t remember the name of it – but I’ll dig it up. I was so devastated about having to take a medication when I was trying to do everything so healthfully and naturally. I was torn between taking the pill and breastfeeding, passing some of this medicine on to my daughter…. or not taking the pill and having to use formula. The lactation consultant assured me that the medication was completely safe and had no negative effects, so I chose it. I’m really glad I did. It worked so well! After a few months on the pills my supply was awesome, I went off them, and went on to breastfeed for four and a half years. I’ll try to get the name of this pill & info on how to get it, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. Please don’t be discouraged!

    Reply
  32. patty
    patty on February 16, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Jennifer – in case you’re reading this…

    I finally tracked down the name of the medication I used to increase my milk supply. Here’s some info I found from kellymom.com – a wonderful, very natural breastfeeding website that I referred to frequently back in the day:

    Domperidone has been used successfully in Canada and other areas of the world, and has significantly fewer side effects than Reglan. It has been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use in breastfeeding mothers, and has been given Lactation Risk Category L1 (“safest”) in the 2010 edition of Medications and Mothers’ Milk. It is not available in the U.S. because the FDA issued a warning against it in 2004. See the links below for more info.

    Go to http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/prescript_galactagogue.html for the links.

    I first got domperidone from a compounding pharmacy in the Chicago suburbs. But it was a bit of a hike for me and so I finally started having it mailed from Canada. It worked wonders for me!

    I can’t remember the details of how I ordered it and got it shipped from Canada, who I went through, etc., but I suppose googling it would produce some sort of good results. Also see if you have any compounding pharmacies in your area that could help you with this.

    If you’re reading this… I hope it helps!

    Reply
  33. Jannette
    Jannette on March 4, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    Thanks for all the great info. I have three little ones under 9 years old and I’d love a children’s glowing green smoothie recipe for them. I think that one of your smoothies would be such a healthy way for them to start the day except I need to tweak something so they’ll like it. Any ideas?
    Jannette

    Reply
  34. erosion5
    erosion5 on May 12, 2012 at 12:26 am

    I have a 14 mo.old daughter and give her omega-3 organic whole milk. I would like to switch it up so she is only getting dairy sometimes, but would like to know some of the best alternatives for the little tykes we love so much. Ultimately it would be nice to rotate through 3-4 options. I found this website, and it has great info, but I still don’t know which to choose?

    http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/847876/top_10alternatives_to_cows_milk.html

    Thanks!
    -Serah

    Reply
  35. Angela
    Angela on June 23, 2012 at 6:54 am

    Hi Kimberly! What is your opinion on coconut milk? My 10 year old daughter is allergic to all nuts, so I cannot give her almond milk. For a while I was giving her soy milk and then switched to coconut milk a few months ago. Is there a better alternative or is coconut okay? Thanks!

    Reply
  36. Izzy
    Izzy on November 5, 2012 at 9:58 pm

    Hey there Kim,
    this totally answers my question of why children are developing so quickly! I’m a twelve-year-old girl, and i’m enjoying my childhood. I haven’t gone through all of that yet, (thank god). Thanks for this!

    Reply
  37. Abby
    Abby on November 26, 2013 at 7:30 pm

    Hi , I am a 10 year old girl. I am much more developed than the other girls that I know.

    I have my first period this year,
    I am 5’4,
    I started developing breasts when I was 8.

    Some variables are…
    I drink A LOT of milk,
    I am slim,
    Most of family is tall,
    I was born naturally but I don’t know about breastfeeding.

    Reply
    • Sarah
      Sarah on January 22, 2014 at 2:55 pm

      Hey girl, I kinda know how ya feel. I’m 14 and haven’t gotten my period yet (though I did start puberty when I turned 13). But milk may be a factor. I never drank that much milk as a child (I was never really a fan), but I did get put on a diet to gain some weight (yes, those exist) and it included WHOLE MILK. Now, Ive started puberty. Is there a connection? I really don’t know…

      Reply

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