bettyweinberger We've led a home-based Messianic Jewish congregation for 16 years, under the supervision of a larger congregation in Chicagoland. We've homeschooled two sons through high school. We've written books on parenting and the feasts of the Lord. And we're learning about careers, colleges, courtships, as our sons are finishing law school (one of them) and majoring in violin performance (the other one). View all articles | Contact author

When Lael got a cold I never had to worry about changing formulas or dropping dairy products because of the excess mucous they produce.  Mother's milk is mucous-free, safe, and has the antibodies from the mother's body built right in for bringing healing to the baby.  Because of difficulty breathing from the nose, though, the baby may have difficulty nursing while lying down.  So in those cases I'd have to nurse Lael on the rocking chair instead of in the bed.

When Lael was two years old, he got the flu and became very sick.  He had a cold, vomiting, and diarrhea.  He was so miserable.  He was still nursing, though he also ate solid foods by this time.  But because of the flu, he wasn't holding on to any of the foods he ate.  I nursed him, but pretty soon afterward he would throw up.  I didn't know what to do.

Our doctors, who advocate nursing and a more natural approach to health, were not in their office at that time, so I telephoned the doctor who was on call.  He advised us to take Lael to the emergency room of the local hospital.  Thus, at ten o'clock at night, Dave and I took Lael in.  What a shock it was to us when the doctor at the hospital told us,  "This child needs to stop nursing totally.  Get Gatorade.  He needs the electrolyte formula in it to replenish his body."  That advice was not too comforting.  Lael hardly knew how to drink from a bottle or cup.  We bought Gatorade, but Lael refused to drink it.  I continued nursing, but I tried to discourage it.  I was so confused!

The next day we decided to make the sixty- mile trip to our doctor's farther offices, since the closer office was closed that day.  Lael was so sick; we had such a long trip ahead of us; and then we got stopped by one of those l-o-n-g trains.  But wow, was that trip worth it!  One of the doctors at the "Homefirst" clinic said this to us:  "Many babies as sick as this end up in the hospital.  Some even die.  You are doing the best thing possible.  Continue nursing.  Nurse as much as you can.  Even if he throws up right after it, he is keeping something of it in his body, no matter how small.  And your milk is the best medicine in the world for Lael."

I was so relieved and happy.  Then the doctor added, "You are doing great!   Keep it up!"  A compliment on top of all that!  It was too much.  I started crying from joy, relief, and exhaustion!  All my worries and confusions that I was holding in came spilling out.  I thought I was an incompetent mother because I was still nursing and hadn't trained my child to drink things like Gatorade, which one doctor thought he might need to save his life.  And now here was another doctor complimenting me for nursing and telling me I saved my baby's life by doing it!

Then the doctor told Dave that he should take care of me!  "Go home and make your wife a big pot of chicken soup," the doctor told Dave.  "Put a lot of chicken in it—she needs the protein.  And load it up with vegetables.  She needs them too.  And she needs plenty of the broth to replenish her liquids."

To this day, I still smile when I think about that soup.  We got home and Dave did what the doctor told him to.  That soup had so much stuff in it, it was hardly soup!  And what a mess the kitchen was in!  But I was so happy.  Lael would be all right.  I could literally "nurse" him back to health.

The doctor said that as soon as Lael asked for any food, I should give it to him.  Well, wouldn't you know?  The first thing he asked for was a hot dog!  I thought—can he digest that after such a big illness?  I called the doctor and told him Lael asked for a hot dog.  "Give it to him," he said.  "He'll be fine."  So I did and he was.