In the State of Virginia, a mother is facing challenges of a custody dispute surrounding their 7-month-old baby. Arleta Ramirez gave birth to her daughter in July and split with her husband, Mike Ridgway, shortly after the baby's birth.
In November 2023, a Prince William County judge ordered that Ridgway be allowed to visit the baby four days a week, along with overnight visits starting in February.
“The mother must make every effort to place the child on a feeding schedule and use a bottle,” the court order stated.
Breastfeeding a baby is always a challenge. His daughter used to eat once an hour, while her father complained that the baby's breastfeeding schedule interfered with his visits. In addition, his daughter rejected the bottle, which is very common among breastfed babies.
After that, Ramirez gathered evidence to prove she deserved another court appearance, including a letter of your pediatrician explaining that the baby is exclusively breastfed, along with names of legal experts in breast-feeding.
Exclusive breastfeeding for approximately six months is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as by many health professionals around the world. This means that the baby must be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. of life, without any other food or liquid, except in specific cases, such as the need for medication.
Ridgway emailed The Washington Post and stated that he gave Ramirez "room to breastfeed and pump milk for me to bottle feed our daughter while she is in my care."
“After 6 months, I will continue to support our daughter's breastfeeding and bottle feeding for as long as possible. as much as possible, in addition to supplementing with formula only when absolutely necessary,” continued he.
Most custody disputes are handled in state courts. However, although conflict between visitation and nursing is common, according to lawyers, it is not well documented in the courts. The absence of documentation leaves parents in this difficult situation without legal guidance.
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