Diarrhea and Breastfeeding - Urgent Help, please!

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My niece (10 weeks old) is currently suffering through diarrhea. She's been to the doctor and
it was determined to be viral. I didn't know that this was going on until today (they live a
few hours away). Her mother has BFed her since birth with several problems. She had to go back
to the hospital shortly after birth due to severe jaundice. While there, the misinformed
doctors and nurses said that she had to have formula. After that, she had a hard time getting
the baby off of bottles and onto the breast. Since then, she's been doing good. She called the
doctor on Sunday night and the doctor told her to switch to Pedialyte and NOT to nurse her.
Apparently, she has had NOTHING BUT PEDIALYTE since Sunday evening. I'm quite alarmed by this.
I'm hesitant to get in the middle of this and tell her to not listen to her doctor's orders
without some support. I was under the impression that BM was a 'clear fluid' for medical
purposes and, if anything, you should nurse more when your baby has a stomach bug. I don't want
to call her and give her unsolicited advice without some backup. So, first of all, am I right
here? And, secondly, can you provide some good sources that discuss this? She's already had
her supply diminish (she's been pumping like a fiend trying to keep it up, but only has a
manual pump). I don't want this to be the end of their breastfeeding relationship.

Thanks,
Manda

[Leslie]

I don't have any sources but you are absolutely right that bm is a clear liquid
and there is no need to stop nursing. If anything, it should help the baby
recover more quickly.

Leslie

> wrote in message ...
> My niece (10 weeks old) is currently suffering through diarrhea. She's
been to the doctor and
> it was determined to be viral. I didn't know that this was going on until
today (they live a
> few hours away). Her mother has BFed her since birth with several
problems. She had to go back
> to the hospital shortly after birth due to severe jaundice. While there,
the misinformed
> doctors and nurses said that she had to have formula. After that, she had
a hard time getting
> the baby off of bottles and onto the breast. Since then, she's been doing
good. She called the
> doctor on Sunday night and the doctor told her to switch to Pedialyte and
NOT to nurse her.
> Apparently, she has had NOTHING BUT PEDIALYTE since Sunday evening. I'm
quite alarmed by this.
> I'm hesitant to get in the middle of this and tell her to not listen to
her doctor's orders
> without some support. I was under the impression that BM was a 'clear
fluid' for medical
> purposes and, if anything, you should nurse more when your baby has a
stomach bug. I don't want
> to call her and give her unsolicited advice without some backup. So, first
of all, am I right
> here? And, secondly, can you provide some good sources that discuss this?
She's already had
> her supply diminish (she's been pumping like a fiend trying to keep it up,
but only has a
> manual pump). I don't want this to be the end of their breastfeeding
relationship.
>
> Thanks,
> Manda

I am no doctor. But all I remember from my BF course is this:

the medical profession seem to think it's better to have only clear liquids,
and by this they mean no breastmilk, in order for the bug to leave the
system. Their thinking is anything else in there can confuse things.

Any BF specialist will tell you to continue to BF. It might, being a milk,
multiply the bugs a little as the doctor suggests but it will also help
flush it out, keep baby hydrated, keep Mom's supply up, comfort the baby and
any other number of myriad benefits while a child is ill.

Our HV presented it as a choice between two schools of thinking. I know
which one I'd have sided with.

Nikki

[badgirl]

> wrote in message ...
> My niece (10 weeks old) is currently suffering through diarrhea. She's
been to the doctor and
> it was determined to be viral. I didn't know that this was going on until
today (they live a
> few hours away). Her mother has BFed her since birth with several
problems. She had to go back
> to the hospital shortly after birth due to severe jaundice. While there,
the misinformed
> doctors and nurses said that she had to have formula. After that, she had
a hard time getting
> the baby off of bottles and onto the breast. Since then, she's been doing
good. She called the
> doctor on Sunday night and the doctor told her to switch to Pedialyte and
NOT to nurse her.
> Apparently, she has had NOTHING BUT PEDIALYTE since Sunday evening. I'm
quite alarmed by this.
> I'm hesitant to get in the middle of this and tell her to not listen to
her doctor's orders
> without some support. I was under the impression that BM was a 'clear
fluid' for medical
> purposes and, if anything, you should nurse more when your baby has a
stomach bug. I don't want
> to call her and give her unsolicited advice without some backup. So, first
of all, am I right
> here? And, secondly, can you provide some good sources that discuss this?
She's already had
> her supply diminish (she's been pumping like a fiend trying to keep it up,
but only has a
> manual pump). I don't want this to be the end of their breastfeeding
relationship.
>
> Thanks,
> Manda

The baby needs some form of nutrition to help her body rid itself of the
bug. Pedialyte is NOT going to supply that. Breastmmilk is considered a
clear liquid and is safe to drink when baby is on a clear liquid diet.
Unless they want the baby to get sicker from malnutrition (and at 10 weeks
old that could happen all to easily) on top of having a virus they need to
start feeding her breastmilk again.
I cannot believe the doctor would give out such incompetent advice!

Jen
*who is no doctor but KNOWS that was bad advice)

[Clare L]

When DS had diarrhoea and vomiting at 8 months I took him to the doc as he
was looking terrible one day with it and very listless. Doc said to stop all
solids and just clear fluids for 24/36 hours. I asked if BM was clear and he
said yes and to feed as much as DS wanted as the BM would help him to get
better.

HTH
Clare

--
Clare L


> wrote in message ...
> My niece (10 weeks old) is currently suffering through diarrhea. She's
been to the doctor and
> it was determined to be viral. I didn't know that this was going on until
today (they live a
> few hours away). Her mother has BFed her since birth with several
problems. She had to go back
> to the hospital shortly after birth due to severe jaundice. While there,
the misinformed
> doctors and nurses said that she had to have formula. After that, she had
a hard time getting
> the baby off of bottles and onto the breast. Since then, she's been doing
good. She called the
> doctor on Sunday night and the doctor told her to switch to Pedialyte and
NOT to nurse her.
> Apparently, she has had NOTHING BUT PEDIALYTE since Sunday evening. I'm
quite alarmed by this.
> I'm hesitant to get in the middle of this and tell her to not listen to
her doctor's orders
> without some support. I was under the impression that BM was a 'clear
fluid' for medical
> purposes and, if anything, you should nurse more when your baby has a
stomach bug. I don't want
> to call her and give her unsolicited advice without some backup. So, first
of all, am I right
> here? And, secondly, can you provide some good sources that discuss this?
She's already had
> her supply diminish (she's been pumping like a fiend trying to keep it up,
but only has a
> manual pump). I don't want this to be the end of their breastfeeding
relationship.
>
> Thanks,
> Manda