10 month old is on second antibiotic- is this because I didn't bf?

[RedPencilPot]

Not controversial in any way shape or form. Horses for courses, whatever suits people etc.

I'm just wondering if my babies colds and coughs could have been prevented if I'd breast fed?

Keep thinking about this and feel maybe I made the wrong decision in ff.

Really hate my baby getting coughs etc (as do all mums)

[dinkystinky]

No - ds3 is/ ebf and on his 8th cold (only born in July!)

[ExBrightonBell]

I seriously doubt it. There's no way of telling either way, so it's not worth beating yourself up about it every time your baby gets a sniffle.

The benefits of bfeeding are evident across a whole population, and not evident in one particular child.

[catellington]

All babies get ill.

No point in ever wondering if it would have been different if you did it another way. Because you will never know. That goes for everything not just feeding, you could do it all again differently and get the same outcome.

[rachyconks]

DD has a permanent cough/cold/runny nose/temperature. She was bf for months. It's just the time of year & being around other babies. It's good for strengthening their immune systems (what I tell myself at 3am when up with poorly DD!)

Hope the infection clears up soon!

[strruglingoldteach]

I bf both of mine, each for over a year, and they seemed to get everything going. Both have been on antibiotics more times than I like to remember!

[charleyturtle]

I wouldn't have thought so. My dd was bottle fed and is rarely ill can only remember 1 cold in her 13 months. However I am almost constantly ill (i manage to catch colds from myself kind of shoddy immune system.) So it's just different people/different bodies.

Nothing you can really do about it I'm afraid (not sure that's a helpful comment at all though). Although I totally understand, it's horrible to see your little baby unwell. I'm sorry and hope your baby gets better soon.

[ScrambledSmegs]

No. Dd2 (1yo) is still bf and is on her 2nd course of antibiotics in a month, for a recurring ear infection. She had hand foot and mouth in the interim.

[hoppingmad]

I am the only one of three who was bf. I am also the only one with asthma & hayfever. I was the one who had recurring croup and whooping cough.
Of course it wasn't related to me being bf, just the luck of the genetic draw.
Children get poorly regardless of whether they are ff or bf

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

no, not at all,
DS2 had 5 perforated ear drums in his first 5 months I breastfed him till he was a year old.
what totally ehlped though was a cranial osteopath.
we were referred to ent at the hospital and saw him the same week as the osteopath we were totally happy to try anything. poor chap was such a pickle.

Did get totally better though and he is now not sickly at all aged 7
(if you discount him having had his tonsils and adenoids out and being asthmatic and allergic to peanuts and eggs)

Sending you lovely warm healthy wishes (I KNOW this is MN not NM!)
it will pass, honest.

[PacificDogwood]

There is absolutely NO way of knowing whether how any of us chose to feed our children affected their specific health outcome.
Statistics are about outcomes affecting large numbers of people, not about individuals.

FWIW, all children get colds.
Up to 10 a winter is normal.
I don't think that we know why some people are prone to colds etc and others to stomach upsets and others again to none of the above - lucky sods!

Don't dwell on something you cannot change even if you wanted to - 'tis irrelevant.
Get her to eat lots of fruit and veg, give a multivitamin in the winter months. do lots and lots of hand washing and once she's 5 she is likely to a lot less colds.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Kids get colds. I very much doubt it had anything to do with how you fed him.

Don't regret a decision you made as it was the right one for you. Just wait til he hits nursery and reception. It's one big big fest

[paperdress]

No! Its because she lives in the world ;-)

[Friginilla]

My DS was exclusively BF till 6mo wouldn't take a bottle/drink formula, he still bfs now he's 1yo! He's been bad with colds and his chest since July (maybe unlucky bug after bug, possible asthma or allergies) and we're forever at the doctors!

Trust me, it has benefits but it hasn't been the amazing prevention medicine i had in my head which was the main reason i decided to try BFing

Please don't beat yourself up about it!

[AnUnearthlyChild]

No.

Hth

[leedy]

Nope - as mentioned above, it's a statistical benefit (ie a greater likelihood when looked at over the whole population) not a guarantee that any particular child won't get sick. DS1 had three antibiotics in his first year, DS2 had none - both EBF but DS1 inherited my family's fabulously poorly draining head tubes (hoorah for multiple ear infections) and DS2 didn't. Don't blame yourself at all!

[Echocave]

Slightly off topic but very I couldn't really agree with my HV when she said that bf may well stop dd developing eczema from which I suffer. Now I realise some formula can aggravate eczema but given that many autoimmune diseases are hereditary, I think her comments are probable wrong. Especially since her EBf cousin is asthmatic.
However I just nodded.

[Echocave]

Sorry about random words and typos.
Not such a know all now !

[DumSpiroSperHoHoHo]

Nope!

I know several mums who breastfed for months and their kids often have colds, are snotty for most of the winter and on ABs at least a couple of times a year.

I managed to mixed feed DD for a fortnight. She's had antibiotics twice in over 9 years and touch wood rarely gets more than a few days sniffles every winter.

It's just fluke.

[Claryrocks]

No! I didn't manage to breast feed my daughter and she is never ill. Ever. My little boy was breasted for 14 months. He has constant colds and coughs.

[MincedMuffPies]

OP, I ff both my dc. My dd has been to the drs for tonsillitis and my ds caught it off her. This year my dds 7th year of being born and my ds 6th year of being born is the first time either of them have been to the drs apart from their vaccinations.

I firmly believe its down to the genes. Sickly babies who are always poorly with one thing or another bf or ff makes no difference it's the way they're born.

Although I do have a little theory that all the stuff your not allowed in pregnancy you should have just a little. I think for instance nuts are fine and it's more dangerous to have never had anything for years and years and then to try.