Does breastfeeding give the mother some protection against illness too?

[mawbroooooooooon]

I have been wondering about this for a while. Since I had ds (he's just turned 2 and we are still breastfeeding on demand) I haven't been ill nearly as often as I was before he was born.

At first, I just assumed that it was because I didn't drink any more, didn't stay up so late, washed my hands 1000 times a day, ate a better diet etc etc but now I'm not so sure.

DH has had various tummy bugs and colds which I haven't caught.

All three of us have had a tummy bug this week. DS had two squirty nappies and although he was a bit clingy, he seemed ok otherwise. Then I had one bout of vomitting and felt rough for 24 hours. Poor DH got it next and he was sick every half hour through the night as well as having the most awful diarrhoea.

I am wondering if all the extra antibodies that I am producing for the milk are giving me extra protection or have I just been lucky?

[bohemianbint]

I'm not sure about that but it protects longterm from a huge list of things, including breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis...

[mawbroooooooooon]

Yes, I've read about all of those benefits bohemianbint, but never about the mother having added protection from minor illnesses, so perhaps I have just been lucky.

[artichokes]

Hmmmm. Wish it worked like that for me. I seem to have picked up a lot more stuff since DD was born. We are still BFing at 15 months.

[mawbroon]

So, artichokes, in our scientific study of a sample of two.....

it's not proven

[Piffle]

same here mawbroon
me and ds2 (the one on the boob) have both avoided 2 vomit bugs and 3 chest colds
dd aged 5 is so bad with recurring things I might pop her back on too

[mawbroon]

How old is your ds piffle? Do you spend much time apart? DS and I are rarely seperated, so perhaps that is a factor as well.

[Piffle]

he is 7 mths, we are as one

[mawbroon]

Aww, that's sweet. MIL looked after my ds yesterday from 10am until 6pm whilst I lay in bed recovering and I think it's the longest we have ever been apart.

[hunkermunker]

Not sure about minor illness. Breast cancer, yes. Osteoporosis, yes.

[TheHeadlessDuchess]

Very unscientifically, of course, but I have wondered the same thing. I've not been ill at all since DS was born a year ago. Maybe it is the lack of alcohol and generally living a healthier life?

[TheHeadlessDuchess]

I really must change my name now Halloween is over.

[mawbroon]

Yes, the healthier lifestyle is probably a big factor in not catching the bugs in the first place, but I wonder why I never get these things as bad as dh who is also leading a similar lifestyle.

I still can't help thinking that the saliva on the nipple thing where it "orders up" the relevant antibodies could be giving my system advance warning.

I suppose it doesn't really matter. I'm ill less often, so hooray.

[llareggub]

ah, you see your DH gets man flu.

[mawbroon]

LOL I would normally agree with the man flu thing, but even I have to confess that puking every half hour all night is a bit more than man flu!

[claireybang]

Hmm, I'm not sure but when I was bf dd I hardly got any illnesses and when I did get a cold I recovered from it more quickly than I usually would have, and certainly faster than everyone else in the family

[rubles]

It says in my NCT newsletter in a section on 'why breastfeed?' something about improved immunity for the mother.

[mawbroon]

So claireybang, you've noticed it too and rubles, that sounds interesting about what's in the newsletter. Will see if I can find anything about it online.

[mawbroon]

Hmm, have done some googling and of course it all comes up about the benefits to the baby's immunity rather than the mother. Oh well, who know!

[hunkermunker]

Nothing about coughs and colds, but lots of benefits for mums and babies listed here

[CrowOnTheCradle]

I have avoided all manner of illnesses since starting bf. I am teetotal, always have been, eating as healthily as before and a wee bit more sedate if anything. Did catch laryngitis from dd (she had croup) when she was 4 months but no coughs, no colds. DD has had croup once, no other coughs or colds and she's 6 months.

[mawbroon]

Thanks for the link hunker. DS has his 2nd birthday last week, so we are off the sheet!!!

CrowontheCradle - you can be the control for this very scientific research seeing you didn't change your diet etc much after becoming a mum.

Perhaps we have stumbled upon the 102nd reason to breastfeed

[leya]

Hi Mawbroon, I am new to mumsnet, not sure what dd or ds means, but I have five kids and I bf 4 out of 5. Not sure why but babie number 1 who was on bottle, is never ill, and never was as babie, and neither was I but babie 2,3,4,5 all bf picked up everything that was going and so did I. So not sure if its just me, but I ate healthy, dont drink or smoke,never parted from any of them, but still got ill.

[CantSparkleWontSparkle]

Well dd and I have both had lots of colds/coughs, but have otherwise been healthy, but then I never was one to get particularly ill.

Happy belated birthday to your ds Mawbroon. Did you get him a salad spinner of his very own?

[mawBOOM]

LOL well, here's me saying that I hardly get ill since breastfeeding. This tummy bug made a resurgance last night and today I have felt like death warmed up. So much for my theory eh! DS is right as rain though and me and dh were floored by it.

CSWS - the salad spinner obsession is lessening finally, although he does still play with it every day. Currently, we are talking about potty training (planning to start next week) so his current obsessions are pees, poops and potties.

[berolina]

Not true in my case. Am tandem feeding 2.5yo and 6wo and have the grottiest, yukkiest cold complete with loss of voice and green phlegm. I went down with something horrendous too when ds1 was a similar age. He was fine. In fact, he's had about 4 minor colds and one very minor tummy bug in his 2.5 years.

When pg with ds2 (bf ds1 throughout) I had a cold a month until the third trimester.