BF 15 week old - diarrhea

[slim22]

for the last 2 weeks DD has had diarrhea.

Still feeding well - actually quicker and more efficient - burping, no gas.
No fever, happy, not dehydrated, regular wet nappies.

Anyone can suggest explanation?

Is there any truth in the fact that our diet affects them?
I eat a low dairy/low wheat diet. Live in Asia so mainly stir fries and curries and rice with lots of spices and fruit.
have eaten this throughout pregnancy and since she was born. So no major change here.

seeing Dr monday for her jabs so will ask anyway.

Any suggestion?

[moondog]

From what i recall, my babies' pooh was sloppy until solids introduced. Sounds ok to me.

[slim22]

thanks

well was always very sloppy. Now just completely watery. bright mustard water.

Guess better have sample tested just in case.

[moondog]

Oh, thewater sounds odd....

[slim22]

hope she did not pick up a bug.

Can't figure out where it would come from as We're not giving any water. She's had the odd feed from a bottle but we sterilize.

I guess it might be the beginning of tummy bugs since she's just found her hands and puts her blankie/toys in her mouth too.

[slim22]

so what are doing in Bangladesh?
Don't know why I pictured you somewhere in central asia....

[moondog]

My dh working on EU project. Aim is to leave 18 000 womewn out of 'ultra poverty'I'm not always here as have work and MSc in UK.
Hopw about you?

[onepieceoflollipop]

slim "bugs" can be airborne so not necessarily something she has put in her mouth. Hope you get it sorted soon. The bf will help her obviously.

I always think of it as medicine and rehyrdration when my los have been poorly in the past.

[slim22]

OK now Dr suggests it might be lactose intolerance!

I explained I'm BF so he suggested cutting down dairy in my diet and even better switching to soy milk formula!

Anyone believe in this??

info on lactose intolerance from breast milk please....I'm ignorant on this allergy front.

He also prescribed soy milk formula and smecta (that's kaolin powder).
So here is what I'm going to do, kaolin powder mixed with 60ml soy formula twice a day for a week, rather than replacing 2 full meals with formula.

What do you think?

Tiktok and all, would be very grateful for experienced input on this.

[slim22]

Oh Moondog, sorry for late reply.

I found the expat correspondents thread. Fascinating! I'm so engrossed, forgot to post here!!

[tiktok]

slim22 - your doc is ill-informed.

You can cut out lactose from your own diet, but it won;t affect the lactose in your breastmilk. The lactose in milk is there whatever your diet - it is a milk sugar, and an inescapable part of milk, intrinsically part of any mammalian milk (other milks, such as soya, which is indeed without lactose, are not really milk).

If your baby was born lactose intolerant, he would not be able to thrive on breastmilk at all - this is a very rare condition, however.

More common is secondary LI, as a result of a bout of gastro. Overwhelmingly, the treatment for a young baby is to do nothing except give breastmilk, but just occasionally, the baby remains so ill that bf has to be suspended and a lactose-free substitute given. This doesn't sound at all like your baby - these babies are very sick and losing weight.

Tell your doctor you are aware that the mother's intake of lactose cannot affect her breastmilk - he deserves to be challenged on that, as it shows a pretty low level of info. Not everyone can know everything, of course, but he should not be giving out advice that's based on ignorance

[witchandchips]

Agree that doctor is speaking pants!
but if baby has seconday LI you could express an oz or two at beginning of feed to reduce the amount of lactose in each feed

[slim22]

many thanks!

I had a feeling he was talking bull. so what do I do with the kaolin powder?

Give or not? give mixed in water, breastmilk or soy formula?

How long should I wait before getting worried about watery poo?
If it's a virus, how long do you think before she's OK?
My guess here is that diarrhea will be on and off forever now that she found here mouth and will be swallowing all sorts of bugs from what she touches.

I can sterilze as much as I want, it won't stop her brother (4.5) from holding her hands in his unwashed paws!

Guess that's how they build up immunity?

As for the Dr he is 60 plus pediatric cardiologist. I just stick with him for practical continuity of care until she's 6 months and due for her big heart scan. But that's another story!
I will revert to our usual DR after that.

[slim22]

makes sense about expressing foremilk first. time consuming though!