To give my toddler breast milk?

[ADropInTheOcean]

DS is 3 and has a bad cough and terrible cold. He's miserable but will not take any cough medicine - he has a really sensitive gag reflex and even when I have previously been able to coax him into taking it he's been sick almost instantly.

I'm currently breastfeeding his 7 month old sister (who has also started coughing) and I know my milk will be making antibodies to help fight off this infection. Should I see if DS would take some of my milk out of a cup? I haven't breastfed him for a year but he LOVES cows milk so might be more willing to try.

WIBU for trying? I don't want him ill for Christmas - he's so excited!

Definitely worth a try!

Why not? It's nutritious if nothing else.

I'd go for it- it won't harm him! Hope he's better soon

My nearly 4 DD was awful at accepting any oral meds. Gagging, crying, heaving to the point of throwing up ect. It wasn't worth even trying most of the time.

In dire times i used to get calpol/ABs into her by mixing it in with those little fromage fraits or a small amount of yogurt. The ratio had to be VERY carefully worked out so she couldn't taste it Tiny tiny spoons at a time while reading a book ect.

Thank god she's much better with it now! (fingers crossed - just seemed to happen on it's own)

Certainly won't hurt him and may do some good. Plenty of 3 year olds are still bfing.

Worth a try, I breastfed mine until they were 3 1/2 - 4, it's not unusual to be still breastfeeding at that age.

Thanks - going so express some now. He loves a cup of tea so could even put it in that.

How much would be enough to do good though?

Breastmilk is magic stuff - it cleared up DDs eye infection within 24 hours!

Yanbu. I gave my ds expressed milk when he was a toddler. He had a rotten cold I wanted to try and clears up.

Not sure whether to tell him or try hide it. If I've suggested it and he doesn't look I'd the idea he'll be suspicious of everything I give him!

The mother doesn't have to be infected, just the breastfeeding child/baby. Antibodies are produced at the breast to correspond with antigens in the child's saliva. So it's not magic but it's pretty amazing!

It's a good idea, no reason at all not to! Definitely got more chance of helping him to feel better than cows milk.

Definitely.. Got to be worth a go.
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Definitely worth trying. It may well help with his cold and even if it doesn’t, he might just find the taste of the milk comforting if his throat is sore.

Should toddlers be having tea? Not trying to be goady, just asking.

Don't see why not, breast milk is for babies and small children after all - tea not so much

@Pengggwn op thinks toddler has same illness as baby, so in theory it should help. I think it would have to be more than one drinks worth.

Can't do any harm.. it's not like any of the cough medicine at 3 actually has anything useful in it either (Glycerol, sugar and lemon isn't it?)

DS1 once gave a marvelous "I'm poisoned to death" performance after a spoonful of the stuff, to rival the sheriff dying in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, or the Vampire in the original Buffy Movie.

YANBUbut he won't be able to benefit from it like the baby. His gut wall is more mature, I don't think the immune system stuff can get through but not completely sure.

There is no cure for the common cold. Can't do any harm though can it

I think it’s more about maintaining hydration than curing it per se penggwn but then if he’s drinking tea then that’s not a problem.