Question about sticky eye and colostrum

[JamieJay]

Newborn DD (1 day old) has a sticky eye and I've heard about using breatmilk to clear it.

Obviously milk hAsn't come yet - will colostrum do the same job?? (please dont laugh at simpleness of question!) and how should I apply it??

Hand extressing isn't a problem as have of the stuff coming through!!!

TIA

Yes it should do - just squeeze a bit out onto your finger and then wipe it on the eye.

Congratulations!

Congrats!!!
Breastmilk and colostrum cures all!!!
I used to express a bit onto cotton wool and wipe with that. Just wipe from centre to outside and throw the cotton wool away, don't wipe back over the eye or use for the other eye. It's probably just from the amniotic fluid, more common if there was meconium in the water. It wont last long.

Thanks both - will go express some now....

This just reminded me...

DS had a sticky eye for ages - at least six week, i'd been using breastmilk and it simply wasn't shifting, so i reluctantly took him to docs.

I told doctor that i'd been squirting breastmilk into his eye and he was mnortified - said it was totally unclean and unsterile, i quickly pointed out to him that he was in fact wrong on both counts, and he then informed me that i shouldn't do it because i have dirty nipples !!!

He annoyed me so much that i didn't take anything he prescribed and continued to use breastmilk in my sons eye. And it cleared up.

'dirty nipples' what a twat

go for it JamieJay [smile

hope it clears up quick

You should have asked him if they make sterilisers for boobs

My ds had a sticky eye for a few days after birth and my MIL said I should put some colostrum/milk in his eyes whereas the midwives said to use cooled boiled water. MIL's advice worked and his eyes cleared up after a day or so.

I read somewhere recently that it's any sterile, gentle fluid. And bm is on tap so to speak.

I used colostrum for DS's sticky eye at a couple of days old, and it worked like magic.

Felt supremely weird to spoon a bit of breastmilk into my newborn's eye though! (I expressed a bit onto a sterile spoon and dripped it in, iykwim)

Thanks all

GPs can be stupid about breastmilk can't they deemented - have been lucky that the surgery and hospital I'm under are really pro breastfeeding so far - guess I'll see if they continue to be if she loses weight.

Have been wiping the eye with cooled boiled water as the she is waking up very sticky and then wiping some colostrum on it to see if that inproves it.

Midwife came today and has taken a swap to make sure there is no infection so will hear on Tuesday if I need to give her antibiotics.