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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Hooray, my dd is fine and I can continue bf!!!

12 replies

londonmummy · 29/01/2006 10:59

Just wanted to say a huge thanks to all of you ladies who posted on my thread about the best formula due to my dd having breastmilk jaundice.

I read what you all said and decided to continue bf but to get her checked out as got really scared about the whole liver malfunction possibility.

The dr referred me to the peadiatric assessment unit at my local hospital and guess what she doesn't even have any jaundice - she was tested for bilarubin. The dr made her 'diangosis' of breastmilk jaundice on the basis that my dd 'looks a bit yellow' and recommended formula even tho she as eczema!!! (dd is half eastern european so has a dark complexion unlike me) You all gave me the confidence to follow my instincts and keep up bf. Just for the record I tried giving dd expressed breastmilk from a bottle to see how the transition would go and she wouldn't take it. So am overjoyed that all is well and I can continue doing the best for my little girl.

OP posts:
misdee · 29/01/2006 11:00

oh well done!!

stupid doc tho.

Hausfrau · 29/01/2006 11:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummytosteven · 29/01/2006 11:04

glad it's all sorted, terrible that doc gave you the wrong diagnosis.

nanneh · 29/01/2006 11:37

Well done Londonmummy for following your instincts.

9/10 the mother is right and the GP/HV isn't !

Sorry, but could someone tell me what breastmilk jaundice is ?

Someone on another thread mentioned her baby having severe lactose intolerence which meant baby was allergic to breast milk and so she had to stop BF.

Is this the same thing ?

Original poster
londonmummy · 29/01/2006 11:54

tbh nanneh, i don't really know what it is, but don't think it's the same as lactose intolerance. the dr just sort of said 'the baby looks a bit yellow' and said it was probs breast milk jaundice as it's not normal to still be jaundiced at 9 weeks (probs didn't want to freak me out that she had something wrong with her liver). She said to try her on formula as that would hopefully get rid of it and see in a couple of weeks if she looked a bit better. Had to read up on the breast milk jaundice myself and it wasn't v. reassuring.

And my dd is a baby that is really thriving on breastmilk, if she wasn't I wouldn't have been so upset about having to possibly stop. It's just that the words 'the baby looks a bit yellow' fill me with dread. My dd developed jaundice in the first 24 hours of her life and had to spend 2 days under phototherapy in the neonatal unit. Then she was put on antibiotics as they thought she'd developed pathological jaundice due to an infection (they mentione dthe possibility of group b strep or septicemea). Then they ruled that out and said it was a urine infection. In the end that turned out to be a contaminant as well and they said most likely the jaundice was due to bruising and trauma of my dd's ventouse delivery.

So when I heard that again from the dr I was really upset. It's just so sad that a remark like that can cause such worry to me and dh and nearly made me give up the bf. The lovely paediatrician at the hospital did everything properly and said she was a v. well child and to keep up the good work. Made my day

OP posts:
nanneh · 29/01/2006 13:54

LM - it's so good you persisted to find out what the problem was.

I actually went and read some stuff on BM jaundice too.

I was horrified that such a thing exists. The thought of anyone having to give up BF makes me really sad !

Well done, indeed. I am so happy that you saw a paed. who is BF-friendly !

mears · 29/01/2006 14:05

So glad you got that sorted out Londonmummy. Glad you were able to challenge a totally wrong suggestion by medical staff.

Aloha · 29/01/2006 14:30

I am so, so pleased Londonmummy. If there is one thing MN has taught me, it's that 99.9% of medical professionals know absolutely nothing about breastfeeding, and that in 99.9% of cases where women are told they cannot breastfeed for medical reasons, that is not true. Very happy for you.

tiktok · 29/01/2006 19:28

Londonmummy, great news.

Please, please, inform the doctor of how wrong she was and write to your PCT and tell them of your experience. There may be someone in the PCT who has a responsibility for breastfeeding issues - a call to PCT headquarters will tell you if so - and a letter shd go to them direct.

bobbybobbobbingalong · 29/01/2006 19:39

Why do they not test before they recommend formula - it costs money to formula feed a baby, but of course it's not their money is it?

If it came out of their prescription budget they would test first.

NotQuiteCockney · 29/01/2006 19:59

I'm pretty sure breastmilk jaundice is just not a problem. Some babies stay a bit yellow after they're born, but it's not really a problem, and we shouldn't give formula for it.

NotQuiteCockney · 29/01/2006 19:59

Oh, and I'm so glad you can keep BF. You know, it happens pretty often that someone comes on here saying "i have to stop bf, I don't want to, but I have to for medical reasons." And 9 times out of 10 (or more) they don't really have to stop at all.

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