Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Advice needed for sudden weaning - possible hiv exposure risk

70 replies

HeartbrokenAndTerrified · 02/08/2006 08:05

i've changed my name for this.

I've discovered that there is a chance that I was exposed to hiv about a week ago. from what i've been able to find out so far (talking to terance higgins trust) if i was my chances of infection are low (

OP posts:
Tatties · 02/08/2006 11:56

HAT, I think it is best to just go for normal formula and see how you get on. As the mother of a ds who always bf to sleep and through the night, I can really understand how you are dreading evenings without it. I think all you can do if she gets upset at bedtime is to cuddle her, lie down on the bed with her or perhaps walk her round in a sling? It will be tough for both of you but hopefully it won't last too long. Good luck.

albatros · 02/08/2006 11:59

it infurriates me that this is not widely available for everyone apperantly it is thought it would promote promiscuity if it was widely used. However the cost of anti vetirole drugs over a persons lifetime is much much higher than the cost of stopping the infection. Sorry I know this is not helpful but please try and get someone to tell you more about this vacine and weather it could help you

Chandra · 02/08/2006 12:07

I have found this in Babycentre:

Current research shows that an HIV-positive mother may pass the virus to her baby through breast milk. HIV causes a gradual breakdown of the immune system. The virus may eventually lead to AIDS, an often fatal condition that can cause infections of the intestinal tract, brain, lungs, and eyes, as well as extreme weight loss, diarrhea, and some types of cancer.

Can I breastfeed?
No. Medical experts have evidence that HIV can pass from an infected mother to her child through her breast milk. As a result, the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation advise against nursing if you are HIV-positive and a safe alternative is available.

Solution
Do not pump or express your milk for your baby; instead, bottle-feed with formula.

In some cases, donated breast milk from a milk bank may be an option, especially if your baby is ill or premature. Ask your doctor about it.

Women who live in developing nations may not have access to formula, and the risk of dying of malnutrition may outweigh the risk of HIV infection. In this situation, an HIV-positive mother may have no choice but to nurse her baby.

However, you don't know yet if you are positive, and are very likely not to be. But if you have to stop breastfeeding please don't feel guilty, you are doing what's best for your child, and if BF is no longer the best option, you can rest assured that being BF for 10m is much longer than many other babies have been, and they are fine.

If you have to stop, try to relax about it as much as you can, if you are so stressed about formula it is very likely that your baby will notice and refuse to have it.

Considering she is already 10m old, I would go straight to follow-on milk. Don't be scared if things don't look well at the beginning, bottles and formula choosing depends much in the characteristics and likes of baby, so you may need to try some before you find the right ones.

Hope the appointment tonight bring you some reassurance. Best of luck.

bundle · 02/08/2006 12:10

I thought the latest thinking was that mixed feeding was more risky than exclusive bf, in terms of transmission if the mother is hiv+

bundle · 02/08/2006 12:12

(but either way, I think if you have access to formula & clean water then it's not worth the risk, though I know you feel sad about this, x)

Kiskidee · 02/08/2006 12:38

the general information about formula is that one is as good as the other so buy something that is always going to be available at your nearest shops. since formula is bland compared to bm, try sweetening it a touch. at your dd's a bit more sugar is not a concern as long as she doesn't go to sleep with a teat in her mouth.

Kiskidee · 02/08/2006 12:39

follow on milk, hungry baby milk etc is not necessary. they are all part of marketing gimmickry.

RubyRioja · 02/08/2006 12:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

snowleopard · 02/08/2006 12:59

HAT, how horrible for you. Remember you almost certainly haven't been infected, you have BF for 10 months and given DD the best possible start, you have already done the right thing and your response to this situation shows you still are.

As for formula, I was told that Aptamil is the most similar to breast milk. My DS (who weaned himself at 9 months) liked that and switched easily, and he also liked Hipp Organic formula. If you have any problems remember you can experiment with different teats/bottles/cups too.

(Haven't had time to read whole thread so sorry if being repetitive)

Good luck, I bet everything will be fine.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/08/2006 14:12

bundle, I've heard the same, from a BFC friend. Essentially formula (and solids) cause small cuts in the gut, which can allow the virus in from breastmilk. So current best practice for an HIV+ mother is to exclusively bf, and then very very quickly move from breastmilk to formula + solids.

LaDiDaDi · 02/08/2006 14:21

NQC sorry but I really must contradict you. Best practice in order to minimise the risk of transmission in a mum who is known to be HIV positive is to formula feed and not give breastmilk. I accept that this isn't the situation for our original poster but would not want anyone to be misled. If you are HIV positive to reduce the risk of transmission then you should not breastfeed. This assumes a mother living in the developed world with easy access to formula and clean water supplies. The situation for the developing world is different.

tiktok · 02/08/2006 15:23

The Coutsoudis research (google her) concluded that HIV +ve mothers should either excl formula feed or excl breastfeed. The worst outcomes were seen in the babies of mothers who did both, or who bf with the occasional formula bottle (these are mothers who were HIV +ve in pg, by the way).

It was concluded that excl bf protects (as well as being a source of transmission of the virus) against the development of the virus, but as soon as formula was given, it affected the gut enough to allow the breastmilk to transmit the virus....I am not explaining this very well but it's to do with the way gut permeability is affected by anything other than breastmilk.

Now, in many countries in the world, exclusive breastfeeding is actually very difficult to achieve. You need a lot of support - in the UK because the skills in bf have been lost and HCPs are crap at teaching them, and in developing countries because there are traditions of giving teas, herbs, and other stuff. You also need a lot of support to excl formula feed in some developing countries as there is a stigma about not bf at all (it can be a giveaway that you are HIV +ve).

If you can be sure a mother can manage 6 mths of exclusive breastfeeding, then that is fine. If not, and you know the mother is HIV +ve (and therefore the baby is already at risk from exposure in utero), then she needs to formula feed with no breastmilk at all.

After 6 months, then the mother really must stop breastfeeding totally, because the baby needs solids then and the gut will be affected - and any breastmilk could transmit the virus.

None of this appplies to HB&T as her risk arose after pregnancy, so her baby was not exposed in utero.

I have no idea, sorry, whether any of this would change the advice - but as you say, LaDi, the safest advice is to formula feed exclusively in the first six months, because excl bf happens so rarely in the UK.

bluejelly · 02/08/2006 15:37

So sorry you have to go through this, sounds like the exposure risk is very small but I can see why you are worried.
You have given your dd a fanastic start in life, much much more than most babies get. She will learn to love her bottles in just a few days I promise.
So don't feel guilty.
Thinking of you

DollyP · 02/08/2006 19:39

How did your appointment go HBAT? Thinking of you and your DD XXXX

Original poster
HeartbrokenAndTerrified · 02/08/2006 21:27

grrr. just typed up a post but it's disappeared.

the appointment was really good. the counsellor was very reassuring about the risks, especially about the risk to dd, which really does seem to be vanishingly small. she was supportive of my desicion to stop b/f though, to be completely on the safe side and for my peace of mind.

back tomorrow for test results.

the first day without bf was ok, but tonight is a nightmare - she won't accept a bottle and is inconsolable. dp has taken her out in her buggy a couple of times to get her to sleep, but she keeps waking. very very unhappy. i'm feeling so terrible.

thanks for all your kind words. they have helped me so much.

OP posts:
geekgrrl · 02/08/2006 21:36

HAT, have been following this thread with sympathy - so if you get the all-clear tomorrow will you be able to continue breastfeeding?

what a nightmare. Glad you're getting good support.

Beauregard · 02/08/2006 21:45

So sorry that you are having to go through this nightmare ,please dont feel that you are doing wrong by not bf,you are putting your dd first which makes you a fab mum imo.
Hope that she settles tonight for you.

Original poster
HeartbrokenAndTerrified · 03/08/2006 09:48

hello

well, the night wasn't as bad as i was expecting - mainly because dp did all the getting up with dd when she woke. she did sleep some of the night though. and so did i, which i was worried i wouldn't.

the results this afternoon will tell me whether i was exposed at all. if i was exposed, we won't know for certain that i'm negative, but we'll know whether there's a risk that i could have infected dd, which is my main worry.

keep your fingers crossed for us.

thanks

OP posts:
aragon · 03/08/2006 10:00

HBT - Just read all through this thread. Keeping everything crossed for you that this afternoon gives you peace of mind. You've had some excellent advice here so I won't add anything except to say you've given your DD a fabulous start in life - she already knows her Mummy loves her - even if her Mummy has to stop breastfeeding.

Thinking of you

matnanplus · 03/08/2006 10:11

All the best HBAT for the test results.

Very glad DD had a reletively settled night.

RubyRioja · 03/08/2006 10:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheesyFeet · 03/08/2006 10:28

HBAT, keeping everything crossed for you.

magnolia1 · 03/08/2006 10:59

Everything crossed for you hun, can't imagine what heartache you are going through

Let us know asap, I really hope it turns out there wasn't possible exposure and everything is ok xxxxxx

mammyjo · 03/08/2006 11:43

Hi. Cant add anything more to this thread but just wanted to say that I am thinking of you and I hope everything goes well this afternoon.

Pixiefish · 03/08/2006 11:48

Thinking of you and hope you have a negative result.
Dh was stabbed by a junkie with a needle 5 months ago and we had to wait for 3 months to pass for the negative test result.

I had loads of reassurance on here and it was negative~the test I mean not the reassurance.

Fingers crossed for you this aft