upset tummy (me) - OK to bf?

[albertson]

Hello, My dd2 is two weeks old and last night me,dh and mil all had a dodgy tummy (nothing too serioous just mild) diarrhoea) after eating - we think bad pate. Have been continuing feeding dd2 today and she seems OK, though she threw up one feed and is quite possety. Will she get poisoned from me and should I skip some feeds and express. Also, I expressed a bit this morning as was very engorged - is it OK to keep this milk or should I chuck it out? thank you

I had an upset tummy this week and continued to b/f with no ill effects on baby. A friend told me that the bad stuff wouldn't pass into the milk. But of course not being a doctor, can't say for definite.

albertson - it is really important to continue to breastfeed when there is a bug about - this is the best way to protect your dd's health. Antibodies that fight the bug are in the milk, but not the bug itself

Main problem is keeping your own fluid intake up.

Just practice good hygiene and lo shouldn't pick up the bug or will only get a very mild version of it. Tummy Bugs find it almost impossible to feed on fresh breastmilk, so continuing breastmilk (and avoiding formula) helps protect lo from getting the bug, in fact.

This is why even HIV+ mothers in developing world are supposed to breastfeed for 6 months; breastfeeding protects babies from tummy bugs in the water supply.

Thank you - assumed what you're saying but wanted to double check. And is it OK for me to freeze expressed milk then? Presume yes! Thanks again

I had to freeze mine, went off qu9ickly otherwise. Good luck, keep the water intake up!

I BF my dd when I had a stomach bug, chickenpox, everything. It's just hard going feeding when all you want to do is lie in a darkened room until you feel better

We all had a horrible tummy bug a few weeks ago including me and dd2 (I think she was about 10 or 11 weeks at the time). The most difficult bit was keeping my fluids up as I couldn't even keep water down . I bf dd2 as much as I could. She got it too but was happy in herself despite throwing up a lot and didn't get dehydrated.

Have a look kellymom.com it has a section on Mum and Baby illness and continuing to bf.

Dh and I were both hideously ill with a gastric infecton (extreme d&v I won't go into details!). It's the only time in my life I've called the GP out, as we were too weak and ill to go to the clinic!

DS1 was about 4 months old, and I was advised to continue bf as normal. He did become a bit unwell I think, but nothing like as bad as us.