does a jaundiced BF baby need extra water?

[Monkeybird]

Hi all

back again briefly as broadband down (grr!) still but just a quickie since my friend has just had a baby and the baby is pretty yellow (about a week old now). Milk took a while to come in but seems to be feeding well.

Midwife has advised them to give extra water in bottles but I'm not sure about this - is it recommended? I worried that it might cause nipple confusion and perhaps supply probs if baby's having water when needs to be building up the milk supply. Or am I wrong?

And if it is not recommended, how do I talk to my friend about it without undermining her (wait and see if she asks or just pile in there?!) Or just leave it alone and don't interfere?

wot fio said.

DS was jaundiced (ventouse delivery) and we were just told to give boob, boob and more boob (luckily DS had no problem with this ). Also to get daylight on him, like Fio says.

monkey, your friend needs to challenge this. Jaundiced babies may need extra fluid but the extra fluid can be breastmilk...however if this is not available there may be a (rare) clinical need for water. Not really safe for her to take the word of a talkboard, indirectly, too, without checking back with the midwife.

Suggest to your friend the advice given by the midwife is unusual and is she sure it is correct....bf babies do not need water, and you are right in outlining the potential problems of it.

When dd was 4 days old, my midwife sent us back to the maternity unit for dd to go on a UV cot for 24 hours. They also did blood tests to check her levels of is it bilorubins, to 'measure' the jaundice and to make sure it was improving. We had to go back again a week later for a second blood test.

Maybe your friend could ask if there is anything else that can be done to help sort out the jaundice?