Green breastmilk

[Admania]

I have had a stomach bug over the weekend and so stopped bf-ing and took Motillium Plus. I have expressed my milk and it is bright green! The props dept at the BBC would be proud of it, it is almost neon.
Does anyone know how long this will last and when I can return to bf-ing? (Luckily my DS will happily take a bottle of formula til we can resume).

Why are you stopping breastfeeding, Admania? You absolutely do not need to stop or suspend bf for a stomach bug, and motillium is not something normally thought of as a problem (in fact, mothers take it to boost milk supply).

Green breastmilk is actually on the normal spectrum - really and truly. It usually reflects something in mum's medication or vitamin supps.

Are you supposed to stop bf if you have a stomach bug? I would've continued to bf... I have also taken Motilium whilst bf so don't think it's a problem. But someone more knowlegable that me will be along shortly I guess...

I'm not an expert - do you mean Motilium (domperidone)? If so kellymom says it's approved for use in lactating women, so breastfeeding on it shouldn't be a problem.

It can also be used to increase milk supply - could the green colour be a high amount of foremilk in the milk? I know that if I express when I'm really engorged my milk is green, although more of a spring green than neon .

Hopefully one of the experts will be along soon, but as far as I can tell, Motilium is fine when breastfeeding and you can resume right away

Oh x posts with Tiktok...

x-post with tiktok and tryharder!

you can bf through illness. it's good for your baby as they get your antibodies too. better than 'immunofortis'

Thankyou for the quick response Tiktok. I am really sorry, I meant I was taking Imodium Plus.
I was very poorly with most of Saturday spent on the bathroom floor and I just didn't want to pass that to my DS. My DH spent all weekend out at the zoo and visiting relatives while I got to know our u-bend better recooperated.

Should I eat a good lunch and then resume breastfeeding?

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugline-information-and-factsheets.html links to an excellent referenced sheet which confirms imodium is safe for bf mothers.

It is really important for mothers with gastro infections to continue bf if they can - it is more of a risk to stop. The antibodies to the infection are in the milk, and the baby needs them to fight the infection - you don't pass on the infection to your baby in the breastmilk, but you do pass on the protection

Obviously, you're careful about hand washing and hygiene when you're poorly, but bf should continue if at all possible.

Yes, of course you can resume bf as soon as poss

Just wanted to agree that it's best to keep bfing with a gastro infection. I had norovirus when DD was 3 months old, kept bfing her and she didn't get it. Everyone else I'd had any contact with did!

Thankyou everyone, I shall resume. I missed my DS terribly over the weekend despite being virtually delirious, it was like a physical pain to be without him.
Anyone reading this, please remember this if you get a stomach bug, keep feeding!

Oh, by the way Tiktok, thankyou for that link. When my DH went to buy the Imodium Plus for me the pharmacist refused to sell it at first as I was breast-feeding despite my DH saying I would switch to formula for the duration (as we thought that would be best with me being so poorly).
Being a pharmacist himself he told her to look it up and eventually she agreed. Don't want to start a 'poor treatment by pharmacists' line akin to the HV quotes but the information seems so variable doesn't it? If my DH wasn't a pharmacist too I probably would have suffered on with nothing thinking, 'I can't take anything as I am bf-ing (or not)' iyswim.
Confusing isn't it?

Very confusing, I agree, Admania, but it needn't be, if people did their jobs properly

It's sad you thought it was best to stop bf for the duration - where did that idea come from?

I think I just thought I would be contagious and as I wasn't eating that my milk would suffer anyway. My DS is a big boy so I didn't want to expose him/deprive him. I will know for the future, God forbid I ever get that bug again!

Oh dear Going without food would not affect your breastmilk at all, in anyway, either in quantity or quality. You might be contagious, but hygiene precautions would have reduced that, and in any case, the antibodies in the milk would have protected him (and there are none in formula - plus the fact that by the time your symptoms appeared you had probably already passed on anything contagious).

I am not criticising you at all, but your situation shows in several aspects what our culture thinks of bf and breastmilk - that it is riskier than formula, that it can be negatively affected by mum's diet, that meds are usually unsafe, that hcps (like the pharmacist) may not check their info

As you say, though, others can learn from this post and you yourself won't be caught out again

We're back on. I have bf-ed my DS and he is very content! Thanks for your help, as it probably shows I'm a first-time bf-er, learning as we go.
Anyone else thought the same as me or did the stomach bug depleted my brain too?

Admania - strangely I had the same conversation with two other new mums just yesterday, and we weren't sure whether you could feed still, so it isn't just you. Mind we're all sleep deprived, so brains are probably a bit depleted too!

Thanks Helen. The bug came on me so quickly there wasn't time to consult MN! My DH did point out yesterday that I was in no fit state to sit up let alone feed so I suppose its a judgement call isn't it? You try to do your best when situations presents themselves.