Expressing milk and SF question

[EachPeachPearMum]

DS has eczema quite badly- he is exclusively bf and it is currently minimised by me being dairy and soya free. However, weaning is on the horizon, so I have begun to express so I have something to make food with (eg porridge etc)
DH has been diagnosed swine flu today- so far I and the children are well, but there's a good chance we'll get it too I suppose.
NCT info on swine flu says that (regular) flu can pass to baby in milk (albeit rarely) but SF has had no cases- BUT is this simply due to numbers of cases so far? ie not enough cases in bf mothers to know?

If I get SF, do I need to dump the milk I express? I am assuming the virus will not be destroyed by freezing, and we aren't starting weaning for 3 or 4 weeks yet...

Oh, poor DH; I hope he gets off lightly and that you and baby don't get ill. However, I was looking at swine flu stuff on their website earlier today and the overwhelming message I got was that the very best thing you can do for your baby is to continue BFing as you will pass on some immunity so that even if the baby gets it, it will likely be a milder dose.

I'll try and find the links, give me a minute.

Keep on feeding him. You can't take Tamiflu but can take Relenza but hopefully you won't need either. I'm still feeding both of mine and it's helping them through the vomiting/poopiness/no desire to eat.

Good luck! And to your DH too!

I have read the NCT info tonight Lack, just a bit that milk will be sitting in the freezer, then I'll use it, and they'll turn round and say- Oh, SF can pass through bm, we just found a case...

HERE

In particular, "Although the risk of transmission of the pandemic swine flu virus through breastmilk is unknown, transmission of the regular, seasonal flu through breastmilk is rare"

That seems like quite a reassuring statement to me? ie if normal flu passing in BM is rare, then probably this flu will be the same.

It then goes on to say that if mum is sick she should feed baby and increase frequency of feeds so that baby gets more antibodies.

There's also good information on the Breastfeeding Network's site

hth

wmmc- I have no plans to stop feeding him!
This is solely about (hypothetical) stored milk

EPPM - you won't have a choice if he gets it because for at least three days it's all you'll get into him! So I wouldn't worry if I were you. You probably regularly feed him antibodies from all sorts of viruses that he could potentially contract. Yet he doesn't.

I love the bit where they say 'if you're too ill to feed, try expressing so your baby can have bm"... as if sterilising pump and bottles is easier than lifting up a top....

Yes- you;re right though, I should stop panicking... am a little stressed this evening, obviously.

wmmc- how long did it take for your brood to get over it?

Oh, I can see where you are coming from, but this is just a flu virus isn't it, albeit a tenacious one? It would seem unlikely to me (am no expert obviously) that it would behave differently in BM to regular flu?

If you have flu I assume you are going to keep feeding him yourself, just not store the pumped stuff?

I'm probably being dense (I've had wine!) but I can't see the difference wrt to chances of passing it on (ie expressed or feeding directly), unless you are planning on not BFing at all and just pumping and dumping for the duration? If so that is against all the advice.

Fingers crossed you and baby don't get it, and that if you do, it's mild.

Ah see, I never bother sterilising pump and bottles!!

EPPM - umm interesting question....well you see.....GP diagnosed SF ages ago for my lot. But DDs nursery has closed because of it and as of today we have symptoms again (milder than last time) but because they don't swab anymore I'm not convinced what's going on (GP says yes I say and no ta to the Tamiflu)

However last time I think it took four bad days with DS (who was umm 10 months at the time), DD was sick for one day and I was sick for 8 days in total - proper sick too - couldn't even mumsnet sick. DH did not suffer and hasn't this time either (must be all the wine).

But they both went on a mad feeding frenzy. One thing that was weird was for a month or so afterwards none of us wanted to eat anything - never felt hungry or anything. I only realised this week when I went on the WII to work out, I've lost a stone as well!

Well- wmmc, you can get it twice you know.... and your family is never erm normal medically-wise, now is it?
DS is only 5mo... he's so young

Lacka- I just worry he'll have it now, recover... then catch it again 3 mo down the line from stored milk- sorry- don't know if I;m making sense, am tired. And if this is 'just like flu' then it will be passed through bm in rare cases... just none have so far.

No, that wouldn't work EPPM - because to get it twice the virus would have to have mutated or an immune issue would have stopped antibodies developing. In your case that would mean he wouldn't have got better the first time if you see what I mean - the antibodies fight the SF and then he gets better, so if three months down the line the same strain came out or indeed was in your milk, it wouldn't matter.

Also remember the immune system grows with the baby. In three months he'll be a lot bigger/stronger etc.

And I don't know that you can get it twice for those reasons - unless it has mutated - which I don't want to think about for a number of reasons and nor do you. Now do I need to post a link to a picture of kittens or are you okay to go off and think about something more pleasant on your own?

what wmmc said.....

and here

they are even in a hankie

How unhygienic

Awwww

You;re right wmmc- of course, same strain. thank you

Just a thought though...is a DH with swine flu even more of a pathetic specimen than one with your ordinary run of the mill man flu?

I imagine that it actually having a name and being a bona fide condition means it's ten times worse

seriously, I hope he isn't too bad and that you and the DC escape it...

...and that the chocolate family are all feeling better.

The chocolate family are fine thanks - apart from the cough which is sticking around. Have stopped puking/sweating/hurting all over already Still reckon I've just had a series of colds. But you're right, being told 'it's swine flu' does make it feel worse!