Re-lactation for 17 month old

[iamapixie]

I stopped b/f'ing when daughter 9 mths old (mainly cos never really enjoyed it much) and ever since I have wished I hadn't, because she gets so many more colds now and I am becoming bonkers about cleaning things all the time to try to stop her getting ill. Anyway, I have looked into re-lactation and know that it's possible, and how it can be done. But when last discussed it months ago with hubby, he thought I was bonkers; and lots of stuff on the internet about it just has people being really negative and silly about it; so I feel almost scared about doing it. I would go ahead and give it a go if I felt people could be supportive. I would not breastfeed again (neither I nor daughter would want to and she has probably lost the knack) but just a fl oz or so added to her milk might save me from cleaning madness!
Any views? (BUT supportive-only ones please. I know a lot about relactation and don't want people just being aggro and horrid!)

[PartOfTheHumphreysGroup]

I think having a snotty nose is part of the baby - toddler job description!

now put down the disinfectant

[iamapixie]

Thank you to all. Yes I know that mad cleaning is not the answer (and I was always determined that dd would grow up surrounded by plenty of strength-making germs!!) Interesting to know that babies that are still b/f are still getting ill...maybe it's not all my fault then!!

[Babieseverywhere]

My second child DS, 14 months old has many colds and he is still been breastfed. I reckon in his case it is his older sister starting nursery is bringing home more germs than normal...sigh.

I have read (happy to be corrected if I am talking bollocks) that the main reason breastmilk helps treat illness, is the baby actively nursing from the breast passes the germs to the mum via salvia, this triggers the mother to make milk which will help protect the baby.

If I am right, using breastmilk from another mother or expressing milk will be of little help to prevent illness in your little one.

There is the other option of putting your DD to your breast to comfort feed irrelevent of milk produced or not....but from your OP it does not sound like this is something you are looking for.

{{{Hugs}}} It is hard when your baby gets sick.

[PartOfTheHumphreysGroup]

I do agree that just cleaning everything is not really the way to go.

Kids need to have colds in order to build up their own immunity, it's great to have yours as a starter but as far as I understand it breast milk immunity is just temporary anyway. I might be wrong but I think you are getting in to a state about nothing, personally.

You gave her an excellent start In life and pumping every hour for god knows how long just to get back in to breastfeeding that you didn't enjoy does seem a little bonkers. In the nicest possible way.

[crokky]

Can I ask why you didn't enjoy bf when your DD was younger? Personally, I didn't enjoy it either but fed my DCs for a year each. I think it is the hormones that breastfeeding brings that make you not enjoy it for some people so I would caution you against these hormones coming back (which presumably they would?). Your DD would have lost her latch, yes, my kids lost their latch in under a fortnight after I stopped feeding (tried to feed DS after 2 wks as he was ill).

[whomovedmychocolate]

Ah don't feel bad - I don't like feeding DS very much - I loved feeding DD but it's just different with DS. I still do it because he does enjoy it but it doesn't matter at the end of the day, you gave her a great start. And it sounds like she may have got to the point where she started being in more social situations because of her age and then - quite unsurprisingly - she got more colds. There is a reason tiny babies don't get measles much you know - they just have such crap social lives .

And I have two breastfed kids (one of which has more or less self weaned) and they've both had colds pretty much forever, if one isn't snotty, the other is. Up till six that's just how they get an immune system!

[iamapixie]

Thank you v much for swift (and nice!) replies. I just think she gets more colds because in her first nine months, ie while b/f ,she had one / maybe two; for the 3 months after I stopped, she had one every fortnight (seriously!) and now, 7 1/2 later, we're into autumn and she's got one and has snot coming out of every orifice and is wailing her poor little head off...and yes, I do feel a bit guilty - but also, I just couldn't see the wood for the trees while I was breastfeeding because I never liked it (it's a lonely place to be - most mothers who b/f as long as I did like it a lot more than I did). Now that I have done both breast and bottle-feeding, I feel more able to see the + points of breastmilk. Anyway, am wittering. I just feel all damned weird and sad and confused.
thanks again.

[PacificDogwood]

Wow, I admire you committment and dedication to this! (As I know I could never be bothered)
As a fellow mother who did not particularly enjoy BFing and had varying degrees of success with DSs 1-3 here is what popped into my little mind when reading your post:

I am not sure how much a couple of fluid oz of breast milk would provide in terms of antibody protection. I know the statistics and the fact that BF babies are less prone to infection however how well it works for an individual child is of course impossible to predict. I know many fully BF children who seem to catch everything and fully FF kids who seem to have the constitution of an ox.

You are cleaning everything? I really would not go overboard with that, not in your own home. Nursery/playgroup toys should of course be cleaned regularly.

The under 5s are the group of children mostlikely to catch lots of bugs and have many, many colds and stomach upsets. This is what builds their immunity and helps mature it. And again, some of it is constitutional: some kids catch everything, others seem to never be ill.

I have 3 boys, one is never ill, one is always ill, jury is still out on DS3 (he is 18/12).

I think what you are trying to do is amazing and truly admirable. I hope it will not be too stressful/exhausting for you and really hope you will have the desired result. Sorry, I was not terribly positive... I have no experience in relactation and wish you all the success in the world. Hopefully somebody with more specialist knowledge will be along soon.

[jimbobsmummy]

17 month old kids get colds all the time, its the rules! I really don't think you can prevent it much and cleaning +++ is unlikely to help (or even possibly make it worse as they get less immunity).

I really can't think that starting breastfeeding again after almost a year is likely to help at all. Thats even assuming it works, which to be honest sounds very unlikely even full timefeeding but even less so with only a bit here and there.

Sorry. Not being aggro or horrid but I honestly don't think this is a realistic prospect.

Easing back on the cleaning would be a much better option all round.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Well if you want to try something in the privacy of your own home, which might help your daughter, what exactly does it have to do with anyone else?

But can I ask: would you consider buying breastmilk instead? Just a thought but perhaps if you really want to try this and it doesn't work out you could do this.

Would suggest a medical grade pump if you aren't going to directly nurse though.

How do you know btw that she gets a lot more colds than she would if she hadn't been fed for longer? I'm curious because most kids get between 14 and 20 colds in their first year (of varying degrees of seriousness). So it may just be a normal year? Are you perhaps just feeling guilty (for no reason may I add you got to nine months FFS - much, much more than most - not me I'm lactowoman - but the vast *majority).

But whatever you decide, good luck. I'd never mock someone for trying to do the best for their child and the views of anyone who does don't merit consideration.

[thisisyesterday]

have you looked on kellymom? there will be info on there.
be prepared to be in for a long slog. it can be hard work, and it can take a while to build up a supply, so don't get dishearteend.

you ought to be able to do it simply by pumping regularly. it may take a couple of weeks for anything much to happen though iirc

i think it's a lovely idea!