Down with lurgy, should I continue b-feeding?

[clucks]

Apologies if this is a silly question or has previously been covered, I am too ill to sit and search properly. Am breast/bottle feeding my 9 wk old and am feeling dreadful with cold/flu. Shivering and taking loads of nurofen/paracetamol. Dear Mother tells me to throw away breast milk (as if, the trickle I produce is far too precious). Just wanted to know if I'm likely to make him ill, but I've probably done that by cuddling etc. I'm now doubting myself as mum was discharged today from hospital herself with life-threatening infection. It's a bundle of laughs inour house....

no, your breast milk will help him build his immunity to disease. You won't give him flu by breastfeeding. Carry on if you feel strong enough. Poor you, flu is horrible. I hope someone is looking after you.

Forgot to add, because you have flu your breastmilk with have antibodies to it that you can pass on to your ds via breastmilk which will help prevent him catching your flu. Flu viruses definitely DON'T pass through breastmilk. Why can't you breastfeed him without a bottle?

I breast feed last year with stomach bugs e.t.c with no ill effects on baby.If you were bottle feeding baby still might get it anyway so carry on hope you feel better soon.

Poor you, Clucks. Have been there. Had feverish illnesses at times while breastfeeding both children. Do your best to carry on with the bfeeding; Aloha is right about the immunity. Definitely paracetamol in your system is OK, and though I don't know anything about Nurofen, I highly doubt that would be harmful either. Feel better soon. I hope someone is helping you out. and I hope you and your mum recover v. soon.

Thank you, that's what I thought, about the antibodies I mean, although I haven't bothered to find out if she meant pass on the virus or the nurofen. I remember being given voltarol as a painkiller instead of nurofen, hope it's not harmful in such a young one. Will stick to paracetamol. Also, I will probably give them both a cold by having doors and windows open one minute (during a sweat) and putting blankets on them during my shivers.

Aloha, I have to express because baby was very slow feeder and stayed hungry after 1 hr b-feed! I hired an electric pump and it may/maynot have increased my supply but it takes just as long to give him the bottle. so bit stuck there really, but midwive said that as this is how things have established they will continue, he is good on the breast during the night, ALL night that is.

Paracetamol and nurofen are OK for breastfeeding. Remember domperidone (motilium) for increasing your milk supply if the expressing and frequent feeds doesn't help. You can buy it over the counter - it's main use is for bloatedness. The dosage is 10mg per day for 10 days. In Canada the dose is three times that. Our unit gives it to mums expressing for babies in SCBU. Wait until you are feeling better though. Hope that will be soon x

Cheers Mears, I remember you mentioning it and yes, he did get his first silicone teat in neonatal unit and had formula for the volume of my milk was not enough. Will add to my medicine chest at my next adventure outside these four walls.

AND if domperidone cures bloatedness it may do my continuing flatulence some good. They are now up to 10-15 seconds long and DS1 (well-versed in bodily functions) has caught on that it's me and not his angelic brother. Sorry to be disgusting, have been inside too long.

Clucks I sympathise. My ds would feed all day if I let him and kept falling asleep. In our case it righted itself in the end. I think he just liked sucking and it was so relaxing for him he fell asleep. I did a hell of a lot of feeding at first - lots of night wakings too. I read people posting about 12 weekers sleeping all night in amazement! I think frequent feeding is the way to go. As I recall, I watched a lot of Tricia.