Can I breastfeed my 6 years old !

[Mummiessss]

My child while he was breastfeeding he was healthy. He had eczema but was healthy from age 0-2 years old. After 2 years old stuff started going south when we introduced cows milk. He developed diarrhoe and then chronic constipation. Now he is in milk alternative and have severe stomachache, looks pale and we just find out his calprotectin is slightly high ( they will repeat it in 2 weeks to make sure it’s due to infection and not bowel disease) . He suffered so much from when he was 2 years old till now ( hospital admission for Klean prep, movicol disimpaction and now he has severe stomach cramp). His belly cramps when he goes for a poop and he is not constipated anymore so we stopped movicol. But since we introduced milk alternative (oat and concunt) he still have severe pain and now the gut inflammation freaked me out.
I have newborn, I was thinking to express milk and reintroduce breastfeeding milk to him and cut off alternative milk and yougurt ?
has anyone done this before. I searched all the forum and I cannot find someone who thought of this

( I was eating dairy while I was breastfeeding him when he was young and he never reacted )

But it’s seen as perfectly normal to give milk from a cow….

I’ve just gone back and noticed that spelling.😆😆😆

@Mummiessss the usual go to would be goats milk. if you want to offer breast milk do it in a cup for goodness sake!! that wont be a long term solution!

I don't see the problem WITH breastfeeding again, but you MUST keep searching for other answers. To have a 6 year old who is unwell unless he is breastfeed is not sustainable. You say he has been tested twice for Coeliac, but have you tried actually cutting out all gluten? My friends 9 and 6 year old have just been diagnosed Coeliac, and because of the way that gluten damages the gut, they needed to be free from even all traces of gluten for three months before they were properly symptom free.

its so annoying, isn’t it

Some of us don't

Try it! Your milk is made for your children after all!

😳
I think I would choose another solution.

She says she'll express for the 6yo.

Not that 6 is too old but that's not what the OP intended or even asked.

OP of you think the expressed milk won't harm him further there's no reason for him not to drink it. But I'd look into if he needs supplements such as Vitamins etc if he's not having any dairy produce

Most do though. Cows’ milk is generally seen as perfectly acceptable to give to toddlers and children yet giving milk made from our own species is often frowned upon as they get older.

Well read my later comment. Expressing is fine. Boob no. It is too old

Well read my later comment. Expressing is fine. Boob no. It is too old

I missed your later comment as started just reading OP posts.

However you clearly didn't read the OP properly either if your first response was about boob

I don't think the child will be latching on!! She will simply express then pouring it on his breakfast etc your never to old to drink milk from an animal so why are you to old to drink milk from a human?

His bowel problems sound like mine when I was a toddler. It never got any better. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in my early 20s.

I did say expressing is fine. Read all the comments

🙄

OP you could look at human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) which would potentially give you the benefit of breast milk without you needing to breast feed extra.

its not a perfect substitute but it may help.

the chances are he’s not making enough short chain fatty acids and there’s too little butyrate in his lower bowel. His microbiome is not functioning properly and he has an overgrowth of some inflammatory bacteria.

how much fibre does he get in his diet?

you could try supplementing with some human strain bifidobacteria which would grow on the HMO.

there’s a company in the USA called Tiny health which would give you lots of great advice about how to do this properly. If you want more info PM me. It’s expensive and trying with customs but it may well sort things out long term and once and for all.

Have they tested him for Crohn's disease? I wouldnt be planning to give him breastmilk.It won't heal him if he has an underlying condition. If he's allergic to lactose it certainly won't help. Does he have trouble digesting fats such as those in coconut milk etc. I'd be asking for hospital tests to get to bottom of his condition.

https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/7797/crucial-cause-of-eczema-during-childhood-discovered/

They will only test him for IBD if his second calprotectin is High. The first one was 184 or 189 I cannot remember. We have no family history of IBD at all or anyone in older generations. He had no mucus or blood in his stool so I am not worried about IBD at all but I’ll let them do the scope of the second calprotectin is high

@Mummiessss I didn't get mucus or blood until my early 20s. Not saying this is what he has just that it sounds familiar to what I went through as a child.

I think giving a six year old breast milk is pushing it. I mean, what’s your exit plan? Will you give him breast milk when he’s 8? 10? 15? 20?

Obviously not what the OP was implying, but to add to this - children who have been consistently BF usually naturally wean themselves by age seven. Six is a completely normal age to continue to breastfeed in some cultures, and has enormous benefits for both mother and baby.

No you should not breast feed or express for a 6 year old. Plenty of people have allergies but they dont deal with it by consuming breast milk. Have a word with yourself.

He can buy it online when he's older