Breast feeding jaundice

[Shell001]

Anyone swtich to ff for a fews days to help and did it work ?
doc advised DS2 to do that as has jaundice at 6 weeks

My DS had jaundice from 3 days to a few weeks old. The docs told me this was unsurprising (he was born 5 weeks early) and that I should continue BFing as it would clear up naturally on its own. It did clear up and he's fine now. He had a very slight yellow tinge to his skin and eyes (barely susceptible). Maybe your DS has a worse case and needs more help?

Hi Shell

Just been reading this, thought it might be useful.

'' Breastmilk jaundice peaks at 10-21 days, but may last for 2-3 months. Breastmilk jaundice is normal. Rarely, if ever, does breastfeeding need to be discontinued even for a short time. There is not one bit of evidence that this jaundice causes any problem at all for the baby. Breastfeeding should not be discontinued "in order to make a diagnosis". If the baby is truly doing well on breast only, there is no reason, none, to stop breastfeeding or supplement with a lactation aid, for that matter. The notion that there is something wrong with the baby being jaundiced comes from the assumption that the formula feeding baby is the standard by which we should determine how the breastfed baby should be. This manner of thinking, almost universal amongst health professionals, truly turns logic upside down. Thus, the formula feeding baby is rarely jaundiced after the first week of life, and when he is, there is usually something wrong. Therefore, the baby with breastmilk jaundice is a concern and "something must be done". However, in our experience, most exclusively breastfed babies who are perfectly healthy and gaining weight well are still jaundiced at 5-6 weeks of life and even later. The question, in fact, should be whether it is normal not to be jaundiced and is this absence of jaundice something we should worry about? Do not stop breastfeeding for ?breastmilk? jaundice.''

It's come from a pediactric website.

I'm a BF counsellor and we advise people the best thing to do for jaundice is INCREASE the amount of breastfeeds not cut them out.

Hope it clears up soon!

Totally agree with the above. DS2 (5 weeks early) was jaundiced for about 3 months. The community midwives tend to get in a complete flap about jaundice that lasts beyond 10 days so i went to see a very well respected paediatrician (had a few other issues too at the time) who told me it was breastfeeding jaundice and absolutely nothing to worry about. I continued to breastfeed exclusively (and still am, with solids now too!) DS2 is now approaching 8 months and a happy, healthy little man.

Congratulations on your DS2, enjoy him!

I agree with everyone else - I never stopped BF and the jaundice did clear, with a little help from the lights!

DS2 has just had breastmilk jaundice ,just as the HV started pushing me in the direction of the doctor, at 6 weeks it magically cleared, hope your DSs does too!