So grateful she's still nursing - surviving the flu

[namistenicole]

Hi everyone,

I am so incredibly grateful that my DD is still nursing. She had recently cut back to just a couple times a day. But last Wednesday she woke up with an extremely high fever that lasted 5 days. As the flu wore on she stopped eating solids and refused water entirely. The only thing she did was nurse and sleep in my arms. I am convinced that without nursing she would have wound up in the hospital on IV fluids. Nursing kept her comfortable, helped her sleep and kept her hydrated.

I wanted to share our story in case anyone needs a little nudge to keep nursing through the flu season.

Be well!

[KristyDi]

Glad she's feeling better! (I'm assuming since your post was past tense)

[MangoMommy]

Two big thumbs up for nursing!!! I've already battled H1N1 myself in August, with a 2 month old, and my 2 month old didn't get sick. I'm positive it's because of the mama milk!! (my other 2 children got sick along with me, and of course my nursling was in my lap every 2 hrs so there was lots of exposure.)

[blizzard_babe]

TOTALLY! Last Christmas, our ENTIRE extended family came down with some horrific stomach norovirus (both ends... we named it the Krazy Krappy Kristmas Kolon Klense and are going to decorate a small tree with toilet paper and small bottles of pepto this year )). Well, entire family except for me (I have a gut of steel and was just mildly nauseous for a few days), DS (yay mama milk!), and my elderly, frail grandmother (my dad says she's always had an amazing immune system, which is good because this probably could have killed her at this point, or landed her in the ICU at least).

I was worried sick when everyone started falling so violently ill. Though DS wasn't a newborn, at 7 months, a serious stomach virus, for him, would have been a much bigger deal than for the adults.

[SeekingJoy]

We were on a slow-but-weaning path (she is 2) this summer, when I started offering to nurse DD more often for just this reason. She picked back up to 5-6 nursings from 4, but most importantly, I am not worried at all about her dealing with cold and flu season.

[IndianaMomToBe]

Good job mama! I just read this: http://www.bestforbabes.org/category...-from-illness/ and am glad my babe is still nursing like a champ right now.

[lifeguard]

I could have written your post almost word for word! It was really comforting to know that while he laid in my arms bfing for hours he was staying hydrated & calm despite the flu.

[Michigan Mama]

Yay for bf'ing!!

[syn_ack89]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

TOTALLY! Last Christmas, our ENTIRE extended family came down with some horrific stomach norovirus (both ends... we named it the Krazy Krappy Kristmas Kolon Klense and are going to decorate a small tree with toilet paper and small bottles of pepto this year )).

[Chloe'sMama]

My dd (17 months) just had the flu and croup and she stopped eating and drinking for 5 days, luckily with nursing she still had wet and dirty diapers. I feel sorry for my friends who weaned at 12 months, they won't have that built in comfort, food and extra protection that my dd has.

Good for you!