Breastfeeding (breast addicted ) toddler has developed cold sores - I feel like my world is...

[jellybeanmumma]

I haven't been on in ages - life just swept me up in the busyness of trying to run a home business and raise a spirited 2yr old. But today I am losing it so here I am. Last friday DS came down with a really high fever and sore mouth. he refused food and went crazy on breastfeeding - I've been slowly trying to cut down his feeds to hopefully wean some time this year. So anyway for friday and the whole weekend he refused food and just drank milk.

On monday he developed a small pimple looking thing on his lip and I freaked out as DH gets coldsores and I know they hurt, look bad, are contageous etc. So I took him to the Dr and she totally fobbed me off - said the sore mouth was cause I wasn't brushing his teeth right, the pimple wasn't a cold sore and said he was probably just teething. So I covered the pimple with a compeed patch and kept feeding.

That night I discovered heaps of ulcers in his mouth so I called and booked in with the a different Dr but couldn't get in till today. By which time he's developed 2 other sores and I've got 2 on my boobs. I'm flipping out. She was really good, took swabs, listened, took time, called infection control re breastfeeding and basically said I got to stop now cause she's pretty sure its herpes gingivostomatitis.

Which I figured anyways as soon as I realised they might be coldsores but have been covering them with the compeed patches all day and continuing because he is stilll refusing all other forms of food and fluid which makes 6 days no food other than BM.

Now he's been a big fan of boob since he was born and still nurses A LOT. I just got home from the Dr and he's screaming for milk and I can't give it to him. How do I wean him cold turkey?????

And then I know that DH gets his coldsores when stressed and what could be more stressful for a demand fed tot than having to go cold turkey when he's sicker than he's ever been.

I feel like such a failure. I'm not up to weaning cold turkey either but now I have a sore on each breast what else can I do?

I don't know what I want by posting I guess I just have to get it out. I know when I met DH I was a bit freaked by coldsores but got educated but there is still such a social stigma about them.

If you got this far thanks for listening.

[homemademom]

I found these links but they don't really address your problem exactly (your ds is not a newborn, for example). . . http://en.allexperts.com/q/Breastfeeding-1764/2008/1/cold-sore.htm

http://www.ivillage.com/breastfeeding-baby-developed-cold-sore/6-n-137068

Anyway, I get cold sores (thanks, dh) and so do our kids despite being really careful.  But I would think that now that your ds is infected with the virus (which never leaves your system), the sores on your breast really can't hurt him.  It would probably be better to cover them if you can or pump and cup/bottle feed, but that's probably just me being squeamish.  Did she give you and your toddler meds, like acyclovir? Apparently, it's safe for nursing and for young ones.

[crunchy_mommy]

I'm a little confused about this, I admit I'm not the most knowledgeable person on cold sores but if he already has them and you already have them then what is the purpose of stopping breastfeeding??? Maybe I am missing something.

Also, could he have hand, foot and mouth disease (coxsackie virus) or are they definitely cold sores?

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

I'm a little confused about this, I admit I'm not the most knowledgeable person on cold sores but if he already has them and you already have them then what is the purpose of stopping breastfeeding??? Maybe I am missing something.

Also, could he have hand, foot and mouth disease (coxsackie virus) or are they definitely cold sores?

tho both of those.

if you both already have the virus, what's the concern?

but the first thing i thought of was coxsackie virus. my ds got that when he was 2.5yo. i continued to nurse him without any problems.

[PatioGardener]

Do you have a newborn as well? Are you tandeming? Otherwise I agree with the PPs - I'd keep nursing.

[foreverinbluejeans]

How is it going?

[Hesperia]

Any follow up?


Ease exhaust any typos, set from my itouch.