lactose intolerance NOT the only reason can't breastfeed? - Page 2

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by wannabe

It's actually the other way round - the antibodies don't hurt the mother, because she's got no Rh protein, but the antibodies will attack the Rh on the baby's red blood cells.

Thanks for the clarification! I thought that the issue was only with future pregnancies.

But, as another poster already pointed out red blood cells are not passed in bmilk.

[nursiemom]

My son has eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) and can not BF. He is unable to digest and absorb proteins of any type in my BM, regular food, or regular abm. He has a gastrostomy tube and is fed an elemental formula called EleCare that is made up of only amino acids. He does not have to digest it-- just absorb it. the only thing he can have by mouth is water and ice. He was exclusively BF with me on a strict diet of 12 foods until he was 12.5 months old. He had stopped growing at 9 months old and was literally starving to death on my BM. We put him on the EleCare and he is thriving! At almost 2 years old he is extremely smart, funny, gentle, and a complete joy. He is still small but only has a speech delay (no other delays) because he does not know how to chew. He has never eaten anything but BM and now EleCare. Giving up BF him was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was tandeming him and his sister (who at almost 6.5 years old is still BFing) and had TONS of milk. But after seeing him grow and thrive on the EleCare, I know we did the right thing. You can read more about eosinophilic disease at www.apfed.org. So yes, there is another reason why you can't BF....

[CaliMommie]

Originally Posted by velcromom

There's also a condition where the infant's body cannot utilize the particular kind of fatty acids contained in breastmilk, due to some insufficiency of the pancreas I think... there is a mom here whose son has this condition. I can't think of what it is called. But like real galactosemia, it is very rare. And apparently very difficult to diagnose as well.

That's my son! His condition is called Severe Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. His pancreas produced none of the 4 enzymes necessary for fat digestion. We still don't know what caused this, and have yet to recieve a full diagnosis for him. It took months to figure out why he was losing 3 oz a day. Usually children w/this condition have CF, but he doesn't. And usually enzyme supplements will help w/fat digestion, but for him they didn't. So he had to be on a higly specialized formula w/medium chain fats instead of long chain fats (he still had difficulty digesting even the medium chain fats which are considered to be already broken down, but at least he started gaining a little bit).

But even with Severe Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency there is often a way to BF successfully if the enzyme supplements work. I wish they would have in our case, but they didn't. However, the enzyme supplements not working is very rare. They dr.s at Stanford decided that our son is "baffling". He started producing some enzymes at 8 months & I tried relactating (he wouldn't latch but I pumped & gave it to him) & then got pg w/DD & am now BFing her. Now at 22 months he is producing adequate enzymes, but still doesn't gain weight very well, so obviously something else is going on too. Sorry for such a long post. As velcromom said my son's condition in rare, but it does happen.

[wannabe]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

But, as another poster already pointed out red blood cells are not passed in bmilk.

It's the baby's red blood cells that are attacked by the antibodies the mother produces.

[debrown]

Re lactose intolerance and jaundice

I just want to make sure everyone is clear that lactose intolerance in the MOTHER wouldn't be a factor at all. I am lactose intolerant, haven't had ANY milk products or derivitives for 15 years and have easily produced breastmilk for two kids over the last four years. (My own mom couldn't understand how I could make milk if I didn't drink any cow's milk :-) )

Also, re: jaundice, the hospital pediatrician told me to give formula too. I resisted and finally took the samples he gave me. As soon as he left the room I threw them away. From talking to people later I got the sense that doctors recommend the formula b/c then they can measure how much intake the baby has. So typical. Just b/c it's much harder to calculate how much bm goes in, they don't recommend it.

[mamabohl]

wow thanks so much for all the info, I love getting educated. and wow calliemommy and nursiemom - you guys have been through some tough dstuff!

[Bufomander]

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