help my friend please!

[Elphaba]

okay, baby was born dec. 21 and they have been having severe problems nursing. he was a c/s, so i'm guessing they gave antibiotics in the hospital, and they've had thrush since the beginning. they got diflucan and a cream for baby's booty, and then they started seeing a lot of blood in the baby's diapers. the doctor told her to stop giving him the bottle of formula he was getting in the mornings, wait a few days and then let him have some hypoallergenic formula for that feeding. then she started seeing blood coming from her breasts. the doctor told her he had never heard of anything like this. so she's pumping until there's no blood and her nipples heal. she says she doesn't know if she wants to nurse him again, or just pump as long as she can and then go to formula.
i've tried searching la leche's site, and promom, but i couldn't find anything. i don't know what to tell her! i'd hate to see this baby get switched to formula, especially since he's already shown a problem with one variety. any ideas?

[RachelGS]

The blood in her breastmilk won't hurt her baby! I had blood in mine when I had mastitis, and also a little bit at the beginning when we had kind of a rough start with nursing. She needs the help of a warm, encouraging LC. For us, it made a HUGE difference and saved our nursing relationship. As for the blood in the baby's diaper, that can be a food allergy reaction. She might try cutting out the most common culprit-- dairy-- to see if that helps.

Don't wait on the LC!!! If her babe has a sensitive system, he really needs her milk. Formulas, even the hypoallergenic ones, are a lot harder to digest than breastmilk, and are going to make for some rough going for him.

[Peach]

Is there a LLL in the area? Your friend needs support.
Did the blood in the baby's diaper come early in his life (like the first few days)? If so, it may have been from his mom's hormones and is totally normal.
If not, did it stop after they stopped the formula? If so, it is probably an allergic reaction to the formula. The hypoallergenic stuff is expensive!! But babies usually do fine on breastmilk.
If not, she should try eliminating dairy from her diet, but it may take some time to see a change.
If her thrush was severe, the blood could be from that. The baby may still have it and be giving it back to her. She could also have had mastitis, or, most probably, her baby isn't latching properly. Many babies need to be taught how to nurse, and giving a bottle will often encourage them to latch badly. Improper latches can be tricky to diagnose, but boy can they hurt. Do her nipples look chafed, cracked, red, blistered? Is it worse on one side?
Make sure the baby's mouth opens wide around the nipple. The lips must be flared out--you can "roll" them out once the baby starts nursing. The baby must take a lot of breast into his mouth so the nipple is far into his mouth. His back should be straight, so his head isn't turned.
If his latch is wrong, she'll need to break the suction with a finger, then take him off and start again. With persistence, he can learn to nurse. Even if his latch is corrected, it may take time for her to feel better (a week or so, in some cases). She can use Lansinoh, but she should avoid it if wool makes her itchy. No soap or other substances should touch the nipples. No abrasive bras or milk pads that might stick to scabs. Massaging a little breastmilk into the nipple and then letting it air-dry can help.
A little blood wil not hurt the baby, but the formula could, if he's allergic, and the hypoallergenic kind can be murder on your pocketbook--insurance generally does not cover it.
It's wonderful that you are so concerned. If you're close by, go help her out with meals and chores so she can focus on her baby.