Breast Feeding Moms....

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

Does anyone still come in here? If not, where are you all hanging out? I want to ask a question, but I'm noy sure if anyone is still here, so I'll post it and see I guess.

Kaila-Rose got jaundice at a about a week old and now at 5 weeks she still has it. So my doctor sent me to a ped. because her weight gain has been slow. We were sent for blood work, and her tests came back that her levels were doubled what they should be. The ped. wasn't too concerned, he said he sees infections much worse and this was a small amount. He mentioned that the prolonged jaundice might be from my breast milk, this is common, something in the milk causes jaundice. So he suggested to stop breast feeding for 4 or 5 days and pump my milk and give her formula in those days. I am hesitating doing this. I'm afraid I will loose my milk, I've already been concerned with my supply. And what about nipple confusion? Will she take me again after 5 days of not nursing?? I am really hesitating with this. She is only mildly jaudiced as of yesterday at her appointment. But her weight gain is slow, she is only 7 pound 5 ounces. The ped. didn't seem concerned with this, he said she will probably always be in the 5th to 10 percentile because hubby and I are small.

Any advise? I could really use some input!

[FuzzyOne]

i don't have a lot of advice for you, but i would also be very hesitant to stop nursing for that long. both ds and dd had jaundice, but not at that age. i know it is fairly common for breastfed babies to have jaundice. i would recommend that you go to www.kellymom.com and post your question to the forum and also just do a search through the website. it is an awesome source for breastfeeding information and support. they will get you an answer quickly.

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

Thank you so much!

[kdtmom2be]

We're all over in the Life with a Babe forum, there is a May 2007 thread started (and getting quite long even!) with lots of questions, info and just general sharing of stories, vents and info. Come on over!!

(there are also a few of us frequenting the brestfeeding forum)

[kdtmom2be]

Whoa, I just read the rest of your post. DO NOT stop breastfeeding!! Call your local (or as local as you can get) LLL member or PM me and I'll tell you what I know. Baby is screaming for lunch right now. Go post this in the breastfeeding forum for a more immediate response.

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

Thanks for letting me know where everyone is!! I'll head over there.

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

And thank you for the advise about continuing breast feeding. It just wasn't feeling right to stop.

[JanB]

I did a Google search for you and found this article from Dr. Jack Newman:

http://www.bflrc.com/newman/handouts...7-Jaundice.htm

Breastmilk jaundice is normal. Rarely, if ever, does breastfeeding need to be discontinued even for a short time. Only very occasionally is any treatment, such as phototherapy, necessary. 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 so called 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 five to six weeks of life and even later. The question, in fact, should be whether or not 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.

[kdtmom2be]

Thanks Jan, that's the info I wanted to get to her

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

Awesome! Thank you!! I needed to read what I have been feeling. My gut was saying not to give up breast feeding, even though her weight gain is slower. Hopefully it will pick up soon.

[ewins24]

Gotta run now but will be back w/ more info for you but wanted to say

Please DO NOT stop breastfeeding your baby!

I'll be back w/ info to back that up later.

(((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))

[koru]

this may be common sense, but is Kaila-Rose getting some sunlight during the day? even from a window? just make sure the sun is hitting the skin so strip her down to her diaper & sit her in the sun for 5-10 minutes.

[Synchro246]

Originally Posted by kdtmom2be

Whoa, I just read the rest of your post. DO NOT stop breastfeeding!! Call your local (or as local as you can get) LLL member or PM me and I'll tell you what I know. Baby is screaming for lunch right now. Go post this in the breastfeeding forum for a more immediate response.

:

[kittn]

dont stop nursing. a lot of doctors will tell you this and refer to it as breast milk jaundice. its mostly bubkis (is that a word?) sometimes it may take a little longer for the jaundice to clear but stopping nursing isnt a good idea.

[kdtmom2be]

I second the sunlight recommendation, it will help to get rid of the bilirubin. Is she pooping lots?

Are you even getting any sun these days? Hope you aren't anywhere that is flooding!

[InPhoenix]

Why would your ped tell you this??

My DS was jaundiced, as well, and I was told that breastfeeding was the best thing for him. The emphasis, however, was on hydration to help flush out the jaundice.

We supplemented with formula because DS was severely dehydrated, but both my pediatrician and the nurses at the hospital repeatedly stressed that breastmilk was the best thing he could get.

This was at the recommendation of the pediatrician and nurses: again, their emphasis was that yes, DS really needed to be hydrated (hence, the supplementation) but that breastmilk was the very best way to do this. Their goal was to accomplish it with breastfeeding and then use formula only if needed after breastfeeding was attempted.

Can you get a second opinion from another doctor?? Also, if the jaundice is truly that severe, why weren't bili lights suggested?? It makes no sense at all to pump and dump for jaundice.

[ewins24]

I PM'd you...

[NaturalMommaof3+1]

Thank you! :0)

Yes, she is pooping lots, about every other diaper. And we were getting sun on her until this week when it started raining continually...yes flooding is getting close insome areas. But the last couple days I have seen a change in her eyes, they are now grey and not all yellow, just a bit of yellow. Hopefully they will continue clearing. I am concerned about her weight gain, she has only gained 4 ounces in 9 days, even though she eats every 1 1/2-3 hours. I hope that she puts more on soon. she is only 7pds 5 ounces and she was born 6 pounds 14 ounces.

Thank you for all the advise so far. I am going to follow my gut and continue bf. It just didn't feel right to stop, you know? As soon as he said it, even though I nodded and said ok, I felt "no!" Lol!

Thanks again!

[kdtmom2be]

The important thing is that she IS gaining weight and the yellow tint is fading.
How fast is not nearly as important. Some babies gain faster than others, you know that by now! Sun is on the way for Tues, hang in there!

[rachellanigh]

I also wanted to comment not to worry about the weight unless something seems to be wrong with the baby...besides jaundice. Your instinct will usually tell you if something is not right with baby. )