How do you BF during an illness?

[neko]

I've been fightinh bugs for over a month and a half now. This was hard enough, but now I've had a week of flue and high fever (104.5) and now I think it's turned into pneumonia. Talking makes me short of breath. I feel like I have an oceans worth of weight on my chest. I'm too weak to hold my baby more than a minute or two...Nasty coughts, vomiting, diareah... I can not keep my head above the water.

I don't want to stop breast feeding my 4mo daughter, especially because I don't want her to get what I have. However, I'm having a hard time eating enough calories to sustain myself let alone produce milk.

What's your advice to get through difficult illnesses like this?

TIA

[RachelGS]

Yikes. I'm so sorry you're so sick. Have you seen a doctor? It sounds like you're not moving enough air, and if that's the case, you need medical attention.

As for nursing, though, can you nurse side-lying?

[MeepyCat]

Youch. That is a lot of sick, mama.

I was going to say, just nurse on through. Stay in bed with the babe (she's four months, she'll be perfectly delighted to lie next to you and snuggle), feed her on demand as usual.

But that's a LOT of sick you've got there. I feel like you need some attention from a medical professional to get better. Lung function is nothing to fool around with, and you sound like you're at risk for dehydration on top of everything else.

So I'm going to say, you need help. I would attack the dehydration with something like pedialyte or whatever the adult equivalent is. Work up to rice, bananas, applesauce and plain toast. Once you stop vomiting, have some yogurt to help repopulate intestinal flora, and otherwise give dairy a bit of a wide berth for a bit. Stomach flus usually pass pretty quickly (48 hours or so), but can leave you feeling badly blitzed even after the acute phase is over.

For the respiratory ick, the advice is less clear. I'm really concerned about your oxygenation levels, and I don't think extra vitamin C is going to get you through this one, even if you could keep it down right this second.

[neko]

Dr.'s appointment is tomorrow- I just couldn't get anything sooner. Plus with out insurance it's such a pain to find a doctor.

[neko]

OP Update

Turns out I have pnumonia. The Dr. wants hospitalizaton. Eesh... the logistics of it boggle the mind. Anyone here have experience getting BM to a baby while stuck in the hospital?

[PatioGardener]

Do you have a pump? I know that when moms here are in the hospital for their illness, they nurse during the day, and pump at night. the doctor makes sure that the medications are breastfeeding compatible. And if the mom doesn't have a pump, the doctor writes it as an order on her chart and the lactation consultant brings her one.

so sorry you are so sick - I hope your hospital stay goes quickly!