[jessc79]

I know, I know. I have done everything wrong so far.

I eat fast food at least once a day. I work and I am exeptionally busy. I am breastfeeding but I have to pump during the day so he doesn't get it from the tap. I got talked into my son's 2 month vaxes. He is in daycare. I have given him Advil and Tylenol and showers when he has had a fever per ped's orders. I know its my fault.

He has been sick every week for the past 6 weeks. He is only 4 months old.

I am starting to think that he doesn't know what it is like to not be sick.

My ped says I just have to live with it and treat the symptoms because he is in daycare. I can't quit my job, I am the steady income. I can't live with that. I can't accept that my baby is just going to be sick forever.

Right now he has an awful cough. I haven't given him anything for it. He went to the doc the other day and they said it was just a cold. So I have been keeping him warm and nursing him and trying to keep his stimulation low. Hopefully it will work and he will come out of this without needing antibiotics.

What can I do? I know there are books out there but I am just so overwhelmed. I have bought some organic things and put them in the fridge but I end up getting something quicker because we are on the go a lot so this week it has been like 75% crappy diet 25% good diet. Its a start, I know, but I want to do a complete change.

I want my diet to be better. I want my son to be healthy. I want to kick the tylenol and advil out the door and help him in natural ways. But I don't know where to start. Most of the stuff I read about (echinacea, etc.) you can't really give babies, right? Please help!!

 

[seraph]

Even with poor nutrition, mamas make good milk. It's been studied in places where there is famine, even if mom is getting really poor nutrition the quality of her breastmilk is essentially the same as moms who get good nutrition. I think for your own sake changing your diet would be healthier for you in the long run, but I also know the insanity of daily life, especially for mamas who WOH doesn't always make that possible.
As for your son, I think honestly that even with herbs and all the things you could do to boost his immune system, you'd also have to wait it out. I used to teach preschool, and it took a good six months of annoying minor illnesses before my immune system was strong enough to handle all the bugs I was exposed to on a daily basis. That seems to be the experience for many people I know with children in daycare - there's a period of adjustment where the whole family catches every bug that comes home from school, and after several months everyone stops getting sick. There are a lot of things to boost the immune system (when your son gets to be six months, I think you can give him echinacea, but starting now you can take it yourself) but there's no magic pill, unfortunately.
Give yourself a break, mama!

Yes, there are things you could do differently, but you are not damaging your son for life. He gets your milk, which is so excellent, and it's obvious you love him very much. He will be just fine.

 

[AnnMarie]

I agree with seraph. You are doing a wonderful thing for your baby so please don't blame yourself. Some people have to work and that usually means daycare. The only thing I can see that you could change is maybe using a sitter at home instead, but they are much more expensive. I don't know how much money you make, but if it's on the lower side the state might help you with the cost.

About the Advil..... please do research on what this med can do to your body. Most people don't realize that it can be dangerous and that people die from it every year. I used to take this medication on a daily basis for pain and I ruined my stomach doing so. Now I have to take a Prilosec every morning and a Zantac most nights.

I hope he's feeling better soon!

 

[lauraess]

Dear concerned Mama: first, take heart that you are doing the best thing by nursing your baby and second: You Can change your diet and your life. It just takes a little more time and practice. like anything that is new, babies, life-changes, etc.. it all takes practice. I hear that you are busy and I totally respect that. What I would do if i were you would be to make a list of all the things you think you CAN do to change your diet and your life-style and than pick one or two to try to stick to for a week. One important thing that is easy is to pack baby carrots, apples, nuts, celery, seeds mixed with raisins, ant LOTS of water into your lunch and munch away.

The next step would be to look into a private home daycare like was mentioned already. There you are bound to have baby exposed to so many germs.

Next, every night when you wind down, sing to your baby and believe with every note you sing to your babe that you CAN do this and WILL for him and you and

to you while you rest.
from one mama who wants the best to another

Laura

 

[briar]

I agree with the above but wanted to add...
Do you still take prenatal? Do you give him pro biotics when he is ill? Have you thought about putting him in a smaller day care situation? Maybe a SAHM who needs extra $...placing him where he will be with just her child/children and yours?
It does take awhile for a child in daycare to build the immune system. First year is always the hardest. But your breast feeding him is the best thing! Good for you to be able to pump that precious milk for him!
Maybe buying prepared salads,,,do you have a trader joes near you? They offer so many good quick foods.
I know how hard it is to see your little one ill. I stayed home with both of my girls yet worked in a day care once my dh got home each afternoon. Just my being around little ones brought the bugs home. My youngest was sick her first year from the germs I was carrying from the preschool. Maybe talk to the daycare provider about sick children attending? Don't kick yourself for having to work.

 

[goodpapa]

...the first, very easy step is getting this

http://jarrow.com/products/BabYsJarroDophilus.htm

It is a probiotic mix that you could take as well.

When you are nursing your son, moisten your finger, get some powder on it and gently push it into his mouth.

I can't think of a better medium for feeding and breeding the good flora than breastmilk.

Try and stay away from the antibiotics-- they are like "napalming the landscape" -- destroying everything in their path---especially the gut flora we need for our immune and digestive systems.

Don't be shy with the probiotic powder, when my son was born I got so much good stuff in him his lil' poops smelled like yogurt.

But at 20 months, his only cough was when he had measles (at 18 months) which he sailed through beautifully with only a light rash which stayed on his back and chest, never moving to his face or limbs.

He's also been growing at twice the rate of a normal child--- 32 lbs. and 36 inches at 20 months (this is his genetic heritage from my wife and myself).

Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food,
(Hippocrates)

Ray

 

[jessc79]

Thanks so much for all of your replies.

I went to the Nutrition store on Saturday. I wanted to spend more time there but my DS had a blow out so we had to go home!

Last night was really bad/ Jake has this nasty nasty cough and he is all congested and he can't sleep. He cried pretty much all day yesterday. It was really hard on me and DH. Finally we called the ped and got some amoxicillan. I am taking Echinacea, Cal/Mag/Zinc, Acidopholus, and Flax seed oil along with some Natural Ovens Omega 3 stuff that has all sorts of stuff in it. I feel really bad that we are giving him the antibiotic but I don't know what else to do. He wouldn't nurse very much this weekend. He would want to nurse then only nurse for like 2 minutes and he would be done. I got really engorged so I am sure he didn't get as much as he usually does. I thought maybe he had a sore throat, too, and that was why he wouldn't nurse.

In-home care is cheaper than center care where I live. However, none of the in-home's are certified or regulated by the state. This scared me because of abuse, etc. I interviewed a few but it seemed like so many of them mixed older kids and babies. That was just strange to me. Plus, they all had more kids than I would like. I really love the center we are at. The teachers and staff are wonderful and they also had both of my step-sons (they still go there) so we trust them a lot. Everyone keeps telling me to hang in there until about 6 months and things will get better.

Of course, it doesn't help that my mother thinks that formula would be better than giving Jake breastmilk with my diet. I certainly don't eat a great diet, but its not THAT bad. Jeez.

:

Trader Joe's- no.

I wish! But I was thinking about getting Subway salads for lunch instead of McDonalds. I just really need to sit down with a list. I am good at making lists. That was really good advice!

Wow! Thanks everyone! I feel a lot better. Goodpapa-I will check out that website. Your son sound very healthy!

 

[lauraess]

I feel bad for your little guy and you mama feeling like you must get better at this parenting thing with a babe who is sick. i know it's hard. but listen, you are on the right track. The next thing to do is trust that your baby only really needs your breastmilk- it's absoulutely far better than pedialyte or anyother "helpful stufff" doctors give out when moms are looking for help. All you need to do is eat well, balanced, which you're working on

and drink lots of water, rest, HAVE FAITH in your body, and relax.
Thats it!!!!!!!!!Nurse the babe in bed after getting some steam in the house by running the shower hot with door open. If you can give him a bath with some Eucalyptus or pine or the like kind of essential oil than do that to open up the nasals.
and remember, you dont have to continue the antibiotics. I think it's totally true that these things do more harm than good and especially on a young baby. I also know that it's always hard and seems much worse than it is when your little babe is complaining and sick. the best thing for him is mama and dadddys tlc.
Laura

 

[sohj]

Just chiming in to say you are doing a wonderful job just by breastfeeding. That is the number one thing to do.

In addition to all the great advice above, as far as herbs, actually, you CAN give a lot of things to little babies. There is a line called Herbs For Kids that are "glycerites", which means that vegetable glycerin was used as the solvent rather than alcohol (the usual herbal tincture solvent).

I also have used the Children's Echinacea by Herb Pharm for my little pixie. As soon as he turned 1, I started giving him Pixie Potion (one dropperful per day) (ingredients: Astragalus, Oatstraw, Chickweed, Nettles, Dang Shen, Dong Quai, Rehmannia, Yellow dock, Rose Hips, Red Jujube Dates, Licorice, Apricots, Raisins, Orange Peel, Cinammon and Ginger in a base of vegetable glycerin, distilled water, Black strap molasses and Cherry Concentrate) by Skye Botanicals/Witches Kitchen, available at http://www.flowerpower.net/index.html. They happily ship anywhere. (The owner just had a little pixie herself!)

Don't keep beating yourself over the head. He'll be fine. He'll get these viruses and then be immune to them later.

You might want to work on improving your own diet just so you feel better and are less exhausted. Also, I find the Mother's Milk mixture by http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/index.html to be very useful.

Just edited to add: goodpapa...got a question....I've been told that for the dopholous it was better to mix it with a little water and give it to the baby (I used a dropper) than breastmilk as the breastmilk is antimicrobial and kills the dopholous mixture.

:

Anyhow, it is great to use. Take it yourself, too.

edited again as I re-read your post and thought...if you are engorged, you shouldn't take my advice about the Mother's Milk tea. that'll just make MORE milk

. So, scratch that.

And, if you can bring yourself to do this....warning, gross out ahead...

... I, uh, suck the mucus out of his nose when he is stuffed up. Just put my mouth over his whole nose and (>yuck<) suck. It works a whole lot better than the rubber bulb and he isn't as traumatised by it as by the bulb. Just keep a hankie handy to spit into.

Sam nurses a whole lot better after I've done that. (Started doing this on recommendation from Wayne, the electrician in my office building who raised his daughter after her mother died when she was still a newborn. He said, do it. It works, and teach nose blowing before worrying about potty training.

)

 

[malamamama]

In addition to all of the other good advice here, I would suggest that you give him sodium ascorbate powder, mixed in breastmilk. It is a buffered form of vitamin C, and the best form to give on a long term basis. Some have said that Vitamin C is the best antibiotic around. And you can't OD on it, but it can give diarrhea if you give a huge dose all at once. Build up gradually with it. I think it could really help to heal him and to keep his immune system healthy.
Probiotics too!
You must be so wiped out

That's a lot to bear! Take good care of yourself too Mama!