[Angie676]

My 8 month old boy woke up this morning with cold sores covering almost all of his upper lip.

I am going to pump to feed him, as I don't want to spread the virus to my nipples. He will almost never take a bottle, and I don't know how we'll make it till this episode clears. I called my wonderful LC who advised me to increase his solids for the next couple days and not to worry.

This just couldn't have happened at a worse time. He's been so distractable lately that it's been hard to make him nurse during the day as it is.

I'm afraid of so many things... that I'll get herpes now (I nursed him this morning) on my nipples, that I won't be able to nurse my future children if I do (since the herpes virus is extremely dangerous to newborns), that he'll switch over to the bottle, that he WON'T switch over to the bottle, that I won't be able to pump enough milk... Oh... someone tell me it's not the end of the world!

What would you do/have you done?

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Edit 1: The doctor said it most likely isn't cold sores, as cold sores generally present w/ an initial infection that includes sores IN the mouth, and a very sick baby. He said I would've known if Andrew had that. His diagnosis is contact dermatitis and I can still nurse. So I freaked out for nothing

*hiding now*
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Edit 2: because my mom isn't convinced it's not a cold sore (and she's seen a few) and now I'm not sure either.
Here's a picture if anyone wants to look:
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/seafarer76/images/sore.jpg

 

[Quirky]

I can't figure out whether you think it's cold sores or not - which edit came first?

I hope it's all OK! If it is contact dermatitis, what would he have been in contact with to develop sores? Does he have them anywhere else on his body? Does he get a pacifier? I'm just trying to think of what he could have come into contact with that would cause dermatitis on his upper lip but not elsewhere....

:

ETA....I'm not a doctor but it looks more like a cold sore to me than dermatitis....if it were me I'd get a second opinion ASAP from a dermatologist. I hope it's not cold sores!!

Where are you getting your information about not nursing while he has an active cold sore? I don't know anything about it but I'm just wondering what you're looking at that says you can't or shouldn't breastfeed.

ETA again: here is a link on breastfeeding and herpes:

Parent's Place article

 

[Angie676]

Thanks for the link.

Sorry for sounding so scattered; this has really knocked me for a loop and I'm not sure why. I'm usually pretty good about researching things for myself.

My reasoning for thinking I shouldn't nurse him while he has active lesions, is that I'm assuming there is a real possibility he could spread it to my nipples. If I got the infection in my nipples, then a recurrance while I'm nursing a newborn could put him/her in danger of his life. So I'm weighing the harm of temporarily weaning of my 8 month old son against not being able to bf a newborn. (Who needs the breastmilk more?)

A long, wandering list of "what-ifs" is hardly appropriate to make a decision on. I appreciate your much more grounded thoughts

The article you recommended leads me to believe it's very rare to get herpes on your nipples, yet I seem to remember others here talking about it?

It's all sort of irrelevant now... I couldn't bear to listen to his heartbreak when he couldn't nurse. He refused the bottle so I've done been exposed

I guess we'll cross the next bridge when we get there.

Again, my apologies and thanks for wandering through this muddle with me.

 

[Quirky]

How's he doing? Is his sore looking better?

My dh gets nasty cold sores if he doesn't take his Valtrex religiously. Although we don't kiss if he has one, I've always been a little surprised that I've never gotten one. I've heard that a lot of people have had the herpes virus but have managed to fend it off or their immune system successfully suppresses it, so maybe I've had it after all. Long way of saying, if it is herpes and not contact dermatitis, you might be immune to it anyway.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all works out!