Breastfeeding and gastro - a little worried!

[onthefly]

Just keep feeding as much as you can and keep your fluids up and rest as much as you can. It'll all sort itself out with a bit of time.
Take care

[Nai]

I had gastro twice when bf dd1 and my supply did come back. I just kept up the fluids and fed her more often during and after.

[Mildez]

OMG I almost wrote this same thread this morning. I had a severe case of Gastro but only for 12hours. OMG it was aweful. My supply was fine during the Gastro but 12hours later I literally dried up. J actually took a bottle (she has refused to take a bottle up until then so she must have been hungry) I'd say I was so dehydrated thats why my supply vanished. Anyway with 2 bottles (only 60mls each) and now I'm recovered my supply is back to normal. Obviously for me it was just short term until I rehydrated.
Hope you recover quick and your supply is back to normal quickly. For me I think the bottle or 2 helped us both.

[Mildez]

Oh J was on the boob on/off for around 6hours last night. She would only nod of for 30mins before waking and wanting another drink. I am exhausted but I think the extra stimulation helped bring my suppoy back quickly.

[Ozziehoffy]

Jaycee, did your bub not long ago have the rotovirus vax? I got it after my youngest had his... hit me hard too. No one else got it thankfully. Like it's been said already, lots of fluids. Hydrolyte/Gastrolyte... worth their weight in gold for these situations also. Your supply will get stronger by putting bub on the boob

[onthefly]

m2boys, your milk will be fine. Diet has little effect on the quality (though you may feel like crap) Take care everyone!

[Gigi]

J, i had gastro really badly whilst bf-ing. Was amazed bilby did not catch the gastro bug from me. It was like she kept on getting what she needed from the bf, but not my gastro (surprised me, but i was glad).

My milk dried up, for one day - at a time when she was feeding every two hours - i was so scared she would end up on a drip in hospital, so i drove myself to chemist, sat on a chair before i fell down, bought formula and bottle for first time ever, whatever the chemist people brought me, and tried her on that (as i felt desperate), she drank 25ml the first time, and then refused point blank, at subsequent tries.

Then a friend made and delivered me some Lactation Cookies - and my supply came back! I cannot tell you how relieved i was.

only a few days, but that's a long time, when your bub is used to feeding frequently.

Lactation Cookies need BREWERS YEAST, that's the only ingredient in them that you can't buy at a supermarket, i found it in healh food shops (buy it by the weight, you don't need much).

i hope you get better soon, gastro is so yuck, so draining. Very hard to care for your bub when you're struggling with gastro yourself.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

Breastfeeding protects against gastro and other illnesses. When you get sick your body makes antibodies that pass through your milk to protect your baby against that bug. Gastro is passed from hand to mouth, so handwashing is important. formula fed babies are much more likely to catch gastro that breastfeeding babies because feeding equipment requires a lot more "handling" and babies do not get the protection from mothers milk, so it's vitally important to keep feeding. When babies are unsettled by what is going on around them (ie mum hanging over the toilet retching) then they seek to feed more often. If they are feeding 2 hrly then it's unlikely your breasts will feel full. If you were able to keep down a lactation cookie chances are things were on the improve anyway.