supply issues following bad gastro

My baby and I both had bad gastro at the same time. we vomited everything for 24 hours and then had no appetite for at least 5 days.

As a result of neither of us eating and being sick and exhausted, my milk supply is seriously low.

I'm still sick with a cold virus, not sleeping well and feeding dd constantly through the night. She is unsettled and screams almost all day. I finally realised she's just not getting enough at each feed and is hungry again soon after. After a feed I can't squeeze out even a single drop of milk, my boobs are completely drained.

Failure is not an option. What should I be doing? I have tried EBM topup in a bottle but she doesn't understand bottles.

She's 6.5 months old and we were doing BLS but since she was sick I've been offering her mostly breast, but my fear is if she's really hungry should i give her more solids?

I'm worried about her health and I'll do anything to keep breastfeeding. please help.


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Jude 07/10/08 | Lilac 16/06/11

Hi,

It sounds like you have really had a rough time of it.
Illness, except in really severe cases, doesn't have much of an affect on breastmilk - but you know what it's like, when you are sick you are irritable, miserable and just want your mum *all the time*. To a sick and stressed mum this can look like "I'm starving" when it just means "I want to hang out with you" So, just lay low, eat and drink what you can and feed as often as your baby needs. Your body will take care of the rest. If your milk supply is low because of lack of feeding it will rebound with a few days of frequent feeding, you don't need to do anything else

Fluids, fluids, fluids... If you have had gastro and haven't been eating or drinking, you are most likely dehydrated. Drink as much water as you can stomach over the next few days (you should drink extra whist you are BF anyway). Keep offering bub the breast as often as possible and keep up the fluids are your supply should soon pick up.

Don't take any cold and flu tablets for your cold, they dry up your secretions... including breast milk! Just panadol if you require it.

You are probably in for a rough couple of days of constant feeding... you should lie in bed or on the couch with your feet up and your boobs out!!

Hope you both feel better soon.

We've just been through this too (to the point I have to get myself rehydrated in the next 24 hours or risk being admitted to hospital for Iv fluids). If you can, get some electrolyte drinks into you. I hate them with a passion but am forcing myself to drink them. Lots of water. Nothing with caffeine. Light soups if you are off everything else

Keep offering your dd the boob. Chances are she us comfort sucking at the moment but the extra sucking will help your supply anyway

Hugs. Gastro is bad enough. While bf it's terrible esp if you both have it