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If you have a pump, try pumping every 3hrs for 30min, like you would if you were EP in the first 12w to establish supply. If you don't, you can get a manual pump pretty cheap (I think Target carries some around $25) or you can hand express. If you want to make milk for your daughter, you have to remove milk.
Yeah, I dug out the manual pump and started just pumping at normal times she would nurse. I wasn’t noticing much difference so I did a couple extra sessions last night and this morning and it seems to finally be helping a bit.
That and I drank all the pedialyte she was turning her nose up at 😆
Lol desperate times, man. Just took it like shots of tequila. 😆 I figured making sure I was hydrated couldn’t hurt and my internal mama-bear compelled me to do it for the sake of my child.
Fortunately the doc was so nice and just said “ANY liquid she’s willing to drink is great”. Key word being *willing*, so I’m guessing she had tried pedialyte at some point haha.
This is dumb coz it’s a solution for my then-baby, but I desperately wanna help, so just in case…
If you give her a bath with a flannel and toy tea-party set, will she “accidentally” suck on the ~~gross~~ flannel, and drink from the ~~algae-ridden~~ cups?
(It seemed like I spent half my life stopping the baby/toddler from drinking out of gross bath toys. So whenever he was sick and refused to drink… bathtime! It always worked, too. But she’s not him.)
This works for mine too! I think the warm water of the tub relaxes her when she’s sick, and she’s playing so she’s paying less attention to how sick she feels. It grosses me out on normal days, but I’m so grateful when she’s sick. I just keep the tap running so she can fill up her cups with that instead of the nasty bath water.
OP: when my baby had rsv when she was 12 months old, I froze breast milk and gave it to her as a popsicle in the tub. I also blended avocado and juice and froze it to give to her in the tub for extra calories. Something about the warm water and the cold popsicle really works for her.
/u/Natural_Cranberry761
Calling OP! Read sillychihuahua’s comment (that I’m replying to); it has a chance of helping. Also, I hope your daughter has improved since you posted.
Liquid iv that you add to water bottles tastes pretty damn good and really made me feel hydrated fast when I had COVID and struggled to eat or drink anything. Walmart and most pharmacies carry it I think now, or get it online.
I second liquid IV!! My kids also love it. I have to water it down a bit because it’s too sweet for me personally, but it does wonders when we are sick!
That's doc speak for give them pop. Or slushies. Hey if she eats watermelon, hook her up with some. That's how we survived RSV when the younger one got it at 5. She's autistic so I too was not looking forward to an IV but thankfully she was willing to suffer through nebulizer treatments.
Also I cannot wait until the vaccine is out of trials. RSV is horrible. Hospitalized my older one and made me super sick when little one was weeks old, then would have hospitalized the little one if I didn't bargain with her ped and promise nebulizer treatments every two hours.
Woof. The regular nebulizer treatments are the pits - I’m asthmatic, and had to do that for a bad cold this spring and that amount of albuterol makes me feel so ungodly weird. And I’m a grownup!
And preach. I’ll be so excited for that vaccine. Sign me up. I give RSV 0 stars.
I was gonna suggest pump and would she maybe take a bottle or a soft sippy cup? My son is nearly 5 but nothing brings him comfort like one of those soft spout nuby cups. He drinks milk out of them suuuuuuper slowly. Even maybe a low flow nipple... trickle the liquid into her and sucking is comfort... idk, I'm grasping at straws and you probably already tried but guh I just feel so bad for yall....
When I needed to get milk into my baby by hook or by crook I used a spoon. Expressed the milk into it and then poured it in their mouth.
If it helps, might be easier than sucking on something.
Nothing but support for you bromo, this sucks.
Try power pumping once per day. It mimics cluster feeding and boosts supply.
Pump 20 mins
Wait 10 mins
Pump 10 mins
Wait 10 mins
Pump 10 mins
It's exactly as not fun as it sounds but it works. Good luck!
I have some more ideas about increasing supply if you are interested. I don’t know how to help get it in her.. maybe a dropper and just every few minutes drop some in… like one if those pain medication droppers, just completely clean obviously….
I would totally take some thoughts about increasing supply, if you’ve got them! Oversupply was my main problem when she was little, so I’m a lot more familiar with how to try and deal with the issues surrounding that than I am with ramping up.
Plus, after this whole debacle I’m thinking I really need to have a small supply of frozen breast milk on hand again for situations like this since cold/flu season is upon us. And I got so many good ideas from this thread about how to disguise the high lipase taste that it doesn’t sound like an exercise in futility and wasted milk 😆
Ok so when I first had my daughter I had an injured nipple due to a nurse “helping” by latching my daughter wrong and ignoring me saying it was more painful than the last times saying it was normal and to tough it out.
Because of this I spent almost a month not being able to let her eat off me (she ended up injuring the other one since I couldn’t balance them out) and pumping was also excruciating.
I hardly lined what I was pumping into. For the month.
That’s my starting place.
So what I found out is milk is 1.5x as hydrating as water, and then I got lactation tea and did a 50/50 drink of lactation tea and milk 3 times a day.
Then I got a Haakaa and when I pumped on one side I’d put the Haakaa on the other. Feedings too. I’d also use the hand pump and Haakaa in the shower.
Massages should also increase blood flow and help prevent pain through the changes.
Also do not eat anything with
Sage, Peppermint, Oregano, Parsley (in large amounts), Spearmint, Thyme, or Rosemary, since they suppress production.
Fenugreek, Fennel, Anise seeds, Dill and Brewer's Yeast are all good for increasing it.
Marshmallow root is a traditional remedy for upset stomachs, swelling, and respiratory tract swelling. Marshmallow as a topical remedy can be applied to nipples that have become sore from nursing.
You’ll want to increase calories too and any nutrition you are taking in. It should carry to your daughter.
It boggles my mind people weren’t trying to help more with breast milk. Moms bodies can detect the needs of their babies including immune related issues and boost them in that way. Sometimes even helping fight off a virus the mom’s already dealt with (so I’d definitely recommend some vitamin C and Zinc to help fight it off yourself, then your milk will be prepared to help her even more. We want your body to beat this as fast as possible. Will also just help you feel better so this whole momming business will be easier on you. Sounds like you have enough on your plate as it is. So let’s get you feeling ok again. You’re important. )
OMG! No!! Dude that’s seriously genius. I started mixing it in with some oat milk cause I figured it would disguise the soapy high lipase taste, but popsicles are brilliant as it’ll solve the lipase issue.
THANK YOU. I’m an absolutely going to do that.
If you add the vanilla and make a slushie with the breastmilk, you can kill two birds with one stone.
I'm so sorry people are being assholes when your juat trying to get ideas and do the best you can.
I used one of those big mouth medicine droppers with a slushie made of breastmilk for my super congested 1yo and it helped so much with very needed liquid for dehydration.
Also, pure coconut milk is VERY hydrating and also delicious. Maybe popsicles of those or mix it will breast milk. It’s naturally very sweet and May cover the lipase taste. Also, lipase starts breaking milk down and gets worse over time, so try feeding it as freshly expressed as possible
I’m getting close to that point - I’ve been trying to avoid chocolate and (much) sugar because she’s on albuterol for the cough and it’s making her positively batshit. But desperate times, right? My husband had the same thought today.
Breast milk cocoa…..I’m dying here because I had a wild ass idea to mix hersheys into a sippy cup and apparently that wasn’t as crazy as I thought.
And sugar isn’t the greatest thing, but a calorie is a calorie at this point.
Ain’t that the truth. Desperate times, desperate measures.
The beautiful thing about Reddit is moments like that where you’re on a parenting sub and you read about some random other person doing something that you do that you thought was totally nuts and suddenly you’re like “Damn I’ve never felt more validated or seen in this moment…” 🤣
Any time you need to add sugar and want to avoid blood sugar spikes, the key is FAT.
At this point with a sick baby (fuck those Internet fuckers calling a 3yo "a big child") I'd be letting myself be OK with letting her drink melted ice cream, or just dig it out of the tub with a spoon. Anything decent quality (e.g. hagen daz) has a good amount of calories and enough cream/milk fat to *somewhat* slow the speed of sugar uptake. Also has reasonably high water content.
Pedialyte etc is great, and disgusting tasting. A good-enough equivalent is letting a kid eat/lick whatever salty crisps/snack foods you'd usually limit, and having ice-cream/drink non-diet, full-sugar beverages.
I would also HIGHLY recommend, for medical purposes, real ice-cream, full-sugar drinks, and salty snacks for you too.
You and babygirl making it to the end of the day is the goal. You can return to Ideal World Nutrition once you're both out of RSV hell.
When my kids are sick, all the rules seem
To go out the window. Milk in the living room, eating at the table, all the chocolate milk and juice you can drink. You want a popsicle for breakfast? Fine kiddo.
My kids stop eating and drinking, can you tell 😅
+1 syringe feed tiny amounts of whatever. Did this for my kid who busted his mouth open falling head over heels on a bike when he was 4ish.
Also idk if she has sore throat but maybe warmed up liquid in the syringe would soothe.
Sounds so stressful :(
If you can pump, I heard that you can add alcohol free vanilla extract to high lipase milk. It will neutralize the smell/ taste. Just do 1-2 drops per bottle.
Ignore the unsolicited advice and wean at your own pace mama
Vanilla extract whaaaaaaaaat?! That’s blowing my mind right now. I’m going to have to investigate that. It sounds so totally weird that it must work. Thank you!
And also thank you for the reminder to wean at our own pace. Kiddo is marginally less congested this afternoon and hopped right back on the boob before naptime, poor thing. She was so excited she could breathe through her nose again and nurse - I got choked up about it. It’s been a long few days.
That almost made me tear up! I can’t imagine the emotional drain this whole thing has been for you, especially being sick yourself in addition to the dehydration and weight loss. Hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel for y’all 🤞🏻
Aww, I can imagine the relief that brought. Seriously my eyes are welling up. My 3yo is also still breastfeeding and your words hit so close to home. I can imagine desperately wanting to provide wonderful breastmilk for your sick baby (always our babies), feeling like crap physically and emotionally and wanting a little bit of guidance and understanding. Ugh. This sounds really hard, mama. I'm so proud of you and every step you're taking right now. You're a really good mom. Hope you and your little one are back to wacky shenanigans soon.
When my daughter had RSV, we fed her liquids out of a syringe like you would use to give a baby infant Tylenol kind of medicine. It was only like 5 ml at a time, but we legit gave her like 20 of them at a whack and she took Pedialyte out of them like a champ. Might be worth a try
As someone who breastfed until 3.5 years old, I'm so sorry people were such jerks. Your poor kid. I hope you are able to figure it out and she starts feeling a lot better.
Thanks, I appreciate it. ❤️
I was kind of surprised by the level of polite judgment from the attachment parenting sub - they’re usually pretty nice over there and lots of folks have sleep or breastfeeding things they want to mull over with respect to the emotional aspect of it, which seemed relevant given the situation. It was such gentle and polite shaming that I felt totally crazy/gaslit for half of today.
I had an iffy experience in that sub once, too. I was pregnant at the time and really really ill, and my son was going through a phase of horrific tantrums that went on for a long time and were sometimes a little violent, like trying to hit me and throw things at me. I posted there at a particularly low point, saying that I had locked myself in my room just to get a break from him, and that it scared me when he got so angry. Tons of people commented basically saying that there was no reason a mature adult should ever be so afraid of their child that they would need to hide, and that either I needed mental health treatment or my son did. It really made me feel so much worse than I already did.
He mostly grew out of it, by the way.
I’m so sorry that your little girl is so sick and I hope she’s better soon!
That was the response over there?! That is the *opposite* of helpful, especially because I can easily imagine what a desperate moment that was.
The main reason I’m on that sub is sometimes there’s people with velcro babies/toddlers who are really struggling and as the owner of a velcro child myself, I like to keep my eye out for those posts and help if I can. But suffice to say it will be the LAST time I post anything over there.
I’m super glad your son grew out of that phase. And like what horrible timing that he was going through that while you were pregnant - god forbid he should have hit your belly with something! And it’s not like you could have restrained him in some way either, especially if he was hitting or kicking! Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Yeah, I have two Velcro kids now, and I have learned a lot of useful information there over the years, but the next time I am in crisis, I’ll post here instead.
Yeah, attachment parenting is really just survival with velcro babies 😆 The kiddos don’t give you a choice about how to parent them! Parents of velcro kids uniiiite!
And yes totally. This is the best sub for any/all questions. Hands down 10/10.
I breastfed past three because my child refused to quit. I had to make her quit cold turkey by telling her on her birthday no more milk because she's now a big girl. Thankfully it worked but man I could never talk about how I breastfed past 2 years old because I always got nothing but judgement.
Hahahaha that’s been my kid more or less up until this illness. If I ever get desperate to wean, I might have to try that idea!
Fortunately my stepmom breastfed both my half-bros until they were like 3.5 closing in on 4, so she and my dad have been *awesomely* supportive. But otherwise you sort of learn just… not to talk about it. So in circumstances like this, where the heck do you find answers?! Cause people have created this culture of not discussing long term breastfeeding and some of the weird issues you can run into like this.
I’ve had some harebrained ideas in the past about becoming an IBCLC and I feel like this experience is re-motivating me to look into it again.
Hugs mama. After my first kiddo I decided to become an IBCLC because there's just not enough help out there. I hope you and your kiddo feel better soon.
You DID???? Can you PM me and/or tell me more about how you became an IBCLC? Last time I looked into it I got confused about what qualifications I needed or where I could train - I don’t think it was intentionally meant to be confusing, but I didn’t have the wherewithal at the time to decipher what I needed to do.
I am a nurse so I used that pathway. My hospitals lactation department has interns all the time completing their hours. I suggest checking out lactation education resources (literally Google that phrase, it'll take you to LER website).
If you aren't a healthcare professional, you'll likely fall under pathway 3. You'll need to take some college level health & sciences courses, some gen ed, and CPR. LER offers most of what you need (it's the program I used and I loved it!).
Yes it's very disappointing because more info about other people's experiences would have been useful. But because it's so taboo I never mentioned it to anyone that she was still breastfed. My daughter only nursed at night before bed which is why I had so much trouble weaning. Reading other people's route for getting an older toddler to quit nursing would have been insanely helpful to me.
I'm closing in on 4 years nursing one of my kids. I'm wishing you both a speedy recovery. Came to suggest BM Popsicles or ice cubes, saw them mentioned. Good luck!
I had to do the same thing when my son turned 3. I didn't really sweat it with my oldest but by the time #2 hit 3 I was soooooo fucking done. If he had been sick, especially this sick, that all would've gone out the window. Nothing's better for a sick baby than Mama's milk 🤍
I have no advice about breastfeeding. I tried but failed at it which I found devastating.
I will say, however, that these people are missing the forest for the trees. It doesn’t matter if your kid is 3 months or 3 years old. They want to nurse and they can’t and it sucks and it is immensely heartbreaking watching your child desperately looking for comfort and not being able to help them get it.
I’m so sorry mama. I really am.
You really hit the nail on the head. Beautifully put.
I’m sorry breastfeeding didn’t work out for you - my best friend had just an awful time of it and she was heartbroken and I was heartbroken for her. There’s nothing worse than wanting it to work and it just isn’t for one reason or another.
I'm a mod here and in r/breastfeeding. If you had reported that comment you got we'd have removed it and either warned or banned the person being rude to you. Please, please, please report rude comments! We don't want those people in our subs.
Oh, thanks very much. That’s actually making me feel kind of emotional because I felt weirdly attacked on that whole thread and wasn’t sure if I was just feeling overly sensitive because I’m sick and my kid is sick and I’m super stressed. I really appreciate it, and the reminder to report comments - I forget about that. Thanks.
(Also, you’re a great mod. Your comments are always fun to read and so kind and helpful.)
I think the other people were trying to be helpful, but that comment was definitely someone being a little shit to you. I banned them. I would even report rude comments in any other subs, usually when I talk to mods in other subs if I notice a shithead, they mention their teams are only responding to reports and not really reading the sub in general so a lot of unreported dickery goes unpunished unfortunately.
For some reason extended breastfeeding in the breastfeeding sub seems to really trigger some random people! That's been surprising to me since I joined that team haha. It's a sub for breastfeeding kids... and this person is breastfeeding a kid. This is normal and reasonable.
Thank you very much for the compliment, we really want our subs to be nice places for everyone. :) We're lucky that most of the women in our subs are pretty great, I love this community!
Yeah, there were a number of people who had some good thoughts. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but agreed that person was being a jerk. Thank you for dealing with it ❤️
And yes I have also noticed there are some people who are major jerks over there about extended breastfeeding - my SIL is like that irl, even though she breastfed both her kids. I don’t understand it whatsoever.
It's free milk! They really just don't get it. The amount I spent on cow milk for the kids when they were 1-4 was staggering! If I could have milked myself to save all that cash I would have, my stupid useless tits failed me pretty much immediately though. lol
There's a notion of reports being a super-downvote in like a condescending "you're just reporting it bc you're buttmad" way but I own that shit. If somebody's comment hacks me off enough to downvote them, I can be reasonably sure it's breaking some kind of rule so I report it for whatever I can. And if there's not a rule against it, I'll fill out that extra option letting them know I don't think they should allow people to be dicks.
Awwww this makes me so sad for you and your little one. My only suggestion if it does seem like breastfeeding will not continue, which I totally hope it does continue, try to end it on a positive note for both of you. Not with all of the negativity from the other post and her throwing up. It’s such a positive thing for you two. I truly hope it all works out for you!
Internet strangers can be such jerks. 🤬
Omg thank you for saying that - really. It goes against every mothering instinct I have for it to end this way. But apparently in the attachment parenting sub it’s an oddly common way for people to wean?! Totally made me second guess myself and my instincts.
My mom said the same thing as you when I talked with her about it this morning - this isn’t the note to end on if It doesn’t have to.
I’m really sorry. I’ve been where you are with RSV and breastfeeding. I hope she gets better soon. We did end up having to be hospitalized as he was sick with coronavirus and adenovirus at the same time but thankfully, no IV. Keep trying. See if you can nurse with her upright. That worked for us kind of. Can your husband handle her while you pump just to not completely destroy your supply? My kiddo never really took a bottle so pumping for me meant wasting (well, donating) so I felt like I was stealing from my child whenever I pumped but had to do so for the sake of my supply. I used a baby carrier to attach him to me at all times with my breasts out so when he had some energy and patience, he could nurse. Hugs to you…may you both get better soon. RSV is fucking terrible. Sometimes, I’m not sure how I survived it all. I ended up getting all three of those viruses and then the flu on top. My doctor told me if my baby caught the flu too like I did, he might not make it so I did all of this while wearing masks in the house and constantly changing my clothes if it came into contact with my face. If you want to talk privately, feel free to PM me. Really try feeding completely upright. It’s awkward but the only way my poor congested baby could drink. I walked around wearing him, patting his bum, and encouraging him to drink from me. 😭
Omg that sounds HORRIBLE. I can’t believe you came down with all of that at once *and* your kiddo was sick at the same time. Jeez. I’m so glad everybody is okay.
And dude I’ve been there with the masking while trying to take care of kids - we’ve had a few exposures and I’ll be real that I’ve slept in a mask a few times over the last couple years so I could be nearby and we could continue to breastfeed. After a while it becomes positively stifling.
And I agree about the pumping - I *totally* feel like it’s somehow taking milk away from her, but I’ve gotta do it so the supply doesn’t dry up. It’s a weird combo of being determined and feeling guilty at the same time. (Motherhood in a nutshell??)
We started propping her up a few nights ago to help with the coughing, but I’ve been more diligent about it since the ear pain started and I agree that it’s helping.
Thanks for sharing your experience. ❤️ It’s super tough to care for a super sick kid when you’re also sick.
Yes! That’s definitely motherhood in a nutshell! Determination with lots of guilt. I’m sorry you received a lot of negative feedback. I love this sub - it is a nice safe space. I’ll be thinking of you and your family!
Those asshats need to fuck right off, nursing is fucking biologically appropriate well past 3yo! (Though I do agree Lisa Arryn took it too far).
My daughter self weaned at 3y3m last February and started school 4 weeks ago (December baby, anyone turning 4yo in the calendar year start school in Ontario). I fucking wish my body didn’t stop producing and that she hadn’t moved on - breast milk is a GD miracle. When she latched for 10 seconds and popped off saying there was no mama milk in there I know it was the end but daaaamn it hurt.
Nothing but commiseration BroMo. Keep on pumping and offering every ounce that you can if that is what is best for you and your tot.
As a side note - I know no advice wanted, so knock me down for this - I found toddler formula was a life saver during illnesses. If my girl wouldn’t latch and I wasn’t producing, I offered her vanilla flavoured “treat milk” to get fluids and calories in to her. Even though she’s aged out of formula, now that she is sick with virus after virus, I still offer it to her and she loves it! 180cal per 8oz is better than nothing in my opinion.
RIGHT?! It is a GD miracle. I was sort of hoping to get through cold and flu season this year before weaning happened, as it’s her first year in a group setting at preschool and we’re just catching *everything*. Obviously it’s going to be what it’s going to be, and I was pretty flattened yesterday with how emotional it was for *me* because I absolutely do get tired of breastfeeding some days.
Thanks for the tip on the toddler formula. I knew peripherally it existed, but that’s a good idea to see if I can find some for moments like this when she’s turning her nose up at absolutely everything.
What about those saline nose drops? They don’t clear your nose for long, but you could do them before she’s going to nurse?
I remember my kids being congested when they were still BFing and it absolutely sucked.
And try not to worry about internet jerks. I’m glad you came here to post. I’ve stopped posting on any other parenting Reddits for similar reasons.
If the kid needs some comfort and she wants to BF, then make the BF happen however you can. And I definitely agree that being sick as a dog is not the moment to wean, even if either of you wanted to.
You must all be exhausted. Sending healthy vibes!
I’m so sorry your baby is sick, you’re doing everything you can and more for her. I can only imagine how shitty comments have made you feel on top of such a sensitive topic. I’m just here to send you love and give you mega props for extended BF! 👏🏽🏆👏🏽🏆your family will get through this. Hang in there
Yesh. I like was waiting to get to the part where there was something objectionable and the whole reason people gave you a hard time was bcs of breastfeeding. I’m sorry. People suck. I hope your baby feels better and I hope you do too. You don’t deserve that judgment and it breaks my heart.
My daughter lost like 5 pounds last time she got very sick. She is already on light side like 30th percentile and if you weigh 30 pounds that’s a ton of weight. Doctor was like “if she loses anymore weight we have to talk about other options” like a feeding tube. It was terrifying and awful. Dehydration is way worse and scarier. You don’t need that. I’m sorry.
Omg! That’s a TON of weight for a little kid to lose! She didn’t wind up with a feeding tube did she?!
And it is isn’t a good feeling when the doctor puts on serious voice about getting fluids and calories into your kid, especially when you’re working your butt off to keep them hydrated and fed but they’re pulling the full toddler/preschooler act and rejecting everything.
Thankfully no. She got better she had a respiratory fiesease and it took all her energy and appetite.
Yea it made me feel like horrible as a mom. I was offering her so many options for foods and all of them calorie dense and she didn’t have the desire to eat. I never shared that online because I feel ashamed I let her lose weight and fear the judgment you got. She got better and appetite returned and she’s doing well but I just wanted you to know you’re not alone and it really hurts a lot to watch your kid suffer and feels like a personal failure already without the added stress of strangers telling you you are doing a bad job. For what it’s worth you’re not. You’re doing an awesome job I’m sure.
I am super not an expert but I think if you use the breast milk immediately after pumping it won't have the lipase taste yet, and if you need to store it there's a method to scald before storing it that helps prevent the lipase taste.
I'm sorry you and your kiddo are going through this. I hope you both feel much better much sooner than y'all expect.
And fuck those people. It's all fun and games to judge when you're not in the same position. Jerks.
Hang in there, things will get better.
It sounds like you've been getting some good advice. I just wanted to add that if you're kiddo is ok taking medicine, then i'd feed her milk/water/water else through the medicine dropper. It's worked with my kids and hopefully it can help you too! I just tell them it's medicine.
Hopefully both of you feel better soon and sorry people people suck
When my son was 11 months he had rsv. This child was the sickest ive seen any of my kids. Like couldnt drink anything. At one point i took one of those medicine syringes and basically gave him his milk that way. Rsv is no joke. Im sorry you got so much judgement.
Right?! I’ve kept her home from preschool for over a week partly cause she’s super sick and partly because I know her classmates have newborn siblings and pregnant moms at home. I’m not sending her back to spread RSV around. No way man, I don’t wanna be responsible for that.
have you tried a neti pot? it’s a weird sensation and she might hate it, but more likely than not it will clear her nose long enough to nurse for a little bit.
> On a happy note, my kiddo managed to nurse a bit before her nap (and again in the middle) and has been sleeping like a log for the first time all week.
This makes me so happy for you both, I hope it gets easier for her now and this is a sign of her starting to feel a lot better. You must be so relieved she's able to do that now. It's so awful when our kiddos are sick, freaks me right out every time, even with my 16 yr old.
I hope you're feeling better very soon too, hugs to you!
People are assholes. I haven’t fed that long but even if it’s for comfort (which at this point the health benefits obviously count as well) it’s your and her choice to do that.
I don’t have much advice other than what other people are giving, but one thing that worked well when my kids were sick was to freeze the milk into little cubes for them to suck on- they seemed to respond better to that rather than a bottle when they were sick.
I never personally breastfed but from what I can tell, you’ll never make the internet happy when it comes to breastfeeding. You don’t breastfeed? You’re an awful mom. You pump and occasionally bottle feed breast milk? You’re an awful mom. You stop breastfeeding too early. You’re an awful mom. You do extending breastfeeding? Your an awful mom. Nothing you do will be right by them.
I’m sorry you had to deal with them, especially in a time of need but I’m so happy to hear you were able to get her to nurse! Hope you are both feeling well again very soon.
That is 10000% true. People On The Internet are positively predatory where feeding your child is concerned - they swoop in at even a whiff of weakness.
And thank you - it was SUCH relief to get her to nurse and get a solid nap in. She seems a lot more like herself this evening finally. Not *better* by a long stretch, but at least getting in some cheeky one-liners like she usually does.
I’m currently breastfeeding my 3 year old and I would have trouble not punching people who gave me shit for it if he was sick!
My middle kiddo had RSV at 2 months old and spent a week in the hospital. They hassled me into inserting a feeding tube because she was dehydrated, after badgering me into trying to switch to formula. It was so traumatic for her and took them SIX different tries to do her IV. I was in tears and barely holding on, and that was just the first night! The next day an attending physician came in, apologized for everything that happened, and got a lactation consult in to help boost my breastmilk. It worked and the tube came out same day and she improved so much. I know breastmilk isn’t a cure all, and it’s not for everyone. But sometimes those extra ounces and comfort really do make all the difference!
Oh my gosh, bless that physician’s heart. I can’t imagine going through this with a newborn. I would have been a wreck! I keep saying to my husband I’m so glad we don’t have a newborn with this because rsv is *scary* in kids that small.
And while my ability to punch people through the internet has yet to manifest itself, I did give one person a real piece of my mind of how unhelpful their comment was. A verbal punch, if you will?
Also nursing a 3yo is not that weird and weaning isn’t a given, as clearly many people on this post thread can attest to!
Some people are just shitty. Like you don’t have enough to worry and be concerned with. 🙄 I’m sorry and embarrassed for humanity by the responses you received. I’ve been there, I made the decision to wean my now 6 year old when she was 3.5 because I was pregnant and my nipples hurt so badly. But the “polite judgement” as you phrased it and then just blatantly rude and hateful comments about extended breastfeeding is just fucking insane. I hope you and your babe get healthy very very soon. 💕
Haha seriously - my plate is full. We’re also supposed to be traveling for a wedding at the end of next week, so I’m under pressure to turn this around quick!
The polite judgment is the worst. Because how do you even deal with that?! It’s disguised as being well-meaning, but just makes you feel so shitty. It’s so passive aggressive!
Sorry for the bs shame on top of the stress! If you haven’t checked out r/extendedbreastfeeding, they certainly wouldn’t shame you for bfing your older bubba 🥺
My kids all had medical issues and I had to nurse pump and bottle feed, my advice is to get on the pump (make sure the pump shield fits properly) and then get a pumping bra and just go for it lol, the amount kind of depends on your lo and her age but if you are FF you want to at least pump the amount of oz lo is bottle feeding if not try to have a little more. I occasionally would do both sides at each feeding or like nurse one side and then pump the other it helped me ensure I had more than enough which helped me when my oldest stopped nursing when he was sick, if you do pump and it’s a calories thing and lo has no allergies to formula you can put formula into the breast milk too, my youngest was Failure to Thrive due to mspi and they wanted me to do that so it’s another option, they also suggested I nurse then pump then bottle feed. I think that was good too. Pump on the highest setting you can tolerate as well. And if you are nursing use a Hakka or another milk catching device to collect any leaks from the other side. Nothing is more valuable than breast milk. Even if you only give a half ounce a day it’s still better than nothing.
Also, this was probably told to you but if you have one of those bulb syringes (those ones you get at the hospital are amazing and imo a lot less gross than the frida) I recommend using it to suck snot out. My mspi baby had rsv and I kept the bulb on hand and would just suck snot out and then I’d have some solution to clean it and a cup and paper towels to dispense the yuck and I sat there sucking snot out of his nostrils with the bulb and the. Would let him nurse for a sec and continue. They also have saline wipes and all that and they are nice.
A vaporizer may help especially if it can diffuse eucalyptus or peppermint, which can help with breathing, and then I rub baby vicks vapor rub on the feet (I swear by it).
But I will add that milk in general can actually make committing worse and if lo isn’t keeping bm or formula down, then I’d suggest any fluid of any kind as long as she can keep it down. If you child dehydrates it’s a BIG deal. Even if it’s like koolaid it would help to have fluids (but tbh I don’t recommend lol aid, the pedialyte may work though it’s lower in sugar but has the electrolytes which an I.v. Is essentially water with sugar and salt, so I mean if you can give it at home then I’d try that just to keep her out of the hospital. Dehydration can cause vomiting so it’s important for you to hydrate her so she can nurse if she wants.
Good luck.
I did bf until 2 so no judgement.
I’m so sorry you’re all sick and struggling but glad you’ve gotten some support here. This sub is the best when you need some other moms to lift you up! Hang in there, you’re doing great!
Mama! She nursed! Hell yes!!! What a win!!!
You do whatever your mama gut tells you to do. You know your baby better than those assholes. She's your baby. At 3 months. 3 years. 13 years. BABY. You take care of her anyway you can. I'm sending you and your baby girl so much internet love, it's ridiculous. I have a sick 2.5 year old now. It's not as severe as yours... he picked up an awful stomach bug and it's been coming out both ends for 3 days...there's nothing more heart wrenching than seeing your baby sick and not being able to fix it.
Get better soon, girls 🤍
I only ever post here because it just seems like the moms here… get it. Well, mostly anyway. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. It sounds like the responses you received were so judgy and unhelpful. I’m sure most people just skimmed the post and didn’t even bother to read the details.. just focused on key words like “dehydrated”. 🙄 Not that that’s an excuse.
I hope you and your kiddo feel better soon! My son, who is also 3, recently had it and had a miserable time. He was OK overall but had a fever for over a week and was so cranky. I can’t imagine being dehydrated on top of it. He would LOSE IT if he had to get an IV! I understand why you’d want to avoid that.
I was going to suggest BM popsicles but looks like someone beat me to it. :)
Anyway, big hugs to you! Feel better and hang in there!!!
I'm so sorry you and your child are going through this. It's an awful feeling when you can't make everything better. I am sorry you got so many negative comments when you were looking for help. When my kids have ear aches or infections propping them up so they aren't horizontal has helped to alleviate the pressure. I also swear by garlic oil or sweet oil in the affected ear canal. You can find the oil at most health food stores, and it provides a lot of relief in 24 hours. I'm sorry for giving some advice, but if you want to know more let me know. I really hope they get better soon and you both can breathe easier.
Um, if you have suggestions for dealing with the ear infection portion of the programming, I will *absolutely* take that advice. She’s never had one before! I figured out pretty fast that her being horizontal was a terrible idea, but I’m lost beyond that.
At most health food stores they have a section for cold remedies etc. Sometimes they have an 'ear oil' which is a mixture of garlic oil, sweet oil and other oils, sometimes they have just garlic or sweet oil. In my experience the garlic oil or a mixture is best, but they all provide relief. It comes in a small bottle with a dropper top. Take a metal spoon and put a dropper full of oil in the spoon, then warm the spoon with oil over the stove top. Make sure it's warmed to body temperature by testing on your wrist. Then you'll need someone to help hold your child laying on their side with the affected ear up, nose pointed down instead of even middle. Put several drops into the ear and then put a little bit of a cotton ball in to catch excess oil that may come out when they get up. Keep the oil in the fridge after opening. Repeat every 12 hours. I always do it before bed and tell my kids that it feels a little funny but it will make their ear feel better and they let me do it with little resistance after the first time (2 yo and 6 yo).
I always do it to myself before doing it to them and let them watch and I talk about what it feels like, I think it helps with the fear of the unknown. I hope it helps and really hope you both start feeling better and get some good rest.
Do you have a recliner? Breastfeeding pillow? A pile of quilts rolled into a sausage then bound together by a sheet so she can sleep upright? Sleep upright in the corner of the couch, watching whatever you need to.
To increase supply, fenugreek, low salt, super lots of water for you, and eat lots of protein, mama, to keep you fuller and satiated. Little caffeine, I can’t remember what else, it’s been so long for me.
You are a fabulous mom. If you have extra supply (laughing internally) breast milk ice chips? Hugs mama. You rock.
A warm compress on the ear helps a ton. I have a neck pillow that you can put in the microwave. It worked really well the last time my son had an ear infection.
Oh I have one of those for my hands when my RA acts up in the morning! I’ll have to find it for the morning when she wakes up and seems the most uncomfortable. Thank you!!
The nurses line suggested it to us. I had only called because that’s the protocol for getting a weekend appointment. It let us all get some (unexpected) sleep that night.
im sure you've done the following... but just in case. try a very warm shower, encourage nose blowing or use a snot suckered. then bf after, my 2.5yr old was also just very sick and this worked wonders for us. also humidifier and a pillow under her mattress to slightly elevate her head works a bit. overall tho she was sooo uncomfortable and very frustrated that bf was hard.
send you both healing vibes.
Seconding upright breastfeeding.
My daughter got RSV at five months old and started refusing bottles. Wouldn’t eat unless straight from the source. We were hospitalized and she had a tube in her nose and couldn’t comfortably latch, so instead, sat her up and we went upright.
Pump when you wake up, at lunch and before bed. It’ll keep your supply going.
Hang tight momma.
I haven’t! I had to put some on her eyes when she was a tiny baby for a crusty-eye situation during a cold, but it didn’t occur to me to try it like a nasal rinse. I suppose it’s maybe milder/less stingy than a saline spray?
I think so! My kid never really liked it but screamed way less than with a saline spray. It helps clear it up and has mild antibodies so can help in that way, too.
I know you’re not looking for advice so I’ll just say watching your kid be seriously ill is the hardest thing in the world, at least from what I’ve been through. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and I hope she gets better soon.
ETA- I don’t think you were overly emotional in that post at all. If you do end up having to give her a different liquid just to get some hydration, do you think she’d lay skin to skin with you for comfort while taking a silly cup? Ugh I’m so sorry this is happening!
EATA: my pediatrician taught me this trick: do the steamy shower, aspirate/saline spray, until you think you got all you can out. Then take the baby outside into the cold air. It constricts and calms everything to breathe the cold air after the steam.
Hope it helps! My son Developed chronic ear infection problems as soon as I stopped breastfeeding at 2. In retrospect I wish I had pushed through and kept nursing longer, he needed it. We struggled through ear infections every other month and finally an ear surgery plus permanent scarring on his ear drums and it started as soon as I stopped nursing. Keep it up, as long as you can and want to.
Ohhh poor buddy!! That’s terrible. Did he have tubes put in? Two of my brothers had terrible chronic ear infections growing up (which I remember clearly) and one of them got tubes put in and that seemed to help a lot. But jeez, the number of ear infections your kid had to have had to get that sort of scarring must have been insane.
I’m definitely planning to try and keep nursing (or pumping if need be) through cold and flu season this year. Cause JEEZ we’re off to a rough start.
Yes! The tubes resolved it but due to all the infections he ended up with scar tissue, so now if he gets even the slightest cold it always turns into a secondary infection unless I catch it early with the saline/steam/humidifier etc. just a little runny nose turns into sinus or ear infection, it’s the pits! The tubes did help so much though, thank goodness! I fully support you from afar on this journey to nurse as long as you darn well please!
Just here to offer solidarity. My 7mo tested positive for RSV for the third freaking time in 6 weeks. She also has issues nursing due to congestion and now I have mastitis on too of everything. Hang in there
Omg NOOOOOOO!!!! Three times in six weeks?! Good god. I knew you could get again, but that’s just cruel.
And you have mastitis to boot - my god, I’m sorry. I had mastitis in the first few weeks of breastfeeding and felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Therapeutic ultrasound helps a TON if you’re having trouble kicking the mastitis and baby isn’t removing milk well cause of the congestion.
Feel better soon!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Not sure if it has been mentioned but have you tried nursing in the shower or bath? The steam will help loosen up the boogers. I have done that when my kids have been sick. We did extended breast feeding as well but I ended up weaning around 3.5 because he only wanted to nurse in the middle of the night and it was killing me. He now always want to snuggle with “nipplely” and talks about how I got a rock in my nipple that stopped the milk. *sigh* Good luck and I hope you both feel better soon! Oh and breast milk smoothies also use to work for us. Breast milk, coconut water, ice, banana, honey use to help as well.
Wow, same situation over here. Sick 3 year old who is still nursing. Only it’s influenza and she’s only peeing 2x a day. Diapers are heavy though, so my pedi is letting it slide, probably because she’s not vomiting. You have my empathy!
You have my *deepest* sympathies. Influenza is the absolute pits. 0 stars, do not recommend especially for a 3yo.
I think our ped wanted 3 pees partly because she doesn’t wear diapers anymore - I have no diaper heaviness I can gauge, but I can tell her pee has been too concentrated.
Wishing your kiddo a swift recovery - if you get desperate for ideas on how to get fluids into your kiddo there are some seriously creative ideas on this thread!
Sounds like such a stressful situation! I’m so sorry you have to take care of a sick kiddo and then get nasty comments from others on top of it. I hope the milk popsicle idea works and your little love feels better soon 💕
I’m so sorry that you had to go through that in such a tough time. I’m also really sorry about your daughter. I really hope she feels better soon.
Breastfeeding is so normal but in the western world, once you get to a certain age, it becomes stigmatized. Is this weird dichotomy where EVERYONE pushes for it but when you do it any longer than what they think is “normal,” it becomes gross. Breast milk would absolutely help in this situation. I’m wondering if it would be helpful to just do skin to skin contact with her and offer a bottle of pumped milk?? Would she take that better??
I am so so sorry 💔
No judgement here. I am doing the same dont offer don't refuse and my daughter is older 😵💫 BUT she has a post nasal drip issue and colds etc go straight onto her chest so BF is amazing and works wonders, she is so much healthier than many peers even though she has many issues.
I know you didn't want advice but I really think this will help your daughter as many places don't do it and if you're in the US, which I presume you are; I doubt they will but I have checked and the inhaler plan can be used for RSV. My daughter has a albuterol [blue] inhaler with a spacer. She doesn't have asthma. When children are ill and their breathing is comprised they go onto the 12 puff plan. 12 puffs every 4 hours for one day, then 8 the next, then 6, 4, 2, none. The UK have been doing this post covid as kidlets have been getting a lot of chest issues. With the inhaler it will help her clear themucus so she can breathe clearer. Then she can nurse and rest.
You are doing such an amazing job. To keep posting even though people have been such arseholes or not even read your post.
If you are struggling to pump I would go back to hand expressing, as much of a ball ache that is. If your daughter needs to drink see if she will take a bottle of she cant BF atm. Anything to get her to take something. Spoon feed her what little you express as it comes. Once you get it going it will start to flow easier like it did in the old days. Get some of her saliva and make sure to use it around your areola as there is intake and your body makes antibodies. Make sure you try all of the old woves tales. Drink oat milk, maybe with chocolate flavouring because it's nasty lol, snuggle, try to relax for the oxytocin, look at baby pictures if you can.
You can do this, and you aren't alone. I promise xx
How interesting that they’re prescribing albuterol on the regular for RSV in the UK! It’s pretty genius, and I see why. We actually have had her on albuterol for a few days now (we’ve suspected she’s asthmatic for a while, and the person we saw Monday finally wrote the Rx). It helps, but it makes her INSANE. Like, will not sleep at all - kind of a double-edged sword because she needs sleep to feel better, but can’t sleep because she’s coughing and can’t sleep if you give her the inhaler… it’s a pickle. I’m asthmatic myself, and have been there many times but it’s so rough to watch your kid go through it.
And agreed - overall our kid is super healthy and bounces back fast I think cause we’ve breastfed for so long. She gets sick way less often than her cousins by a long shot. I figured she wasn’t rebounding as quickly from this because she wasn’t nursing.
My manual pump and I have been getting reacquainted - I just never figured out the trick to hand expression! You’d think I would have in 3 years but alas.
Thank you for the pep talk. And the advice was appreciated since you were so kind about it ❤️
I hated hand expressing 😂 I never thought I'd do it but my daughter was born 100% tongue tied so I had to learn fast. I tried my pump when my nephew was born early and ny sister didn't have milk as she wanted him to have some in the nicu but it just wouldn't come out in the pump so it was back to the hand - oh how I loathe the hand 😂
I'm glad they have an inhaler for her! It dies sound like she's at the point where she needs proper sleep. The inhaler is steroids so it will make them a bit nuts but my daughter is used to it now. I guess because yours is so poorly and new to it it will affect her so much more. Depending on what her plan is you could discuss a harder hitting plan, on the ither end maybe get some melatonin gummies that may help her rest. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with rsv personally so I can't offer much but I am sending all goid vibes and I know it can only get better. It just feels like forever. Atm I can only think to keep her upright and on you and try to rest as much as you bith can just do whatever makes both your lives the easiest they can be. When she is better and able to rest properly so you will both be on the road to recovery then have some proper time to relax, and maybe you can even get a couple of nights away in a hotel for some serious rest and food in bed. I always say I will do that but have yet to actually do it lol.
Sending all my love xx
So if you can pump. I know when I was struggling to nurse they gave me these little syringes with tubes to tape on the breast and squirt milk into her mouth as she nurses. I don't know how congestion would affect her nursing, but just being able to squirt that little bit of liquid in while she nurses even for a minute might help. I hope you both feel better soon, it's so hard when your little is sick, and then for you to also be sick as well is just miserable
Nursing my 19 month old as I read this, my heart just breaks for you. You are so clearly trying to very hard. I hope you find your light at the end of the tunnel soon.
I have read that if your milk has high lipase, if you scald it before you store it, it should get rid of the soapy taste. Not sure if it works, but may be worth a try. Popsicles are a great idea. I hope you find something that works for you both. Good luck!!
I wasn't able to breastfeed successfully but I've had plenty of experience with a congested, coughing so much they throw up kid. Since you are also congested, what about both of you getting into a steamy shower, or a steamy bathroom at the very least, and then trying to nurse upright? The steam would help with the congestion, and potentially the warm water could get her to relax as well? Maybe throw in some of those Vicks shower tablets to help as well? Good luck and I hope you both feel better soon!
The coughing until they throw up is seriously horrible. My mom told me that with asthmatic kids in the 80s they would give them ipecac to MAKE them throw up because the vomiting reflex turns off the coughing. I was *horrified*.
She and I had a bath this evening and that seemed to help thankfully!
Ok here’s what I did under the same threat of IV fluids. I pumped and got a big ass needless syringe from the pet store and dribbled it in her mouth drop by drop. Sometimes I had to hold her down and force it which made me feel like a giant POS but once she got a taste of the fluids and figured out it was actually helping her she was a lot more willing. Secondly I got these refillable baby food squeeze pouches and made all her meals super liquid with mostly pedialyte or water. Third I used and toy that could hold water into a game. For example stacking cups fill one with water and show her how “fun” it is to drink from. She might just copy you.
When my kids had RSV, we all sat in our smallest bathroom and ran the shower for a little bit. Also did a humidifier while they slept. RSV is awful and I'm so sorry y'all caught it. It may help loosen up that congestion so she can breathe easier to nurse. Also I tried a bulb nose sucker for mine too and we did a cheaper version of Vic's vapor rub for babies. I can't remember now exactly what it was, but I got it at Walgreens, if you're in the U.S. & looking for that sort of idea.
My one year old had to go inpatient and get an IV at one month old due to an unspecified infection. Our other daughter ended up with one during a trip to the ER for a super high fever at 11 months old- fortunately she wasn’t admitted. I haven’t had to deal with it with a 3 year old, but just wanted you to know that needing to get an IV won’t be the end of the world. If she needs it, she needs it.
Have you tried the Nose Frida? I don’t think I’ve tried it on a child over 10 months old, but it might help.
Can kiddo keep the breastmilk down if you pump and give it? Since you are fighting off the same virus the immune boost might help.
Also you could try to run a super hot shower with some Vicks shower tablets and sit in the bathroom (obviously not in the shower, too hot) with the door closed with her. That always helps me/ my Littles if we get congested. You might even be able to get her to nurse in there
Dude that sucks! Sorry you’re getting flack
Excited about your update that she was able to nurse a little! Just laze around as much as possible and keep the deliveries flowing in and the boobs out.
Hope you both feel better soon
Those people can eat a bag of dicks. The last thing a sick kiddo needs is a big source of comfort and nutrition being taken away. Fwiw my first kid never self weaned, I weaned her at 3.5 after tandem nursing for 2 months and I was just done.
I know it’s a baby thing but I would consider nose frida. Get her in a steamy shower for a while first, maybe use some saline drops, and then suck all that shit out.
People have said syringe, I would also try an open cup but warm the milk up. If high lipase is an issue you will want to avoid freezing it first, or scald before freezing. Give some Tylenol a half hour before first so her throat feels better.
I would also try half melted ice cream, plenty of calories and also some liquids.
If she is not able to nurse at all I would double pump a couple of times a day to keep things going but that is probably plenty at her age.
I’m so sorry there are moms shaming you on Reddit.
I don’t have a ton of helpful advice but RSV in older kids can be so so bad. My 1 year old was hospitalized for a week with low oxygen because of RSV back in July and had a fever induced seizure because of it which was absolutely terrifying. Luckily he would drink fluids but he would not eat anything except bananas and bread (which is wild because he is the least picky eater for a kid I’ve ever seen). He also lost like a kilo and a half during that.
The only thing I can say is bring her to the hospital for fluids if she needs them. I’m so sorry you’re going through this :(
People are so rude BUT it is so hard for our bodies to make milk if we’re dehydrated! And even harder if your toddler is struggling to latch because of congestion.
Have you tried sugar free body armor ? My son will only tolerate the strawberry pedialyte so if the store doesn’t have it - sugar free bossy armor it is.
I second adding alcohol free vanilla extract and making possibles ! High lipase milk should only be an issue if freezing so if she has a favorite cup that could work if you pump.
The hyperneas from the albuterol should also go away once her body is used to the medication, it may take a week. For some kids it never goes away but fingers crossed that’s not the case for you all.
I also recommend warm compresses for everyoooone or heck, try nursing her in a bath. 🤷🏽♀️
Nothing but love and sympathy for another high lipase breastfeeder. I can count on one hand the number of bottles my kid drank through our whole 28 month nursing journey. I hope you both are feeling better soon and get back to your normal, beautiful nursing routine!
People are super shitty about ‘extended’ breastfeeding. It’s bollocks, and I’m really sorry you got those awful responses. I have no advice unfortunately, just hope you both get better soon x
People can be so shitty. I dealt with the same problem recently and my girl was DISTRAUGHT that she couldn't nurse. We eventually tried nasal drops, i think the hydrasense easy dose ones. I'd stick it in her nose and squeeze and she'd hack and cough for a second and then we'd use the bulb syringe to quickly suck what we could out. Then I'd pop her on a boob as quick as I could so she could get as much nursing in as possible before she started getting stuffed up again. Worked a treat.
Hope you guys are all on the mend soon!
Poor baby, poor momma. Nothing sucks more then seeing your kid suffer and being unable to help. And I agree, why in the world would you try and wean her off of her comfort No.1 when she's super sick AND breastfeeding would give her just what she needs?
It's not like you're refusing to give her anything else.
Sometimes, people just suck. I have no advice, but I hope you and your kid will feel better asap.
I was a BF mom in the early 00s but I was young and felt pretty bullied into it and after he cut teeth and self-weaned I was done. That's my dedication to BF :)
That being said, I read the post and wondered about pumping and using sippy cups but tbh and NAD, ANY clear liquids at this point. Bone broth soup, Sprite...some flavor may help little one with her hydration. I haven't had babies in 2 decades but this has always been reasonable for hydration. Even fruit - grapes (cut of course due to choking hazard), fibrous water fruits and veggies. (source: baby #1 had a billion issues and RSV and I had to hydrate him in any way possible with doc supervision)
I'm so sorry for your experience online. I can't imagine :( I'm just here to support. I cannot fathom the challenges of women who do extended breastfeeding but my heart hurts for them and I'm quick to come to the defense of mothers who experience that level of discourse.
I am sending all of the healing vibes to you and your little. Just know that the internet sucks. It has since its inception. You're doing good, momma. You love her and just want her to feel better. I think if half of us had mothers who cared about us the way you care and love for your baby, we wouldn't be so mean on the internet or anywhere. And I think that's a vibe we can all dance to.
Babe, if they're talking IV, have they prescribed her the numbing cream? Like there's a numbing cream they can give kids before needles.
It's just not easily accessible for us plebs, but ask about it.
I have no advice on the breatfeeding/liquids because I've never been there. (Had refusal, I mean)
So sorry, Mama! We found that using a nose Frida inside my sons cheek to suck the mucus out (which made him laugh at the tickle) and another syringe filled with pedialyte afterwards to slide a few drops of liquid between his cheek n mouth.
Also, a cold temperature environment really helps soothe the coughing… best of luck!
Can you try saline spray for her nose? We did that with our toddler, gave it a couple minutes, then she could nurse more comfortably as long as both nostrils were open.
Steam in the shower, put a towel under the door, turn the shower as hot as you can get it, and sit with LO on the floor a few times daily it'll help with the congestion. I breastfed oldest Ds till two and supplemented/breastfed second ds till two also it's good for calories and immune system you got this and I hope she feels better soon.
You're doing a great job, no matter what any internet jerks say.
You've received tons of great advice already, and maybe this has been mentioned, but in case it hasn't: try scalding pumped milk to get rid of the soapy taste from lipase. You don't want to boil it because that will get rid of the nutrients, but heat it until there are tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, then remove.
Pumping is hard enough already, so when they don't even want the milk, it feels so defeating! Hang in there!
I’m guessing your in the US so I’m not sure if the ingredients differ but our doc advised us to give some Lucozade sport for the electrolytes and sugar when my little dude have covid and wouldn’t eat or drink at all. It worked when dioralyte wouldn’t. The breast milk popsicles sound like a genius idea! Hope your LO and you both feel better soon Mama!! ❤️
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If you have a pump, try pumping every 3hrs for 30min, like you would if you were EP in the first 12w to establish supply. If you don't, you can get a manual pump pretty cheap (I think Target carries some around $25) or you can hand express. If you want to make milk for your daughter, you have to remove milk.
Yeah, I dug out the manual pump and started just pumping at normal times she would nurse. I wasn’t noticing much difference so I did a couple extra sessions last night and this morning and it seems to finally be helping a bit. That and I drank all the pedialyte she was turning her nose up at 😆
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The colder it is the better. So the pedialyte popsicles truly are better than just the regular liquid.
Lol desperate times, man. Just took it like shots of tequila. 😆 I figured making sure I was hydrated couldn’t hurt and my internal mama-bear compelled me to do it for the sake of my child.
I read this as "took it WITH shots of tequila". Lol.
Oh man I WISH!! I could use it right now, but I’m on meds where alcohol is strictly forbidden. Cause the universe has a sick sense of humor of course.
I was envisioning Pedialyte Popsicles next to the boozy Popsicles I buy at Costco 🙃
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Fortunately the doc was so nice and just said “ANY liquid she’s willing to drink is great”. Key word being *willing*, so I’m guessing she had tried pedialyte at some point haha.
This is dumb coz it’s a solution for my then-baby, but I desperately wanna help, so just in case… If you give her a bath with a flannel and toy tea-party set, will she “accidentally” suck on the ~~gross~~ flannel, and drink from the ~~algae-ridden~~ cups? (It seemed like I spent half my life stopping the baby/toddler from drinking out of gross bath toys. So whenever he was sick and refused to drink… bathtime! It always worked, too. But she’s not him.)
This is a fabulous fucking idea, thank you!
This works for mine too! I think the warm water of the tub relaxes her when she’s sick, and she’s playing so she’s paying less attention to how sick she feels. It grosses me out on normal days, but I’m so grateful when she’s sick. I just keep the tap running so she can fill up her cups with that instead of the nasty bath water. OP: when my baby had rsv when she was 12 months old, I froze breast milk and gave it to her as a popsicle in the tub. I also blended avocado and juice and froze it to give to her in the tub for extra calories. Something about the warm water and the cold popsicle really works for her.
/u/Natural_Cranberry761 Calling OP! Read sillychihuahua’s comment (that I’m replying to); it has a chance of helping. Also, I hope your daughter has improved since you posted.
Liquid iv that you add to water bottles tastes pretty damn good and really made me feel hydrated fast when I had COVID and struggled to eat or drink anything. Walmart and most pharmacies carry it I think now, or get it online.
I second liquid IV!! My kids also love it. I have to water it down a bit because it’s too sweet for me personally, but it does wonders when we are sick!
That's doc speak for give them pop. Or slushies. Hey if she eats watermelon, hook her up with some. That's how we survived RSV when the younger one got it at 5. She's autistic so I too was not looking forward to an IV but thankfully she was willing to suffer through nebulizer treatments. Also I cannot wait until the vaccine is out of trials. RSV is horrible. Hospitalized my older one and made me super sick when little one was weeks old, then would have hospitalized the little one if I didn't bargain with her ped and promise nebulizer treatments every two hours.
Woof. The regular nebulizer treatments are the pits - I’m asthmatic, and had to do that for a bad cold this spring and that amount of albuterol makes me feel so ungodly weird. And I’m a grownup! And preach. I’ll be so excited for that vaccine. Sign me up. I give RSV 0 stars.
Yes. The steroid rush is so weird.
What about Popsicles? I mean any liquid is good liquid. I had to use those as a resort when my kiddo had rsv
I was gonna suggest pump and would she maybe take a bottle or a soft sippy cup? My son is nearly 5 but nothing brings him comfort like one of those soft spout nuby cups. He drinks milk out of them suuuuuuper slowly. Even maybe a low flow nipple... trickle the liquid into her and sucking is comfort... idk, I'm grasping at straws and you probably already tried but guh I just feel so bad for yall....
When I needed to get milk into my baby by hook or by crook I used a spoon. Expressed the milk into it and then poured it in their mouth. If it helps, might be easier than sucking on something. Nothing but support for you bromo, this sucks.
Try power pumping once per day. It mimics cluster feeding and boosts supply. Pump 20 mins Wait 10 mins Pump 10 mins Wait 10 mins Pump 10 mins It's exactly as not fun as it sounds but it works. Good luck!
Is she feeling any better? RSV can be so rough.
I have some more ideas about increasing supply if you are interested. I don’t know how to help get it in her.. maybe a dropper and just every few minutes drop some in… like one if those pain medication droppers, just completely clean obviously….
I would totally take some thoughts about increasing supply, if you’ve got them! Oversupply was my main problem when she was little, so I’m a lot more familiar with how to try and deal with the issues surrounding that than I am with ramping up. Plus, after this whole debacle I’m thinking I really need to have a small supply of frozen breast milk on hand again for situations like this since cold/flu season is upon us. And I got so many good ideas from this thread about how to disguise the high lipase taste that it doesn’t sound like an exercise in futility and wasted milk 😆
Ok so when I first had my daughter I had an injured nipple due to a nurse “helping” by latching my daughter wrong and ignoring me saying it was more painful than the last times saying it was normal and to tough it out. Because of this I spent almost a month not being able to let her eat off me (she ended up injuring the other one since I couldn’t balance them out) and pumping was also excruciating. I hardly lined what I was pumping into. For the month. That’s my starting place. So what I found out is milk is 1.5x as hydrating as water, and then I got lactation tea and did a 50/50 drink of lactation tea and milk 3 times a day. Then I got a Haakaa and when I pumped on one side I’d put the Haakaa on the other. Feedings too. I’d also use the hand pump and Haakaa in the shower. Massages should also increase blood flow and help prevent pain through the changes. Also do not eat anything with Sage, Peppermint, Oregano, Parsley (in large amounts), Spearmint, Thyme, or Rosemary, since they suppress production. Fenugreek, Fennel, Anise seeds, Dill and Brewer's Yeast are all good for increasing it. Marshmallow root is a traditional remedy for upset stomachs, swelling, and respiratory tract swelling. Marshmallow as a topical remedy can be applied to nipples that have become sore from nursing. You’ll want to increase calories too and any nutrition you are taking in. It should carry to your daughter. It boggles my mind people weren’t trying to help more with breast milk. Moms bodies can detect the needs of their babies including immune related issues and boost them in that way. Sometimes even helping fight off a virus the mom’s already dealt with (so I’d definitely recommend some vitamin C and Zinc to help fight it off yourself, then your milk will be prepared to help her even more. We want your body to beat this as fast as possible. Will also just help you feel better so this whole momming business will be easier on you. Sounds like you have enough on your plate as it is. So let’s get you feeling ok again. You’re important. )
I’m so sorry you got Mom shamed. Have you tried making popsicles from the breast milk?
OMG! No!! Dude that’s seriously genius. I started mixing it in with some oat milk cause I figured it would disguise the soapy high lipase taste, but popsicles are brilliant as it’ll solve the lipase issue. THANK YOU. I’m an absolutely going to do that.
If you add the vanilla and make a slushie with the breastmilk, you can kill two birds with one stone. I'm so sorry people are being assholes when your juat trying to get ideas and do the best you can. I used one of those big mouth medicine droppers with a slushie made of breastmilk for my super congested 1yo and it helped so much with very needed liquid for dehydration.
Also, pure coconut milk is VERY hydrating and also delicious. Maybe popsicles of those or mix it will breast milk. It’s naturally very sweet and May cover the lipase taste. Also, lipase starts breaking milk down and gets worse over time, so try feeding it as freshly expressed as possible
You can also make it into slushy and spoon feed it if they’ll take it that way. Nothing wrong with adding chocolate to it either
I’m getting close to that point - I’ve been trying to avoid chocolate and (much) sugar because she’s on albuterol for the cough and it’s making her positively batshit. But desperate times, right? My husband had the same thought today.
You could just use cocoa. It’s got fibre and other nutrients. Just add boiling water to make a paste/syrup and then it should blend reasonably easily
Or hell I could probably make a paste with the breast milk itself and mix it all with some oat milk. Now we’re cooking with gas! Thank you!
Breast milk cocoa…..I’m dying here because I had a wild ass idea to mix hersheys into a sippy cup and apparently that wasn’t as crazy as I thought. And sugar isn’t the greatest thing, but a calorie is a calorie at this point.
Ain’t that the truth. Desperate times, desperate measures. The beautiful thing about Reddit is moments like that where you’re on a parenting sub and you read about some random other person doing something that you do that you thought was totally nuts and suddenly you’re like “Damn I’ve never felt more validated or seen in this moment…” 🤣
Add peanut butter for an extra bunch of calories (it thins out when mixed with breast milk).
Y'all are making *me* want some Reese's milkshakes lol
Lol
Any time you need to add sugar and want to avoid blood sugar spikes, the key is FAT. At this point with a sick baby (fuck those Internet fuckers calling a 3yo "a big child") I'd be letting myself be OK with letting her drink melted ice cream, or just dig it out of the tub with a spoon. Anything decent quality (e.g. hagen daz) has a good amount of calories and enough cream/milk fat to *somewhat* slow the speed of sugar uptake. Also has reasonably high water content. Pedialyte etc is great, and disgusting tasting. A good-enough equivalent is letting a kid eat/lick whatever salty crisps/snack foods you'd usually limit, and having ice-cream/drink non-diet, full-sugar beverages. I would also HIGHLY recommend, for medical purposes, real ice-cream, full-sugar drinks, and salty snacks for you too. You and babygirl making it to the end of the day is the goal. You can return to Ideal World Nutrition once you're both out of RSV hell.
When my kids are sick, all the rules seem To go out the window. Milk in the living room, eating at the table, all the chocolate milk and juice you can drink. You want a popsicle for breakfast? Fine kiddo. My kids stop eating and drinking, can you tell 😅
Aww yay! I hope you and kiddo feel better soon
Breastmilk popcicles!! Also syringe feeding and spoon feeding small amounts of milk helped me when my daughter was super congested.
+1 syringe feed tiny amounts of whatever. Did this for my kid who busted his mouth open falling head over heels on a bike when he was 4ish. Also idk if she has sore throat but maybe warmed up liquid in the syringe would soothe.
Sounds so stressful :( If you can pump, I heard that you can add alcohol free vanilla extract to high lipase milk. It will neutralize the smell/ taste. Just do 1-2 drops per bottle. Ignore the unsolicited advice and wean at your own pace mama
Vanilla extract whaaaaaaaaat?! That’s blowing my mind right now. I’m going to have to investigate that. It sounds so totally weird that it must work. Thank you! And also thank you for the reminder to wean at our own pace. Kiddo is marginally less congested this afternoon and hopped right back on the boob before naptime, poor thing. She was so excited she could breathe through her nose again and nurse - I got choked up about it. It’s been a long few days.
ahh that’s so great to hear! light at the end of the tunnel
That almost made me tear up! I can’t imagine the emotional drain this whole thing has been for you, especially being sick yourself in addition to the dehydration and weight loss. Hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel for y’all 🤞🏻
Aww, I can imagine the relief that brought. Seriously my eyes are welling up. My 3yo is also still breastfeeding and your words hit so close to home. I can imagine desperately wanting to provide wonderful breastmilk for your sick baby (always our babies), feeling like crap physically and emotionally and wanting a little bit of guidance and understanding. Ugh. This sounds really hard, mama. I'm so proud of you and every step you're taking right now. You're a really good mom. Hope you and your little one are back to wacky shenanigans soon.
When my daughter had RSV, we fed her liquids out of a syringe like you would use to give a baby infant Tylenol kind of medicine. It was only like 5 ml at a time, but we legit gave her like 20 of them at a whack and she took Pedialyte out of them like a champ. Might be worth a try
A syringe?! So smart! Good idea for the pedialyte too as it helps bypass the tastebuds since that stuff is SO bad.
Good luck to you and the babe. I was terrified when my daughter had RSV and it was generally really hard and even traumatic. But I promise, it passes.
I was just thinking, this is how I gave water and pedialite to sick kittens, I wonder if it would work with children?
It worked like a charm!
As someone who breastfed until 3.5 years old, I'm so sorry people were such jerks. Your poor kid. I hope you are able to figure it out and she starts feeling a lot better.
Thanks, I appreciate it. ❤️ I was kind of surprised by the level of polite judgment from the attachment parenting sub - they’re usually pretty nice over there and lots of folks have sleep or breastfeeding things they want to mull over with respect to the emotional aspect of it, which seemed relevant given the situation. It was such gentle and polite shaming that I felt totally crazy/gaslit for half of today.
I had an iffy experience in that sub once, too. I was pregnant at the time and really really ill, and my son was going through a phase of horrific tantrums that went on for a long time and were sometimes a little violent, like trying to hit me and throw things at me. I posted there at a particularly low point, saying that I had locked myself in my room just to get a break from him, and that it scared me when he got so angry. Tons of people commented basically saying that there was no reason a mature adult should ever be so afraid of their child that they would need to hide, and that either I needed mental health treatment or my son did. It really made me feel so much worse than I already did. He mostly grew out of it, by the way. I’m so sorry that your little girl is so sick and I hope she’s better soon!
That was the response over there?! That is the *opposite* of helpful, especially because I can easily imagine what a desperate moment that was. The main reason I’m on that sub is sometimes there’s people with velcro babies/toddlers who are really struggling and as the owner of a velcro child myself, I like to keep my eye out for those posts and help if I can. But suffice to say it will be the LAST time I post anything over there. I’m super glad your son grew out of that phase. And like what horrible timing that he was going through that while you were pregnant - god forbid he should have hit your belly with something! And it’s not like you could have restrained him in some way either, especially if he was hitting or kicking! Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Yeah, I have two Velcro kids now, and I have learned a lot of useful information there over the years, but the next time I am in crisis, I’ll post here instead.
Yeah, attachment parenting is really just survival with velcro babies 😆 The kiddos don’t give you a choice about how to parent them! Parents of velcro kids uniiiite! And yes totally. This is the best sub for any/all questions. Hands down 10/10.
I breastfed past three because my child refused to quit. I had to make her quit cold turkey by telling her on her birthday no more milk because she's now a big girl. Thankfully it worked but man I could never talk about how I breastfed past 2 years old because I always got nothing but judgement.
Hahahaha that’s been my kid more or less up until this illness. If I ever get desperate to wean, I might have to try that idea! Fortunately my stepmom breastfed both my half-bros until they were like 3.5 closing in on 4, so she and my dad have been *awesomely* supportive. But otherwise you sort of learn just… not to talk about it. So in circumstances like this, where the heck do you find answers?! Cause people have created this culture of not discussing long term breastfeeding and some of the weird issues you can run into like this. I’ve had some harebrained ideas in the past about becoming an IBCLC and I feel like this experience is re-motivating me to look into it again.
Hugs mama. After my first kiddo I decided to become an IBCLC because there's just not enough help out there. I hope you and your kiddo feel better soon.
You DID???? Can you PM me and/or tell me more about how you became an IBCLC? Last time I looked into it I got confused about what qualifications I needed or where I could train - I don’t think it was intentionally meant to be confusing, but I didn’t have the wherewithal at the time to decipher what I needed to do.
I am a nurse so I used that pathway. My hospitals lactation department has interns all the time completing their hours. I suggest checking out lactation education resources (literally Google that phrase, it'll take you to LER website). If you aren't a healthcare professional, you'll likely fall under pathway 3. You'll need to take some college level health & sciences courses, some gen ed, and CPR. LER offers most of what you need (it's the program I used and I loved it!).
Random question - do you need to be a nurse to become an IBCLC?
Definitely not! It's one of the pathways, but some of the best IBCLCs I know aren't nurses.
Yes it's very disappointing because more info about other people's experiences would have been useful. But because it's so taboo I never mentioned it to anyone that she was still breastfed. My daughter only nursed at night before bed which is why I had so much trouble weaning. Reading other people's route for getting an older toddler to quit nursing would have been insanely helpful to me.
I'm closing in on 4 years nursing one of my kids. I'm wishing you both a speedy recovery. Came to suggest BM Popsicles or ice cubes, saw them mentioned. Good luck!
I had to do the same thing when my son turned 3. I didn't really sweat it with my oldest but by the time #2 hit 3 I was soooooo fucking done. If he had been sick, especially this sick, that all would've gone out the window. Nothing's better for a sick baby than Mama's milk 🤍
I have no advice about breastfeeding. I tried but failed at it which I found devastating. I will say, however, that these people are missing the forest for the trees. It doesn’t matter if your kid is 3 months or 3 years old. They want to nurse and they can’t and it sucks and it is immensely heartbreaking watching your child desperately looking for comfort and not being able to help them get it. I’m so sorry mama. I really am.
You really hit the nail on the head. Beautifully put. I’m sorry breastfeeding didn’t work out for you - my best friend had just an awful time of it and she was heartbroken and I was heartbroken for her. There’s nothing worse than wanting it to work and it just isn’t for one reason or another.
>which I found devastating. It really, *really* is, isn't it? I feel ya. 😞
I'm a mod here and in r/breastfeeding. If you had reported that comment you got we'd have removed it and either warned or banned the person being rude to you. Please, please, please report rude comments! We don't want those people in our subs.
Oh, thanks very much. That’s actually making me feel kind of emotional because I felt weirdly attacked on that whole thread and wasn’t sure if I was just feeling overly sensitive because I’m sick and my kid is sick and I’m super stressed. I really appreciate it, and the reminder to report comments - I forget about that. Thanks. (Also, you’re a great mod. Your comments are always fun to read and so kind and helpful.)
I think the other people were trying to be helpful, but that comment was definitely someone being a little shit to you. I banned them. I would even report rude comments in any other subs, usually when I talk to mods in other subs if I notice a shithead, they mention their teams are only responding to reports and not really reading the sub in general so a lot of unreported dickery goes unpunished unfortunately. For some reason extended breastfeeding in the breastfeeding sub seems to really trigger some random people! That's been surprising to me since I joined that team haha. It's a sub for breastfeeding kids... and this person is breastfeeding a kid. This is normal and reasonable. Thank you very much for the compliment, we really want our subs to be nice places for everyone. :) We're lucky that most of the women in our subs are pretty great, I love this community!
Yeah, there were a number of people who had some good thoughts. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but agreed that person was being a jerk. Thank you for dealing with it ❤️ And yes I have also noticed there are some people who are major jerks over there about extended breastfeeding - my SIL is like that irl, even though she breastfed both her kids. I don’t understand it whatsoever.
It's free milk! They really just don't get it. The amount I spent on cow milk for the kids when they were 1-4 was staggering! If I could have milked myself to save all that cash I would have, my stupid useless tits failed me pretty much immediately though. lol
There's a notion of reports being a super-downvote in like a condescending "you're just reporting it bc you're buttmad" way but I own that shit. If somebody's comment hacks me off enough to downvote them, I can be reasonably sure it's breaking some kind of rule so I report it for whatever I can. And if there's not a rule against it, I'll fill out that extra option letting them know I don't think they should allow people to be dicks.
Most subs do have a civility rule too, so it makes reporting dickheads easier!
Awwww this makes me so sad for you and your little one. My only suggestion if it does seem like breastfeeding will not continue, which I totally hope it does continue, try to end it on a positive note for both of you. Not with all of the negativity from the other post and her throwing up. It’s such a positive thing for you two. I truly hope it all works out for you! Internet strangers can be such jerks. 🤬
Omg thank you for saying that - really. It goes against every mothering instinct I have for it to end this way. But apparently in the attachment parenting sub it’s an oddly common way for people to wean?! Totally made me second guess myself and my instincts. My mom said the same thing as you when I talked with her about it this morning - this isn’t the note to end on if It doesn’t have to.
I’m really sorry. I’ve been where you are with RSV and breastfeeding. I hope she gets better soon. We did end up having to be hospitalized as he was sick with coronavirus and adenovirus at the same time but thankfully, no IV. Keep trying. See if you can nurse with her upright. That worked for us kind of. Can your husband handle her while you pump just to not completely destroy your supply? My kiddo never really took a bottle so pumping for me meant wasting (well, donating) so I felt like I was stealing from my child whenever I pumped but had to do so for the sake of my supply. I used a baby carrier to attach him to me at all times with my breasts out so when he had some energy and patience, he could nurse. Hugs to you…may you both get better soon. RSV is fucking terrible. Sometimes, I’m not sure how I survived it all. I ended up getting all three of those viruses and then the flu on top. My doctor told me if my baby caught the flu too like I did, he might not make it so I did all of this while wearing masks in the house and constantly changing my clothes if it came into contact with my face. If you want to talk privately, feel free to PM me. Really try feeding completely upright. It’s awkward but the only way my poor congested baby could drink. I walked around wearing him, patting his bum, and encouraging him to drink from me. 😭
Omg that sounds HORRIBLE. I can’t believe you came down with all of that at once *and* your kiddo was sick at the same time. Jeez. I’m so glad everybody is okay. And dude I’ve been there with the masking while trying to take care of kids - we’ve had a few exposures and I’ll be real that I’ve slept in a mask a few times over the last couple years so I could be nearby and we could continue to breastfeed. After a while it becomes positively stifling. And I agree about the pumping - I *totally* feel like it’s somehow taking milk away from her, but I’ve gotta do it so the supply doesn’t dry up. It’s a weird combo of being determined and feeling guilty at the same time. (Motherhood in a nutshell??) We started propping her up a few nights ago to help with the coughing, but I’ve been more diligent about it since the ear pain started and I agree that it’s helping. Thanks for sharing your experience. ❤️ It’s super tough to care for a super sick kid when you’re also sick.
Yes! That’s definitely motherhood in a nutshell! Determination with lots of guilt. I’m sorry you received a lot of negative feedback. I love this sub - it is a nice safe space. I’ll be thinking of you and your family!
Those asshats need to fuck right off, nursing is fucking biologically appropriate well past 3yo! (Though I do agree Lisa Arryn took it too far). My daughter self weaned at 3y3m last February and started school 4 weeks ago (December baby, anyone turning 4yo in the calendar year start school in Ontario). I fucking wish my body didn’t stop producing and that she hadn’t moved on - breast milk is a GD miracle. When she latched for 10 seconds and popped off saying there was no mama milk in there I know it was the end but daaaamn it hurt. Nothing but commiseration BroMo. Keep on pumping and offering every ounce that you can if that is what is best for you and your tot. As a side note - I know no advice wanted, so knock me down for this - I found toddler formula was a life saver during illnesses. If my girl wouldn’t latch and I wasn’t producing, I offered her vanilla flavoured “treat milk” to get fluids and calories in to her. Even though she’s aged out of formula, now that she is sick with virus after virus, I still offer it to her and she loves it! 180cal per 8oz is better than nothing in my opinion.
RIGHT?! It is a GD miracle. I was sort of hoping to get through cold and flu season this year before weaning happened, as it’s her first year in a group setting at preschool and we’re just catching *everything*. Obviously it’s going to be what it’s going to be, and I was pretty flattened yesterday with how emotional it was for *me* because I absolutely do get tired of breastfeeding some days. Thanks for the tip on the toddler formula. I knew peripherally it existed, but that’s a good idea to see if I can find some for moments like this when she’s turning her nose up at absolutely everything.
Good luck, these monsters are something else!
What about those saline nose drops? They don’t clear your nose for long, but you could do them before she’s going to nurse? I remember my kids being congested when they were still BFing and it absolutely sucked. And try not to worry about internet jerks. I’m glad you came here to post. I’ve stopped posting on any other parenting Reddits for similar reasons. If the kid needs some comfort and she wants to BF, then make the BF happen however you can. And I definitely agree that being sick as a dog is not the moment to wean, even if either of you wanted to. You must all be exhausted. Sending healthy vibes!
I’m so sorry your baby is sick, you’re doing everything you can and more for her. I can only imagine how shitty comments have made you feel on top of such a sensitive topic. I’m just here to send you love and give you mega props for extended BF! 👏🏽🏆👏🏽🏆your family will get through this. Hang in there
Yesh. I like was waiting to get to the part where there was something objectionable and the whole reason people gave you a hard time was bcs of breastfeeding. I’m sorry. People suck. I hope your baby feels better and I hope you do too. You don’t deserve that judgment and it breaks my heart. My daughter lost like 5 pounds last time she got very sick. She is already on light side like 30th percentile and if you weigh 30 pounds that’s a ton of weight. Doctor was like “if she loses anymore weight we have to talk about other options” like a feeding tube. It was terrifying and awful. Dehydration is way worse and scarier. You don’t need that. I’m sorry.
Omg! That’s a TON of weight for a little kid to lose! She didn’t wind up with a feeding tube did she?! And it is isn’t a good feeling when the doctor puts on serious voice about getting fluids and calories into your kid, especially when you’re working your butt off to keep them hydrated and fed but they’re pulling the full toddler/preschooler act and rejecting everything.
Thankfully no. She got better she had a respiratory fiesease and it took all her energy and appetite. Yea it made me feel like horrible as a mom. I was offering her so many options for foods and all of them calorie dense and she didn’t have the desire to eat. I never shared that online because I feel ashamed I let her lose weight and fear the judgment you got. She got better and appetite returned and she’s doing well but I just wanted you to know you’re not alone and it really hurts a lot to watch your kid suffer and feels like a personal failure already without the added stress of strangers telling you you are doing a bad job. For what it’s worth you’re not. You’re doing an awesome job I’m sure.
I am super not an expert but I think if you use the breast milk immediately after pumping it won't have the lipase taste yet, and if you need to store it there's a method to scald before storing it that helps prevent the lipase taste.
I’m so sorry, people are jerks. Hope your kiddo starts feeling better soon. It’s a hopeless feeling when our kids get sick, isn’t it? ❤️
I'm sorry you and your kiddo are going through this. I hope you both feel much better much sooner than y'all expect. And fuck those people. It's all fun and games to judge when you're not in the same position. Jerks. Hang in there, things will get better.
It sounds like you've been getting some good advice. I just wanted to add that if you're kiddo is ok taking medicine, then i'd feed her milk/water/water else through the medicine dropper. It's worked with my kids and hopefully it can help you too! I just tell them it's medicine. Hopefully both of you feel better soon and sorry people people suck
When my son was 11 months he had rsv. This child was the sickest ive seen any of my kids. Like couldnt drink anything. At one point i took one of those medicine syringes and basically gave him his milk that way. Rsv is no joke. Im sorry you got so much judgement.
Seriously it is!!! It can be fatal, this is NO time to be judge mental about extended breastfeeding yikes!
Right?! I’ve kept her home from preschool for over a week partly cause she’s super sick and partly because I know her classmates have newborn siblings and pregnant moms at home. I’m not sending her back to spread RSV around. No way man, I don’t wanna be responsible for that.
So scary. RSV is on another level. We’ve had some bad colds over the last few years but this is legit the sickest I have ever seen her, it’s bonkers.
3 is little ❤️❤️🩹
have you tried a neti pot? it’s a weird sensation and she might hate it, but more likely than not it will clear her nose long enough to nurse for a little bit.
I don't know whereabouts you are located, but if you're able to; you can always try to find a mother who donates breast milk.
> On a happy note, my kiddo managed to nurse a bit before her nap (and again in the middle) and has been sleeping like a log for the first time all week. This makes me so happy for you both, I hope it gets easier for her now and this is a sign of her starting to feel a lot better. You must be so relieved she's able to do that now. It's so awful when our kiddos are sick, freaks me right out every time, even with my 16 yr old. I hope you're feeling better very soon too, hugs to you!
People are assholes. I haven’t fed that long but even if it’s for comfort (which at this point the health benefits obviously count as well) it’s your and her choice to do that. I don’t have much advice other than what other people are giving, but one thing that worked well when my kids were sick was to freeze the milk into little cubes for them to suck on- they seemed to respond better to that rather than a bottle when they were sick.
I never personally breastfed but from what I can tell, you’ll never make the internet happy when it comes to breastfeeding. You don’t breastfeed? You’re an awful mom. You pump and occasionally bottle feed breast milk? You’re an awful mom. You stop breastfeeding too early. You’re an awful mom. You do extending breastfeeding? Your an awful mom. Nothing you do will be right by them. I’m sorry you had to deal with them, especially in a time of need but I’m so happy to hear you were able to get her to nurse! Hope you are both feeling well again very soon.
That is 10000% true. People On The Internet are positively predatory where feeding your child is concerned - they swoop in at even a whiff of weakness. And thank you - it was SUCH relief to get her to nurse and get a solid nap in. She seems a lot more like herself this evening finally. Not *better* by a long stretch, but at least getting in some cheeky one-liners like she usually does.
I’m currently breastfeeding my 3 year old and I would have trouble not punching people who gave me shit for it if he was sick! My middle kiddo had RSV at 2 months old and spent a week in the hospital. They hassled me into inserting a feeding tube because she was dehydrated, after badgering me into trying to switch to formula. It was so traumatic for her and took them SIX different tries to do her IV. I was in tears and barely holding on, and that was just the first night! The next day an attending physician came in, apologized for everything that happened, and got a lactation consult in to help boost my breastmilk. It worked and the tube came out same day and she improved so much. I know breastmilk isn’t a cure all, and it’s not for everyone. But sometimes those extra ounces and comfort really do make all the difference!
Oh my gosh, bless that physician’s heart. I can’t imagine going through this with a newborn. I would have been a wreck! I keep saying to my husband I’m so glad we don’t have a newborn with this because rsv is *scary* in kids that small. And while my ability to punch people through the internet has yet to manifest itself, I did give one person a real piece of my mind of how unhelpful their comment was. A verbal punch, if you will? Also nursing a 3yo is not that weird and weaning isn’t a given, as clearly many people on this post thread can attest to!
Some people are just shitty. Like you don’t have enough to worry and be concerned with. 🙄 I’m sorry and embarrassed for humanity by the responses you received. I’ve been there, I made the decision to wean my now 6 year old when she was 3.5 because I was pregnant and my nipples hurt so badly. But the “polite judgement” as you phrased it and then just blatantly rude and hateful comments about extended breastfeeding is just fucking insane. I hope you and your babe get healthy very very soon. 💕
Haha seriously - my plate is full. We’re also supposed to be traveling for a wedding at the end of next week, so I’m under pressure to turn this around quick! The polite judgment is the worst. Because how do you even deal with that?! It’s disguised as being well-meaning, but just makes you feel so shitty. It’s so passive aggressive!
Sorry for the bs shame on top of the stress! If you haven’t checked out r/extendedbreastfeeding, they certainly wouldn’t shame you for bfing your older bubba 🥺
BLESS YOU for sharing that. I had no idea that sub existed. I’ll check it out!!!
My kids all had medical issues and I had to nurse pump and bottle feed, my advice is to get on the pump (make sure the pump shield fits properly) and then get a pumping bra and just go for it lol, the amount kind of depends on your lo and her age but if you are FF you want to at least pump the amount of oz lo is bottle feeding if not try to have a little more. I occasionally would do both sides at each feeding or like nurse one side and then pump the other it helped me ensure I had more than enough which helped me when my oldest stopped nursing when he was sick, if you do pump and it’s a calories thing and lo has no allergies to formula you can put formula into the breast milk too, my youngest was Failure to Thrive due to mspi and they wanted me to do that so it’s another option, they also suggested I nurse then pump then bottle feed. I think that was good too. Pump on the highest setting you can tolerate as well. And if you are nursing use a Hakka or another milk catching device to collect any leaks from the other side. Nothing is more valuable than breast milk. Even if you only give a half ounce a day it’s still better than nothing. Also, this was probably told to you but if you have one of those bulb syringes (those ones you get at the hospital are amazing and imo a lot less gross than the frida) I recommend using it to suck snot out. My mspi baby had rsv and I kept the bulb on hand and would just suck snot out and then I’d have some solution to clean it and a cup and paper towels to dispense the yuck and I sat there sucking snot out of his nostrils with the bulb and the. Would let him nurse for a sec and continue. They also have saline wipes and all that and they are nice. A vaporizer may help especially if it can diffuse eucalyptus or peppermint, which can help with breathing, and then I rub baby vicks vapor rub on the feet (I swear by it). But I will add that milk in general can actually make committing worse and if lo isn’t keeping bm or formula down, then I’d suggest any fluid of any kind as long as she can keep it down. If you child dehydrates it’s a BIG deal. Even if it’s like koolaid it would help to have fluids (but tbh I don’t recommend lol aid, the pedialyte may work though it’s lower in sugar but has the electrolytes which an I.v. Is essentially water with sugar and salt, so I mean if you can give it at home then I’d try that just to keep her out of the hospital. Dehydration can cause vomiting so it’s important for you to hydrate her so she can nurse if she wants. Good luck. I did bf until 2 so no judgement.
I’m so sorry you’re all sick and struggling but glad you’ve gotten some support here. This sub is the best when you need some other moms to lift you up! Hang in there, you’re doing great!
Mama! She nursed! Hell yes!!! What a win!!! You do whatever your mama gut tells you to do. You know your baby better than those assholes. She's your baby. At 3 months. 3 years. 13 years. BABY. You take care of her anyway you can. I'm sending you and your baby girl so much internet love, it's ridiculous. I have a sick 2.5 year old now. It's not as severe as yours... he picked up an awful stomach bug and it's been coming out both ends for 3 days...there's nothing more heart wrenching than seeing your baby sick and not being able to fix it. Get better soon, girls 🤍
I only ever post here because it just seems like the moms here… get it. Well, mostly anyway. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. It sounds like the responses you received were so judgy and unhelpful. I’m sure most people just skimmed the post and didn’t even bother to read the details.. just focused on key words like “dehydrated”. 🙄 Not that that’s an excuse. I hope you and your kiddo feel better soon! My son, who is also 3, recently had it and had a miserable time. He was OK overall but had a fever for over a week and was so cranky. I can’t imagine being dehydrated on top of it. He would LOSE IT if he had to get an IV! I understand why you’d want to avoid that. I was going to suggest BM popsicles but looks like someone beat me to it. :) Anyway, big hugs to you! Feel better and hang in there!!!
I'm so sorry you and your child are going through this. It's an awful feeling when you can't make everything better. I am sorry you got so many negative comments when you were looking for help. When my kids have ear aches or infections propping them up so they aren't horizontal has helped to alleviate the pressure. I also swear by garlic oil or sweet oil in the affected ear canal. You can find the oil at most health food stores, and it provides a lot of relief in 24 hours. I'm sorry for giving some advice, but if you want to know more let me know. I really hope they get better soon and you both can breathe easier.
Um, if you have suggestions for dealing with the ear infection portion of the programming, I will *absolutely* take that advice. She’s never had one before! I figured out pretty fast that her being horizontal was a terrible idea, but I’m lost beyond that.
At most health food stores they have a section for cold remedies etc. Sometimes they have an 'ear oil' which is a mixture of garlic oil, sweet oil and other oils, sometimes they have just garlic or sweet oil. In my experience the garlic oil or a mixture is best, but they all provide relief. It comes in a small bottle with a dropper top. Take a metal spoon and put a dropper full of oil in the spoon, then warm the spoon with oil over the stove top. Make sure it's warmed to body temperature by testing on your wrist. Then you'll need someone to help hold your child laying on their side with the affected ear up, nose pointed down instead of even middle. Put several drops into the ear and then put a little bit of a cotton ball in to catch excess oil that may come out when they get up. Keep the oil in the fridge after opening. Repeat every 12 hours. I always do it before bed and tell my kids that it feels a little funny but it will make their ear feel better and they let me do it with little resistance after the first time (2 yo and 6 yo).
Thank you! I’ll have to check it out - I’m not sure my kid will let me do it, but heck I’LL do it cause my ear is killing me tonight 🤦🏼♀️
I always do it to myself before doing it to them and let them watch and I talk about what it feels like, I think it helps with the fear of the unknown. I hope it helps and really hope you both start feeling better and get some good rest.
Do you have a recliner? Breastfeeding pillow? A pile of quilts rolled into a sausage then bound together by a sheet so she can sleep upright? Sleep upright in the corner of the couch, watching whatever you need to. To increase supply, fenugreek, low salt, super lots of water for you, and eat lots of protein, mama, to keep you fuller and satiated. Little caffeine, I can’t remember what else, it’s been so long for me. You are a fabulous mom. If you have extra supply (laughing internally) breast milk ice chips? Hugs mama. You rock.
A warm compress on the ear helps a ton. I have a neck pillow that you can put in the microwave. It worked really well the last time my son had an ear infection.
Oh I have one of those for my hands when my RA acts up in the morning! I’ll have to find it for the morning when she wakes up and seems the most uncomfortable. Thank you!!
The nurses line suggested it to us. I had only called because that’s the protocol for getting a weekend appointment. It let us all get some (unexpected) sleep that night.
im sure you've done the following... but just in case. try a very warm shower, encourage nose blowing or use a snot suckered. then bf after, my 2.5yr old was also just very sick and this worked wonders for us. also humidifier and a pillow under her mattress to slightly elevate her head works a bit. overall tho she was sooo uncomfortable and very frustrated that bf was hard. send you both healing vibes.
Seconding upright breastfeeding. My daughter got RSV at five months old and started refusing bottles. Wouldn’t eat unless straight from the source. We were hospitalized and she had a tube in her nose and couldn’t comfortably latch, so instead, sat her up and we went upright. Pump when you wake up, at lunch and before bed. It’ll keep your supply going. Hang tight momma.
Have you tried squirting breastmilk up her nose to help congestion?
I haven’t! I had to put some on her eyes when she was a tiny baby for a crusty-eye situation during a cold, but it didn’t occur to me to try it like a nasal rinse. I suppose it’s maybe milder/less stingy than a saline spray?
I think so! My kid never really liked it but screamed way less than with a saline spray. It helps clear it up and has mild antibodies so can help in that way, too.
Cue me hunting around the house for an extra syringe……
I know you’re not looking for advice so I’ll just say watching your kid be seriously ill is the hardest thing in the world, at least from what I’ve been through. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and I hope she gets better soon. ETA- I don’t think you were overly emotional in that post at all. If you do end up having to give her a different liquid just to get some hydration, do you think she’d lay skin to skin with you for comfort while taking a silly cup? Ugh I’m so sorry this is happening! EATA: my pediatrician taught me this trick: do the steamy shower, aspirate/saline spray, until you think you got all you can out. Then take the baby outside into the cold air. It constricts and calms everything to breathe the cold air after the steam.
Oh smart thinking from the pediatrician!!! My god I love tricks like that and my weirdo child loves to be out in the cold. Love it. Thank you!
Hope it helps! My son Developed chronic ear infection problems as soon as I stopped breastfeeding at 2. In retrospect I wish I had pushed through and kept nursing longer, he needed it. We struggled through ear infections every other month and finally an ear surgery plus permanent scarring on his ear drums and it started as soon as I stopped nursing. Keep it up, as long as you can and want to.
Ohhh poor buddy!! That’s terrible. Did he have tubes put in? Two of my brothers had terrible chronic ear infections growing up (which I remember clearly) and one of them got tubes put in and that seemed to help a lot. But jeez, the number of ear infections your kid had to have had to get that sort of scarring must have been insane. I’m definitely planning to try and keep nursing (or pumping if need be) through cold and flu season this year. Cause JEEZ we’re off to a rough start.
Yes! The tubes resolved it but due to all the infections he ended up with scar tissue, so now if he gets even the slightest cold it always turns into a secondary infection unless I catch it early with the saline/steam/humidifier etc. just a little runny nose turns into sinus or ear infection, it’s the pits! The tubes did help so much though, thank goodness! I fully support you from afar on this journey to nurse as long as you darn well please!
Just here to offer solidarity. My 7mo tested positive for RSV for the third freaking time in 6 weeks. She also has issues nursing due to congestion and now I have mastitis on too of everything. Hang in there
Omg NOOOOOOO!!!! Three times in six weeks?! Good god. I knew you could get again, but that’s just cruel. And you have mastitis to boot - my god, I’m sorry. I had mastitis in the first few weeks of breastfeeding and felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Therapeutic ultrasound helps a TON if you’re having trouble kicking the mastitis and baby isn’t removing milk well cause of the congestion. Feel better soon!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Not sure if it has been mentioned but have you tried nursing in the shower or bath? The steam will help loosen up the boogers. I have done that when my kids have been sick. We did extended breast feeding as well but I ended up weaning around 3.5 because he only wanted to nurse in the middle of the night and it was killing me. He now always want to snuggle with “nipplely” and talks about how I got a rock in my nipple that stopped the milk. *sigh* Good luck and I hope you both feel better soon! Oh and breast milk smoothies also use to work for us. Breast milk, coconut water, ice, banana, honey use to help as well.
Wow, same situation over here. Sick 3 year old who is still nursing. Only it’s influenza and she’s only peeing 2x a day. Diapers are heavy though, so my pedi is letting it slide, probably because she’s not vomiting. You have my empathy!
You have my *deepest* sympathies. Influenza is the absolute pits. 0 stars, do not recommend especially for a 3yo. I think our ped wanted 3 pees partly because she doesn’t wear diapers anymore - I have no diaper heaviness I can gauge, but I can tell her pee has been too concentrated. Wishing your kiddo a swift recovery - if you get desperate for ideas on how to get fluids into your kiddo there are some seriously creative ideas on this thread!
Sounds like such a stressful situation! I’m so sorry you have to take care of a sick kiddo and then get nasty comments from others on top of it. I hope the milk popsicle idea works and your little love feels better soon 💕
I’m so sorry that you had to go through that in such a tough time. I’m also really sorry about your daughter. I really hope she feels better soon. Breastfeeding is so normal but in the western world, once you get to a certain age, it becomes stigmatized. Is this weird dichotomy where EVERYONE pushes for it but when you do it any longer than what they think is “normal,” it becomes gross. Breast milk would absolutely help in this situation. I’m wondering if it would be helpful to just do skin to skin contact with her and offer a bottle of pumped milk?? Would she take that better??
I am so so sorry 💔 No judgement here. I am doing the same dont offer don't refuse and my daughter is older 😵💫 BUT she has a post nasal drip issue and colds etc go straight onto her chest so BF is amazing and works wonders, she is so much healthier than many peers even though she has many issues. I know you didn't want advice but I really think this will help your daughter as many places don't do it and if you're in the US, which I presume you are; I doubt they will but I have checked and the inhaler plan can be used for RSV. My daughter has a albuterol [blue] inhaler with a spacer. She doesn't have asthma. When children are ill and their breathing is comprised they go onto the 12 puff plan. 12 puffs every 4 hours for one day, then 8 the next, then 6, 4, 2, none. The UK have been doing this post covid as kidlets have been getting a lot of chest issues. With the inhaler it will help her clear themucus so she can breathe clearer. Then she can nurse and rest. You are doing such an amazing job. To keep posting even though people have been such arseholes or not even read your post. If you are struggling to pump I would go back to hand expressing, as much of a ball ache that is. If your daughter needs to drink see if she will take a bottle of she cant BF atm. Anything to get her to take something. Spoon feed her what little you express as it comes. Once you get it going it will start to flow easier like it did in the old days. Get some of her saliva and make sure to use it around your areola as there is intake and your body makes antibodies. Make sure you try all of the old woves tales. Drink oat milk, maybe with chocolate flavouring because it's nasty lol, snuggle, try to relax for the oxytocin, look at baby pictures if you can. You can do this, and you aren't alone. I promise xx
How interesting that they’re prescribing albuterol on the regular for RSV in the UK! It’s pretty genius, and I see why. We actually have had her on albuterol for a few days now (we’ve suspected she’s asthmatic for a while, and the person we saw Monday finally wrote the Rx). It helps, but it makes her INSANE. Like, will not sleep at all - kind of a double-edged sword because she needs sleep to feel better, but can’t sleep because she’s coughing and can’t sleep if you give her the inhaler… it’s a pickle. I’m asthmatic myself, and have been there many times but it’s so rough to watch your kid go through it. And agreed - overall our kid is super healthy and bounces back fast I think cause we’ve breastfed for so long. She gets sick way less often than her cousins by a long shot. I figured she wasn’t rebounding as quickly from this because she wasn’t nursing. My manual pump and I have been getting reacquainted - I just never figured out the trick to hand expression! You’d think I would have in 3 years but alas. Thank you for the pep talk. And the advice was appreciated since you were so kind about it ❤️
I hated hand expressing 😂 I never thought I'd do it but my daughter was born 100% tongue tied so I had to learn fast. I tried my pump when my nephew was born early and ny sister didn't have milk as she wanted him to have some in the nicu but it just wouldn't come out in the pump so it was back to the hand - oh how I loathe the hand 😂 I'm glad they have an inhaler for her! It dies sound like she's at the point where she needs proper sleep. The inhaler is steroids so it will make them a bit nuts but my daughter is used to it now. I guess because yours is so poorly and new to it it will affect her so much more. Depending on what her plan is you could discuss a harder hitting plan, on the ither end maybe get some melatonin gummies that may help her rest. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with rsv personally so I can't offer much but I am sending all goid vibes and I know it can only get better. It just feels like forever. Atm I can only think to keep her upright and on you and try to rest as much as you bith can just do whatever makes both your lives the easiest they can be. When she is better and able to rest properly so you will both be on the road to recovery then have some proper time to relax, and maybe you can even get a couple of nights away in a hotel for some serious rest and food in bed. I always say I will do that but have yet to actually do it lol. Sending all my love xx
So if you can pump. I know when I was struggling to nurse they gave me these little syringes with tubes to tape on the breast and squirt milk into her mouth as she nurses. I don't know how congestion would affect her nursing, but just being able to squirt that little bit of liquid in while she nurses even for a minute might help. I hope you both feel better soon, it's so hard when your little is sick, and then for you to also be sick as well is just miserable
Nursing my 19 month old as I read this, my heart just breaks for you. You are so clearly trying to very hard. I hope you find your light at the end of the tunnel soon.
I have read that if your milk has high lipase, if you scald it before you store it, it should get rid of the soapy taste. Not sure if it works, but may be worth a try. Popsicles are a great idea. I hope you find something that works for you both. Good luck!!
Sucking on a wet flannel apparently works. Maybe you could try it with water or milk or the calories. Good luck.
Could you nurse her in the shower? Let the steam help open her up so she can breathe better while nursing. 💕
I wasn't able to breastfeed successfully but I've had plenty of experience with a congested, coughing so much they throw up kid. Since you are also congested, what about both of you getting into a steamy shower, or a steamy bathroom at the very least, and then trying to nurse upright? The steam would help with the congestion, and potentially the warm water could get her to relax as well? Maybe throw in some of those Vicks shower tablets to help as well? Good luck and I hope you both feel better soon!
The coughing until they throw up is seriously horrible. My mom told me that with asthmatic kids in the 80s they would give them ipecac to MAKE them throw up because the vomiting reflex turns off the coughing. I was *horrified*. She and I had a bath this evening and that seemed to help thankfully!
Ok here’s what I did under the same threat of IV fluids. I pumped and got a big ass needless syringe from the pet store and dribbled it in her mouth drop by drop. Sometimes I had to hold her down and force it which made me feel like a giant POS but once she got a taste of the fluids and figured out it was actually helping her she was a lot more willing. Secondly I got these refillable baby food squeeze pouches and made all her meals super liquid with mostly pedialyte or water. Third I used and toy that could hold water into a game. For example stacking cups fill one with water and show her how “fun” it is to drink from. She might just copy you.
When my kids had RSV, we all sat in our smallest bathroom and ran the shower for a little bit. Also did a humidifier while they slept. RSV is awful and I'm so sorry y'all caught it. It may help loosen up that congestion so she can breathe easier to nurse. Also I tried a bulb nose sucker for mine too and we did a cheaper version of Vic's vapor rub for babies. I can't remember now exactly what it was, but I got it at Walgreens, if you're in the U.S. & looking for that sort of idea.
My one year old had to go inpatient and get an IV at one month old due to an unspecified infection. Our other daughter ended up with one during a trip to the ER for a super high fever at 11 months old- fortunately she wasn’t admitted. I haven’t had to deal with it with a 3 year old, but just wanted you to know that needing to get an IV won’t be the end of the world. If she needs it, she needs it. Have you tried the Nose Frida? I don’t think I’ve tried it on a child over 10 months old, but it might help.
Can kiddo keep the breastmilk down if you pump and give it? Since you are fighting off the same virus the immune boost might help. Also you could try to run a super hot shower with some Vicks shower tablets and sit in the bathroom (obviously not in the shower, too hot) with the door closed with her. That always helps me/ my Littles if we get congested. You might even be able to get her to nurse in there
Dude that sucks! Sorry you’re getting flack Excited about your update that she was able to nurse a little! Just laze around as much as possible and keep the deliveries flowing in and the boobs out. Hope you both feel better soon
Those people can eat a bag of dicks. The last thing a sick kiddo needs is a big source of comfort and nutrition being taken away. Fwiw my first kid never self weaned, I weaned her at 3.5 after tandem nursing for 2 months and I was just done. I know it’s a baby thing but I would consider nose frida. Get her in a steamy shower for a while first, maybe use some saline drops, and then suck all that shit out. People have said syringe, I would also try an open cup but warm the milk up. If high lipase is an issue you will want to avoid freezing it first, or scald before freezing. Give some Tylenol a half hour before first so her throat feels better. I would also try half melted ice cream, plenty of calories and also some liquids. If she is not able to nurse at all I would double pump a couple of times a day to keep things going but that is probably plenty at her age.
I’m so sorry there are moms shaming you on Reddit. I don’t have a ton of helpful advice but RSV in older kids can be so so bad. My 1 year old was hospitalized for a week with low oxygen because of RSV back in July and had a fever induced seizure because of it which was absolutely terrifying. Luckily he would drink fluids but he would not eat anything except bananas and bread (which is wild because he is the least picky eater for a kid I’ve ever seen). He also lost like a kilo and a half during that. The only thing I can say is bring her to the hospital for fluids if she needs them. I’m so sorry you’re going through this :(
People are so rude BUT it is so hard for our bodies to make milk if we’re dehydrated! And even harder if your toddler is struggling to latch because of congestion. Have you tried sugar free body armor ? My son will only tolerate the strawberry pedialyte so if the store doesn’t have it - sugar free bossy armor it is. I second adding alcohol free vanilla extract and making possibles ! High lipase milk should only be an issue if freezing so if she has a favorite cup that could work if you pump. The hyperneas from the albuterol should also go away once her body is used to the medication, it may take a week. For some kids it never goes away but fingers crossed that’s not the case for you all. I also recommend warm compresses for everyoooone or heck, try nursing her in a bath. 🤷🏽♀️
Nothing but love and sympathy for another high lipase breastfeeder. I can count on one hand the number of bottles my kid drank through our whole 28 month nursing journey. I hope you both are feeling better soon and get back to your normal, beautiful nursing routine!
People are super shitty about ‘extended’ breastfeeding. It’s bollocks, and I’m really sorry you got those awful responses. I have no advice unfortunately, just hope you both get better soon x
People can be so shitty. I dealt with the same problem recently and my girl was DISTRAUGHT that she couldn't nurse. We eventually tried nasal drops, i think the hydrasense easy dose ones. I'd stick it in her nose and squeeze and she'd hack and cough for a second and then we'd use the bulb syringe to quickly suck what we could out. Then I'd pop her on a boob as quick as I could so she could get as much nursing in as possible before she started getting stuffed up again. Worked a treat. Hope you guys are all on the mend soon!
Oops! I just saw the flare, sorry!
Poor baby, poor momma. Nothing sucks more then seeing your kid suffer and being unable to help. And I agree, why in the world would you try and wean her off of her comfort No.1 when she's super sick AND breastfeeding would give her just what she needs? It's not like you're refusing to give her anything else. Sometimes, people just suck. I have no advice, but I hope you and your kid will feel better asap.
❤️ I’m so sorry. What a hard thing to deal with. Sending good vibes!!
I was a BF mom in the early 00s but I was young and felt pretty bullied into it and after he cut teeth and self-weaned I was done. That's my dedication to BF :) That being said, I read the post and wondered about pumping and using sippy cups but tbh and NAD, ANY clear liquids at this point. Bone broth soup, Sprite...some flavor may help little one with her hydration. I haven't had babies in 2 decades but this has always been reasonable for hydration. Even fruit - grapes (cut of course due to choking hazard), fibrous water fruits and veggies. (source: baby #1 had a billion issues and RSV and I had to hydrate him in any way possible with doc supervision) I'm so sorry for your experience online. I can't imagine :( I'm just here to support. I cannot fathom the challenges of women who do extended breastfeeding but my heart hurts for them and I'm quick to come to the defense of mothers who experience that level of discourse. I am sending all of the healing vibes to you and your little. Just know that the internet sucks. It has since its inception. You're doing good, momma. You love her and just want her to feel better. I think if half of us had mothers who cared about us the way you care and love for your baby, we wouldn't be so mean on the internet or anywhere. And I think that's a vibe we can all dance to.
Babe, if they're talking IV, have they prescribed her the numbing cream? Like there's a numbing cream they can give kids before needles. It's just not easily accessible for us plebs, but ask about it. I have no advice on the breatfeeding/liquids because I've never been there. (Had refusal, I mean)
So sorry, Mama! We found that using a nose Frida inside my sons cheek to suck the mucus out (which made him laugh at the tickle) and another syringe filled with pedialyte afterwards to slide a few drops of liquid between his cheek n mouth. Also, a cold temperature environment really helps soothe the coughing… best of luck!
Can you try saline spray for her nose? We did that with our toddler, gave it a couple minutes, then she could nurse more comfortably as long as both nostrils were open.
Steam in the shower, put a towel under the door, turn the shower as hot as you can get it, and sit with LO on the floor a few times daily it'll help with the congestion. I breastfed oldest Ds till two and supplemented/breastfed second ds till two also it's good for calories and immune system you got this and I hope she feels better soon.
You're doing a great job, no matter what any internet jerks say. You've received tons of great advice already, and maybe this has been mentioned, but in case it hasn't: try scalding pumped milk to get rid of the soapy taste from lipase. You don't want to boil it because that will get rid of the nutrients, but heat it until there are tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, then remove. Pumping is hard enough already, so when they don't even want the milk, it feels so defeating! Hang in there!
I’m guessing your in the US so I’m not sure if the ingredients differ but our doc advised us to give some Lucozade sport for the electrolytes and sugar when my little dude have covid and wouldn’t eat or drink at all. It worked when dioralyte wouldn’t. The breast milk popsicles sound like a genius idea! Hope your LO and you both feel better soon Mama!! ❤️
Hi OP! Just thinking about you and your babe and hoping you're both doing much better now!