Fellow Lactneter's...

I am writing with an update on my sister-in-law and her 9 week old baby 
with bloody stools. My heart is so sad tonight after hearing about the 
events that have occured in the last 24 hours...

Yesterday morning, mom and baby went to see a new "breastfeeding friendly" 
Family Practice doc. He whole-heartedly supported her continuing to 
breastfeed despite the bleeding. He decided to call a "friend" who is a 
Peds GI specialist for a telephone consultation. The Peds GI (over the 
phone...never having seen the baby before) decided that he was unable to 
break down the proteins in mom's milk and therefor must be started on 
Neutramagen immediately. He stated that mom's breastmilk was actually 
harming the baby and she needed to stop breastfeeding him. Mom caved. She 
told me that she would go ahead and give him the formula for one to two 
weeks (while continuing to pump), just to prove that it wouldn't help. I 
tried to explain that this could be detrimental to baby's health...but she 
had made up her mind. I decided to just support and pray!

Mom started feeding him Neutramagen at noon yesterday. At 4 AM this 
morning she had him in the ER again. She described his diaper and being 
FULL of meconium-textured bright red blood. The worst diaper she had seen 
yet. And you know what the pediatrician had the nerve to tell her..."See 
Christy, this is exactly why we need to have him on the formula and not 
your breastmilk anymore."

Am I the only one who sees a connection between starting formula and the 
deterioration of his status? Mom called this afternoon to report that all 
of his labs were still normal, they are just waiting on a few more 
results. Baby has still never actually seen a specialist (all random 
diagnosis have been made over the telephone). She has a Peds GI appt at a 
University Medical Center in January (the earliest they could allegedly 
get her in). I offerred to use some connections to try to move that appt 
up to...ummm, tomorrow! She refused and said that she thinks she is 
getting good care from her doctors and that they most-likely have her best 
interest in mind. 

So, I have washed my hands of the situation. She still intends to get baby 
back to the breast once all of this is straightened out. Unfortunately, I 
think we can assume that this is going to get worse before it gets better 
and the chance of baby getting back to breast is slim. I offerred to 
support her in any way I can, especially if she needs help getting him 
back on the breast. 

I have just been reading back over the last several days of posts (I have 
been so focused on this that I haven't had a chance to keep up)and my 
heart goes out to Jean in Ohio...I would love to help you change this 
system. Not one of the many doctors she has seen has offered her a 
referral to a lactation consultant, dietician, etc. Not once has anyone 
mentioned to my sister-in-law the possibility of using donor milk instead 
of formula. Not to mention the many other options they could have tried 
before resorting to the formula. ESPECIALLY since baby has maintained a 
normal Hgb/ Hct through all of this (almost 6 weeks of bloody stools). 
Nope, they just assume that formula is gonna make it all better (or maybe 
they know it will make it worse and then they can hospitalize him, give 
him some serious diagnosis and then miraculously fix him).

I can say that I have learned A LOT from this experience....especially 
being one of my first cases since becoming certified. I also have a new-
found interest and determination regarding donor milk and it's uses. I am 
currently nursing my own 11 week old and have a pretty robust supply...I 
am considering donating my own milk so that some poor baby out there like 
Peter can still benefit from all of the amazing attributes of breastmilk. 

Thank you all for your suggestions and support in this matter. Hopefully, 
things will turn around and he will be back on the breast before we know 
it. I won't hold my breath over that one!

Respectfully,
Leah Kaiser, RN, BSN, IBCLC, RLC
Murrieta, CA

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