OK, as intimidated as I am by you-all, I cannot let this one pass.
First I should introduce myself. My name is Rowena Tucker. In a past
life (before child), I worked as a physician assistant (Baylor College
of Medicine, class of '86), in pediatrics for almost 3 years. I
learned nothing about breastfeeding, yet, from training in general
science (BS,'76,MA,'84) I knew it was very unlikely that any formula
would be better than mother's milk, so I decided to breastfeed for 6
months. (Ha!) I joined La Leche League and my eyes were opened to a
whole new way of looking at things! My daughter is the joy of my life,
and I'm glad to say she nursed for years, rather than months. I've now
been an LLL leader for 6 years (Thank-you, Cathy Liles!) and an IBCLC
for about one year (Thank-you, Mary Walker!), still working as a
volunteer. My computer-savvy friend Anna Vitale showed Lactnet to me,
and now I'm in Heaven!  (Thanks, Anna!) Regarding the smoking mother
who's baby has blood in the stools---Maureen Minchin's thorough post
was super! I want to add that I believe the mother simply has not
found the worst or all of the foods in her diet to which her baby is
allergic/intolerant. One mother in our group had baby #1, very colicky
until all cow's milk sources were gone from her diet, for almost two
years. Then, baby number two came and exhibited the same Sxs only more
extreme (green, blood-streaked stools). This mother eliminated foods
one by one, all the while being encouraged to wean by almost everyone!
Soy brought on the worst symptoms. Finally one day, as we were on the
phone, she complained that she didn't have anywhere else to go or
anything else to give up! I pressed her for details of her now really
meager diet. I asked her to read every label. The margarine had SOY in
it! She had thought it was safe because it was corn-oil based.   She
discontinued the margarine and began adding things back into her diet
one by one, as we had finally found the two culprits-milk and soy. Her
babies have out-grown this sensitivity at about two years of age. One
lovely mom in our group nursed/pumped for three years until her
EXTREMELY sensitive to cow's milk child out-grew it.  I guess my
long-winded point is attention to detail, reading every food label
carefully and eating only foods the contents of which you can be
absolutely sure, until you find the offending foods. The diet
diaries--hers and the baby's-- including baby's output (time and
description: "normal stool" or "bloody"), baby's behavior, and when
she smoked or took any medicine, all on the same pages, is vital.
Maybe her HCP's or nutritionist could help her interpret the diary.
This baby may have gluten enteropathy, for all we know. Dr.
Vonlanthan, where ARE you?       Regards, Rowena (now back to
lurking...)
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