People tell lies sometimes. I'm not talking about deliberate lies people use to cover up something bad they have done. I'm talking about the lies they tell to make you feel better about a situation. When I had my baby, I was told that babies sleep so much when they're newborns that I really wouldn't be that sleep-deprived. Simply sleep when the baby sleeps, and I wouldn't get that sleep-deprived. They said that this is especially true since this is my first baby, and I don't have to chase after a toddler. I believed that one until we had a newborn who wouldn't sleep longer than 30 minutes at a time. I have never been so sleep-deprived in my life.
The most recent lie I'd like to discuss is one I have heard many times at the doctor's office, at the lactation consultant's office, and from many friends. They say that breast fed babies don't get sick. There is something about the mother's antibodies that get passed through the milk to the baby, and the baby isn't supposed to get sick because he has "breastmilk antibody power" to fight off whatever hits him. This is such a lie! My baby now has his third cold in three months.
Here is my theory: I haven't gotten sick. Maybe it's backfiring and I'm getting double antibodies from the milk. Maybe it's helping me instead of the baby. So, student doctors, go on and tell me what a bunch of poo this theory is. I don't mind. I'm just trying to make myself feel better about my baby being sick again.
6 comments:
Yeah, the whole sleep when the new baby sleeps thing didn't fly for me either. Can't wait to see what that is like we have another one... (Josh is being good today, so I can talk about having another one at the moment.) As for getting sick, mine is formula feed and I had all these fears about his health. Knock on Wood, but so far he hasn't gotten sick at all. Go Figure.
Mindy,
You can count on me to give pure unadulterated hard facts without the warm hazy sugar coat to make you feel better. I apologize in advance for the bubbles that may burst in the process.
The whole "passive immunity" that is conferred via breast milk is a well known concept. However, less well known to myself is how much difference this actually makes in terms of frequency of viral or bacterial infections. You have intrigued me to pursue this question (unless George would like to look it up first).
I hope you get some better zzzs and that little James stays cold free for a while.
Follow up:
Mindy, lies people tell you indeed. So I looked it up, and it actually wasn't as easy to find as I hoped. From my brief inquiry, it seems that the protective effects of breast milk are pretty modest to nil with regards to respiratory infections in boys. Apparently, the most protection is against GI infections more than respiratory. In girls, however there is some protection to respiratory infections according to one article abstract that I read. The conclusion is pasted below and I have pasted the reference as well. This was looking at neonates that were very young, but it might have application here as well.
CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding was inversely associated with reduced risk of neonatal respiratory tract infections in girls but not in boys. Breastfeeding may confer protection against some community-acquired infections as early as the first month of life.
Reduced risk of neonatal respiratory infections among breastfed girls but not boys.
Sinha A, Madden J, Ross-Degnan D, Soumerai S, Platt R.
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. anushua.sinha@channing.harvard.edu
Here's an anecdotal report to reassure you on breast feeding & immunity: When my 4th child (brother 4 yrs older than Dan) was born, the oldest child had chicken pox. During the next month, the 2nd and 3rd children came down with chicken pox (Dan' older siblings, pre-vaccine,fyi). The baby had not a pox. Even when he was later exposed in kindergarten, he only had about 4 pox - same for Dan, only 4 pox. It doesn't work against everything but it does help. Not that that makes you feel much better right now but don't give up.
I think another part to your situation is that your baby was born right at the beginning of cold season. And also that you have a lot of friends with toddlers. All that lovely sickness just gets spread around no matter how hard a mom tries. I hope he gets better soon!
Perhaps it is because you are in the nursery......I am so sorry, thanks for finally telling the truth!!!
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