I am currently breastfeeding and supplementing with formula for my 9 week old twins and have a few questions. I have one who takes the breast and the other I pump and feed with a bottle.
Last night I woke up with some stomach issues and very dizzy. My husband and I think it might have been food poisoning. Since my dad who went with us to eat had the same thing I did and felt the same way. I had pumped right before I went to bed. Should I dump this breast milk?
Next, I know you should not have any caffeine or limit your intake when breast feeding. I have had a couple of sodas a day and it has not effected the boys. So I am wondering if you can drink energy drinks while breast feeding? I don't need them, I just love Monter's! I haven't had one since a couple of months before I became pregnant and I can't wait to have one now!
Thanks for your feedback!
Food poisoning will not affect your breast milk- you don't have to dump that milk. Most of the time you're ill, you can still breastfeed. You may feel miserable, but it won't hurt the boys. I'm not too sure about the energy drinks- but I wouldn't do it. It's not just the caffeine that's in them, a lot of different energy drinks have herbs and stuff and I'm not sure if some of those would be safe. That's just my opinion, though...
Hi V.,
Congratulations on the birth of your twins! I commend you for wanting to do what is best for them even at the expense of some of your favorite beverages. I know for me it was tough to go without a nice glass of wine. I know I probably could have had one but then I'd want two so it was easier to cut it out completely while nursing. Regarding the Monsters...NOBODY should be drinking these energy drinks; they are not healthy. I especially would not feed them to my newborns via breast milk.
A good source for breastfeeding questions is your local La Leche League or there are several great books available at Barnes and Noble. The best advice I can give you is eat as well as possible so that you are feeding your babies as well as possible. Remember, "garbage in, garbage out". Eat a well-balanced diet including plenty of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed foods and fast foods. If the label lists "high fructose corn syrup" or "partially hydrogenated oil", DO NOT eat it! This advice holds true for everyone, whether you are breastfeeding or not! Feel free to email me if you have any nutrition questions. It is a subject very near and dear to my heart.
Good luck to you and God bless your precious babies,
HI V.~
I have no answers but I knew this was you! I am so sorry you got sick! that sucks....I hope you feel better now....
I had food poisoning once when I was still breastfeeding, and I still did. My son had no problems. It was difficult to do because of how ill I felt, but it didn't affect him at all.
I had a horrible case of food poisoning when I was breastfeeding. The dr said to continue breastfeeding even when I was sick because it won't affect the baby. THe most important thing is to keep yourself hydrated.
Food poisoning only affects your digestive system, so you don't have to worry about it getting into your breastmilk. I had food poisoning twice while nursing, and I just continued to do so. They only concern is staying hydrated enough to keep your milk suppply up. During one of my episodes, I spent all night in the bathroom and lost 5 lbs of water weight.
In most cases, if you are ill, you should continue to nurse. Your body is producing antibodies to the illness. These anitbodies will also be in your breastmilk, which will help your little ones.
First, congratulations on your twins! My husband and I have 4-month-old twins as a result of IUI, so I know where you're coming from! I wasn't able to get my babies to latch to breastfeed, so i only pumped for the first two months, but a lactation consultant told me that you can have two cups of coffee in the morning (caffeinated) without adversely affecting the babies. For something like an energy drink, though, I would do what she told me to do for a glass of wine. Breastfeed (or pump), then have the wine or energy drink immediately. By the time you breastfeed or pump again (2 hours later), the amount left in your system shouldn't be enough to cause a problem. When in doubt, though, I would play it safe and dump any breastmilk you think might be a problem - that's what we do with formula that we're not sure about. We figure that twins are challenging enough without sickness or stomach problems! Good luck!
the caffine will not hit them until the next day. i can take up to 24 hours for you body to process some things. and you will have many rough days if you drink monsters. and dont worry about dumping your milk. sickness can not be passed through breastmilk. your body has a defence against that. i was so amazed when i got food poisening i freaked out about my son not being able to eat. i called his doc and she said dont worry. another thing, if you are supplementing formula your supply will never reach what it is supposed to. if they are gaining weight and healthy you should not supplement or your supply will drop. there are some all natural supplements you can get at whole foods called more milk plus they work great. a little pricy but very worth it. made it to where i could feed him all the time and pump for when i went back to work. if you have any ?'s let me know
V.,
what makes you sick when you have "food poisoning" is bacteria that enters through the intestines. Normally the intestines confines the majority of the issues and your body responds with diarrhea and other less pleasant responses. Your milk should contain antibodies and therefore no need to pump and dump.
Caffeine taken in small quantities ( a soda or cup of tea or coffee daily) won't hurt. It is when we get much larger quantities that it becomes a diuretic, which can affect your milk supply and the boys as well. The energy drinks do have other herbs often that are both laxatives and diuretics that can be harmful. Since we don't know how much of these herbs cross into the milk I would suggest other forms of energy. Boost for diabetics is a good energy boost that has lots of protein but no caffeine. Also slim fast or any of the rice based drinks without the herbs are all good.
The question is what will happen to your milk production with diuretics. Like an antihistamine it will slow down until you really are all supplement and almost no milk.
K. @ The Nestingplace
