Breast refusal

wrote:

Both of my DD's did that. I now have a happy and energetic 3 year old
DD and a 19 month DD that I'm trying to stop nursing. On both
occassions I remember completely freaking out. I backed off foods
completely and then the nursing went back full force. What's going on
with the radioactive iodine? I worked in radiology for a while it
really does have a very short half life depending on what your having
done. I think you can nurse the next day. The day you can't nurse you
can contact LL they have a list of all the "milk banks" in your area
all the milk is pasturized and "clean" or if your like me I just took
some from my beast friend. I hope this helps..........and I hope your
healthy.

I've had a blood test come up with the possibility of hyperthyroidism. I
just had a second blood test to test for thyroid antibodies to see if it's
Grave's Disease (which is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid) or if it's
straight up hyperthyroidism. The radioactive iodine is a test that helps to
determine if it's thyroid cancer, I think. The 2nd blood test result comes
back today so I should know later in the day what the next step is other
than seeing an endocrinologist. Or if the first result was wrong for some
reason and "all" I have is post natal depression and menstrual irregularity
that has nothing to do with the thyroid. Given that in my immediate family
we have all the markers for thyroid disorders, I'm not holding my breath,
though.

I think it was Anne that said I'll have to stop breastfeeding for 5 days but
can still pump and store the EBM for later use, when it is no longer
radioactive. I don't know what I'll do in those 5 days because DD just won't
have anything to do with a bottle or sippy cup of EBM or formula. She'll
drink water but not milk. Breast milk on cereal? A dropper or small syringe?

I'm in Australia and the only milk bank we have is in Perth, which is on the
other side of the country from me. Or maybe it was Brisbane? Can't remember
now, maybe it was both. But there are none in Sydney, where I am. In the
meantime I'm pumping and it seems to be working. I'm not getting as much as
I'd like but that will come in time, I hope.

Engram

I think it was Anne that said I'll have to stop breastfeeding for 5 days
but can still pump and store the EBM for later use, when it is no longer
radioactive. I don't know what I'll do in those 5 days because DD just
won't have anything to do with a bottle or sippy cup of EBM or formula.
She'll drink water but not milk. Breast milk on cereal? A dropper or small
syringe?

wasn't me, I think it was Anita, you could do with some reliable data on how
long you need to go without breastfeeding and how long the milk has to wait
before being drunk, they will likely be different figures.

Given the behaviour you described, I would think there would be a reasonable
chance she would not return to the breast, she's exactly at the age where
that kind of behaviour is exhibited - which means you've got a tough
decision, wait until she's a year old for the test, or risk her stopping
feeding.

Chances are if she stops feeding directly, she would after a few days take
milk in some other way. I'd be surprised if you got much in my syringe or
dropper at this stage, if she doesn't want it, she'll wriggle and squirm and
make it quite obvious it's not going to happen, if she does want it, she'd
take a cup or bottle.

I'm in Australia and the only milk bank we have is in Perth, which is on
the other side of the country from me. Or maybe it was Brisbane? Can't
remember now, maybe it was both. But there are none in Sydney, where I am.
In the meantime I'm pumping and it seems to be working. I'm not getting as
much as I'd like but that will come in time, I hope.

There is a milk exchange website can't for the life of me remember the
address, but that might be an option if you can't get enough pumped, a
breast milk bank would charge you an awful lot per ounce!

Anne

http://66.230.33.248/discus/messages/54/3749.html

thought this would be useful, I think someone mentioned about the different
isotopes, seems like you really need to check you get the right isotope, one
you can not stop feeding or wait 12-24hrs if it makes you more comfortable,
the other has a massively longer half life and it would be several weeks
before you could resume.

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:
http://66.230.33.248/discus/messages/54/3749.html

thought this would be useful, I think someone mentioned about the
different isotopes, seems like you really need to check you get the
right isotope, one you can not stop feeding or wait 12-24hrs if it
makes you more comfortable, the other has a massively longer half
life and it would be several weeks before you could resume.

Thanks Anne You're a fountain of knowledge as usual

I'm seeing the endocrinologist on Thursday, I got lucky and they had a
cancellation. I'll take all this info with me and question her thoroughly on
radioactivity, half lives and medications.

I saw my sister on the weekend. She had post partum Grave's Disease
following both of her pregnancies and when I mentioned that there are
medications you might be able to take and continue breastfeeding, she was
most annoyed that they had made her do a rapid (overnight) wean. Then she
took a step back and said that in her case it had been 7 and 4 years ago and
they might have new meds. The other thing to take into account is that we're
in Australia and it sometimes takes years before a drug that's available
elsewhere is approved for use here.

I really hope DD doesn't wean herself and that I can continue breastfeeding.
She fed OK overnight and again this morning. She's napping now but should
wake soon. DS is also sleeping so we should have a nice quiet house with no
distractions for this next feed. The TV is off, the room darkened and warm,
and mummy is waiting for her And I'm just hanging on until Thursday to
see what the endocrinologist has to say.

Engram

Anne Rogers wrote:

http://66.230.33.248/discus/messages/54/3749.html

thought this would be useful, I think someone mentioned about the different
isotopes, seems like you really need to check you get the right isotope, one
you can not stop feeding or wait 12-24hrs if it makes you more comfortable,
the other has a massively longer half life and it would be several weeks
before you could resume.

I tried to get my endo to use a different isotope,
but he wouldn't, so I did not do that scan. He's
the one who told me 5 days w/o BF.

-- Anita --

I tried to get my endo to use a different isotope,
but he wouldn't, so I did not do that scan. He's
the one who told me 5 days w/o BF.

which isotope? Dr Hale says 5 days is ridiculous for one and far too soon
for the other!

Anne

Anne Rogers wrote:

I tried to get my endo to use a different isotope,
but he wouldn't, so I did not do that scan. He's
the one who told me 5 days w/o BF.

which isotope? Dr Hale says 5 days is ridiculous for one and far too soon
for the other!

I don't remember. I think they are probably just
being (ultra)conservative. I just know that I
decided that I would not get the scan and therefore
promptly all the details out of my mind.

-- Anita --

which isotope? Dr Hale says 5 days is ridiculous for one and far too soon
for the other!

I don't remember. I think they are probably just
being (ultra)conservative. I just know that I
decided that I would not get the scan and therefore
promptly all the details out of my mind.

can't remember the acronym mentioned, but with the one that is ok, the
organisation that licenses it says no need to stop breastfeeding at all, I
think it was NRC, something like that and it's Dr Hale that then added the
12-24hr when he is asked about it. I dug around a bit and it did sound like
there were other options for diagnosis, I think needle biopsy, which I
suppose many people would find worse than the scan, but for a breastfeeding
mother it might be preferable.

Anne

Chookie wrote:
Do ring the ABA hotline for some advice -- there *are* ways through
breast refusal.

I'll give them a bell some time soon. I'm seeing the endocrinologist
tomorrow and should know more about what they want to do to me. As for the
breast refusal... read on

Secondly, I would be cutting back on the solids -- they don't need to
eat very much at that age. One way is to lower the amount you feed
her. Another is to move her to table foods and get her self-feeding.
It's one thing to swallow goo off a spoon; it's another to bring
something to your mouth and chew it!

I decreased the amount of solid food she's getting by only a teaspoonful of
cereal (2 full and 1 flat plus milk and fruit or veges instead of 3 full and
a dribble on a fourth) and by the second meal it worked like a charm. We're
doing 5 to 6 mins per side again. There is no more wriggling and straining
against me. She just opens her mouth wide, turns her head to the side and
gets down to business After about 3 minutes she pulls off, gives me a big
smile, makes a few cooing noises, then it's back to business for another
couple of minutes, then off and a bit of a chat and then the other side.

So thanks to everyone who suggested cutting back on the solids. I was
skeptical but it worked great. I just didn't think she was getting that much
but obviously it was the thing that was holding us back. So thanks

Engram

I decreased the amount of solid food she's getting by only a teaspoonful
of cereal (2 full and 1 flat plus milk and fruit or veges instead of 3
full and a dribble on a fourth) and by the second meal it worked like a
charm. We're doing 5 to 6 mins per side again. There is no more wriggling
and straining against me. She just opens her mouth wide, turns her head to
the side and gets down to business After about 3 minutes she pulls off,
gives me a big smile, makes a few cooing noises, then it's back to
business for another couple of minutes, then off and a bit of a chat and
then the other side.

So thanks to everyone who suggested cutting back on the solids. I was
skeptical but it worked great. I just didn't think she was getting that
much but obviously it was the thing that was holding us back. So thanks

glad it worked! I hadn't got a clear view of the timings and whether this
was an issue or not, my own cheeky monkey of a daughter after the first
couple of months of solids, would sleep through the night (having had a
decent bf before bed), wake up and adamently refuse the breast and clearly
indicate that she wanted to go downstairs for cereal, she didn't have a
large amount and would breastfeed well within the next 2hrs, but when her
will was that strong about getting downstairs to eat cereal (I'm talking
oatmeal/museli etc. a later stage food, not thin rice with ebm), there was
no way we could really work round it.

Anne