6 Month Old with Diarrhea for Two Weeks! Teething?

I suggest getting some high quality probiotic supplement to help reestablish the correct environment in his intestines. I use Jarro-Dophilus + FOS from Jarrow Formulas. I have used this on my cats, myself, and my grandson with great results. The antibiotic would have killed off many of the beneficial bacteria in his intestines. The other thing to consider is food allergy. He may be allergic to the formula. My daughter could not take anything but goat milk.

I hope he feels better!

Hi J.,

My son went through the same while teething. Take it easy,don't panic, it is very normal in kids. Make sure your son is not dehydrated. Keep giving him Pedialyte drink which you can get in any grocery store. I always buy it from Walgreens. It comes in vaious flavors and some kids love it. Pedialyte is nothing but drink that balances salt and sugar in body.

Also, something that works miraculously during diarrhea is eating banana. Banana causes constipation. So, if your son has started eating solids, then give him freshly mashed banana four-five times a day. You'll see the difference in 24hrs.

Last not the least, be brave, being a mom is a tough job. What your son is going through is very normal phase of growth.

Take care.

Archie

Dear J.,
The only time my daughter ever had diarrhea or diaper rash was when she was teething. She also had an allergy to disposable diapers that was diagnosed early on, so I dealt with that right away. Even with cloth diapers, she still got a terrible rash and it burned her every time she pooped.
I didn't understand how getting teeth could make her little butt so raw...but it did. Every time. It didn't matter what she ate or didn't eat. In fact, my friend's little baby that was born just 10 days before her had the worst croupy cough and runny nose you've ever seen in your life and I was afraid the kid was gonna croak. He was perfectly fine...it was teething. When they don't feel well and their little butts are burning from diarrhea, they aren't going to be very hungry. See if you can give him water in a sippy and get some clear liquids in him. If it's teething...you just have to ride it out. And he's got more teething to do.
Hang in there...I'm sorry your little guy is having a hard time. But, he'll be okay.
Best wishes.
P.S. My daughter was almost a year old before she actually cut any teeth and we went through heck. She chomped on carrots and jerky and teething rings and ice pops.
Everytime her teeth flared up, she had projectile diarrhea. But she turned out perfectly fine.

I'm not a pediatrician, nor a nurse, or in the medical field at all for that matter...but I am the mother of two and as far as I'm concerend anyone who suggests that you stop breastfeeding for medical reasons is TRIPPING and you should change pediatricans...having said that it sounds to me like your son has rhoda virus (not sure the correct spelling). My youngest daughter had it when she was 11 months. It was was awful...explosive diahrea all the time. I was changing diapers all day and night. Her diaper area was bright red -- like i had never seen before -- almost to the point of blistering. She did not have much of an appitite, and anything she did eat came right out of her. The weird part was that she never ran a fever, didn't have a runny nose. For the most part had no other signs of being sick. It lasted about 2 weeks -- which for me was almost unbearable. I spoke to her doctor many times and took her in once. She kept reassuring me to keep my daughter hydrated and let her have some really basic foods. She recommended rice, toast and apple sauce. I gave her a ton of baths and was extra cafeful to make sure her diaper area was dry before putting a new diaper on. Eventually it cleared up and my daughter was fine.

A few months later she had the same symptoms again but not nearly as bad, and it did not last as long. She just turned two (and knock on wood) we have not had a return of the rhoda virus.

I hope you find a doctor who can support you and your son through this. If you need a recomendation feel free to ler me know, I'd be happy to pass on some names.

Good luck,

M.

J.,

It is crazy for a pediatrician to tell you to stop breastfeeding! Breastfeeding has all kinds of good antibodies and nourishment that you can't get from formula. I would get another doctor immediately. As for your poor baby, give him small frequent breastfeeding sessions and try to keep your diet the same for a few days. Did you happen to eat anything different? or new? You could also go to the dr. and give a stool sample yourself to rule out any intestinal bugs. Good luck and I hope this resolves soon.

Molly

I agree with the previous posters who say to find a new Pediatrician (did she give a reason to switch to formula?). Breastfeeding is best, this is no time to stop. Breastmilk will decrease the chances of him becoming dehydrated during the diarrhea, formula is usually diluted or stopped during diarrhea. I'd contact a lactation consultant or LaLeche League for advice. Also, you could go to www.AskDrSears.com and look up benefits of breastfeeding for diarrhea. I also agree that you should put him on probiotics (ask a peditrician how much and what form to give) and give bananas/applesauce/rice cereal to help settle his tummy. Hope you discover the cause soon and get him feeling completely better. Wishing you the best.

My little boy (9 months) just had runny poops for 2 weeks and it was a virus. It was going around all the babies. He went completely off solids and just wanted milk and Cheerios. He also did not have a fever or any other symptoms. I'm a little surprised that your pediatrican would suggest stopping breastfeeding. Give it a couple more days and see if he doesn't start feeling better. I know it's worrisome. Good luck!

First I cannot believe that your pediatrician would recommend that you stop breastfeeding! Breastfeeding is what provides all the essential nutrients and antibodies your baby needs. Babies are not allergic to breastmilk....they are allergic to formula. If you suspect it is something you are eating evaluate your diet. But, most often reactions to mom's diet comes in the form of gas. If it were me and my baby, I would continue breastfeeding and pump to get milk for the times you are at work.
As far as ruling out bacterial infection, did the results come back yet? Antibiotics can actually cause diarrhea, so if the results are negative I would discontinue using them (as they would be pointless). Just make sure that you give the baby enough fluids, for example Pedialite to prevent dehydration. And Get a Second Opinion!

I agree that your doctor gave you some bad information! How can formula be better than breast milk when it hasn't been a problem before?

As far as the diarrhea, I am thinking the antibiotics may be partly to blame. He needs to replenish the good flora and fauna in his belly. I would put him on some good liquid probiotics and go back to breast feeding.

Another possibility is a stomach parasite. I would ask the doctor if they tested for any parasites. Antibiotics don't always work for parasites and they often don't check for many (if any at all.) If you suspect it could be a parasite (I've had giardia, NASTY) there are herbs to take for it (wormwood, black walnut, and clove to name a few), but I would consult with an herbologist who specializes in little ones (sorry I don't know if one off the top of my head), because I'm not sure how much of which one to give the little guy.

My last thought is I know for older kids and adults the method for helping with diarrhea is called the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.) If he's eating any solids yet these are good ones to keep in mind. Maybe not toast, but mashed bananas, applesauce, or rice baby cereal might be helpful to calm his digestive tract.

Oh, one more thing! My youngest daughter teethed like crazy for months! I don't remember exactly when she started, but she finally cut her first tooth at 11 months old. It seemed to take her FOREVER, poor girl. I found corn cobs that I had already eaten the corn off of was her favorite thing to teeth on. Freshly cooked corn of course!

Hope he feels better soon!

Hi J., First of all, I would get a new pediatrician. What a silly thing to suggest. Nothing could be kinder to your boys tummy than breast milk.

My suggestion would be that it might be rota virus. It's incredibly common. Almost all children will have it at some point before they turn 3. It is not serious. Mostly just diarrhea, which may have a very strong smell, like vomit.

My son had it for 6 weeks when he was 4 months old. My pediatrician told me it was nothing, just to ignore it and it wasn't until I spoke to a pediatric nurse when I was having him weighed that she suggested rota virus. The most important thing is to keep him hydrated and clean so he doesn't get diaper rash, but other than that it's a waiting game. It will go.

I was so incensed by your doctor telling you to stop breast feeding that I mentioned it to a mommy friend of mine and she suggested it might be a lactose intolerance. So instead of getting rid of the breast milk maybe you should be getting rid of the formula.

If you do decide to keep him on formula in the short term, it is vital that you continue to pump breast milk at every normal feeding time so that your milk supply doesn't decrease otherwise you are going to have a very hard time starting up again.

I hope it all works out and you get back to breast feeding if you want to. I just finished breast feeding my son at 15 months and I loved every minute of it. Take care, D.

Hi, J.~

My son had the same thing! He's had diarreah for the past 18 days (today, day 19, it's pretty much gone). We did not stop breastfeeding. It's simply going around. Two of our friends who spent time with us, their little ones caught it too and it's lasted about 2 weeks as well. We're not on antibiotics, despite two trips to Kaiser and it's going away slowly, but on it's own.

Good luck,
D.

Formula can cause intestinal trouble. Antibiotics can cause diarrhea.

I would look for a doctor who understands breastfeeding and the concept of the virgin gut, http://www.breastfeed.com/articles/issues-for-mom/the-cas... and who doesn't suggest things that cause diarrhea as a solution for diarrhea!! I would assume at this point that your son does indeed have a 'leaky gut' as described in the article, and take measures to help heal it. This is a really important concept and continues to be important throughout life for some people. It's good info to know.

There are a lot of moms who can share what worked for them at MDC (mothering.com's discussion forums), you would probably get some good responses if you post about your issue there. Maybe in the Breastfeeding Challenges board or the Health and Healing board? http://mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=23

To get started, like some have suggested, use probiotics and quit the formula. It clearly has not helped so there is no point in sacrificing your breastfeeding relationship and benefits for it.

Here is some info on getting your milk supply back to normal. As long as you are using the formula, it will be hard to increase your supply so that needs to stop!

(from kellymom.com) To speed milk production and increase overall milk supply, the key is to remove more milk from the breast and to do this frequently, so that less milk accumulates in the breast between feedings.

OK, now on to things that can help increase your milk supply:

Nurse frequently, and for as long as your baby is actively nursing. Remember - you want to remove more milk from the breasts and do this frequently. Aim to nurse at least every 1.5-2 hours during the day and at least every 3 hours at night.

Take a nursing vacation. Take baby to bed with you for 2-3 days, and do nothing but nurse (frequently!) and rest (well, you can eat too!).

Offer both sides at each feeding. Let baby finish the first side, then offer the second side.
Switch nurse. Switch sides 3 or more times during each feeding, every time that baby falls asleep, switches to "comfort" sucking, or loses interest. Use each side at least twice per feeding.

Use breast compression to keep baby feeding longer. For good instructions on how to do this, see Dr. Jack Newman's Protocol to increase intake of breastmilk by the baby. This can be particularly helpful for sleepy or distractible babies.

Avoid pacifiers and bottles. All of baby's sucking needs should be met at the breast (see above). If a temporary supplement is medically required, it can be given with a nursing supplementer or by spoon, cup or dropper (see Alternative Feeding Methods).

Give baby only breastmilk. Avoid all solids, water, and formula if baby is younger than six months, and consider decreasing solids if baby is older. If you are using more than a few ounces of formula per day, wean from the supplements gradually to "challenge" your breasts to produce more milk.

Take care of mom. Rest. Sleep when baby sleeps. Relax. Drink liquids to thirst (don't force liquids - drinking extra water does not increase supply), and eat a reasonably well-balanced diet.

Consider pumping. Adding pumping sessions after or between nursing sessions can be very helpful - pumping is very important when baby is not nursing efficiently or frequently enough, and can speed things up in all situations. Your aim in pumping is to remove more milk from the breasts and/or to increase frequency of breast emptying. When pumping to increase milk supply, to ensure that the pump removes an optimum amount of milk from the breast, keep pumping for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk. However, adding even a short pumping session (increasing frequency but perhaps not removing milk thoroughly) is helpful.

Consider a galactagogue. A substance (herb, prescription medication, etc.) that increases milk supply is called a galactagogue.

Here is a page on how to use fenugreek to help boost your supply: http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

Some moms also find that eating lots of oatmeal helps too.

Best of luck, don't stop asking for support as you go along, gut issues can be confusing and frustrating and getting your milk supply back is too important to let slide. :)

I too agree that you should go back to breastfeeding and search for another pediatrician. I went through the training (almost finishing but had to put it on back burner to start working at children's school)for the La Leche League. It does sound like he may be having problems digesting the formula that you have been using. I also say NO ANtibiotics! You need to increase you milk production, letting him nurse whenever and you need to pump maybe at the same time if he will allow, 6 mon. olds are very distracted. Increase your water intake. PUmp so much that you have some in the freezer for when you are working. Find a ped that will work w/ you and contact your local La Leche League leader for further advice. Its free and its how I started out a new mom in a new town. I have some great women in my support system now as a result.Good luck.

Did your pediatrician check for things like giardia? or other types of stomach bugs. these things can be contracted at public pools, changing tables. Some restaurants. Traveling to other countries. I would make sure an antibody test was done as well as a culture for parasites (not bacteria). our whole family contracted giardia on a trip, and it was not good. In the meantime, I would be hyper careful about diaper changing hygiene and washing clothes with hot water. If there is something communicable, it is easy for you all to end up with it.

Does your child take solid food? If so, I would check for allergies, particularly wheat.

I definitely don't think what you are describing could be attributed to teething.

that's all I can think of so far. I'm a mom of 3 ages 6, 4 and 1.
anyway, best of luck,
J.

Hi J.,

You've already received a lot of advice, but I also wanted to let you know that there's such a thing as bowel injury which takes 3 months to clear. In my son's case it took 6 months to clear and I got really worried. It's important to remove cow's milk from his diet so that his intestines can recover. In your case, I hope your son has a speedy.

J

Hi J.!

I'm sorry to hear about your son's tummy problems. I agree with everyone else that your pediatrician gave you poor advice to stop breastfeeding. Breast milk is best for baby and is going to be easiest for him to digest and help keep him hydrated, not to mention all of the excellent antibodies you can provide him to help him fight this off.

My son also had some diarrhea issues when he was young and it turned out to be milk protein intolerance. My son's pediatrician advised me to change my diet and the formula that I was supplementing with. She suggested using a formula with hydrolyzed proteins such as Alimentum or Nutramigen. They are pretty expensive, but it helped while I got my supply up. It is a milk based formula, but the proteins are broken down so small that the body doesn't recognize it as formula. While you are working on getting your supply back up, you may want to try cutting out all milk proteins from your diet for at least two weeks. This includes lactose, casein and whey. Check labels of your food carefully to ensure that it hasn't been processed on the same equipment as dairy products. Good luck to you! I wish you the best!

-H.

I use Nature's Way- Primadophilus Intensive, it has 100 billion CFU. It's a powder form that can be mixed w/ water. Get your probiotics at a health food store, they should be refrigerated, not out on a shelf at room temp.
You can also use Caprylic Acid to fight off any yeast that has grown from the antibiotic.
Cod liver oil is GREAT because it has high levels of vit A and D, good to build the immune system and get him strong again.
If it continues and you still want to breastfeed, You could consider drinking raw milk for yourself. It has lots of it's own benificial enzymes that regular milk doesn't have because its nuked at high temps.

Well we have been and are going through the same thing. I have twins. The boy had about two week of diahrrea last month, we saw the pediatrician, whose advise was to well hydrate because of excess fluid loss, so we've been giving pedialyte ( which I water down by 75%- don't want them to have too much sweet stuff this young) So his diahrrea subsided and now the girl has it. It has been about ten days for her. The doc. said it could be a virus but determining that won't change the treatment, gotta run its course, being very careful about dehydration at this young age. I don't get stopping the beastfeeding, as that seems the best nutrition they can get. But maybe there is something in your diet to look at changing for the babies sake. Any way, we have no clear answers, but I have a cluse its TEETH. He just had his first break through yesterday (nearly 2 weeks after the diahrrea epsiode) She may be next. I do notice extra mucus in their nasal passage. I hope this helps. Keep hydrated is my best advise and look for teeth

Hi J.,

I know it can be frustrating when your child may have any challenges and you can't find the right solutions. I went to a child's wellness expo on Aug 2 and it was incredible to learn natural ways to keep our children and families healthy. There were 13 doctors that put it together and shared the importance of a healthier environment.

There will be another child's wellness expo in Santa Cruz on the 23rd of this month. There will be several nurses that will be there to share and answer any questions you may have.

If this is something that interest you let me know and I will send you a flier.

Have a blessed week.

N. Marie

yeah that DR. stinks, find a new one. Also maybe he has GI probs. Food intolerance. Mine had it to milk coming through breastfeeding when he was 3 mos. Well best wishes. you have alot of great advice.

Check to dsee if the formula is a milk based one he may be showing signs if lactose intolerance. My son had to go on goats milk. Just keep pumping as much as possible and massaging to help keep the milk producing until he is able to nurse again.

antibiotics would cause diarhea. acidphilus is a probiotic that helps rebuild the good bacteria in intestines that helps combat bad bacteria in intestines. sprinkle a little bit on food or bottle.
take your child off dairy. buy a soy formula, this will work..Isomil DF. diarrhea formula. ITs usually at Walgreens. That will help stop the diarrhea. This is what I was told to do when my daughter was going thru that when she was one.
She was allergic to milk proteins. to continue to nurse, cut all dairy from YOUR diet. Milk is in EVERYTHING. ITs in a ton of baby foods. You have to read labels.
Good Luck its a huge diet change for your both, but please continue to nurse. Just cut the dairy and see if it works.
Good luck!

How about stopping formula and nursing only? Maybe he is allergic to dairy, is the formula milk based? As far as I am concerned you can't go wrong with the breast. I would just try that you don't eat any dairy and see if just breastmilk makes it better.

Also the antibiotics could have also irritated his stomach so the diarehha is lasting longer.

If the doctor can't find any serious problems with the digestive system, I would continue nursing. A baby's digestive system usually heals itself after several days if he/she contracted a stomach virus...assuming he/she does not having any food sensitivities. If you suspect that he does have food sensitivies, I would stay away from any known allergens for a while...since whatever foods the mom eats gets passed on through the breastmilk. Dairy is the number one culprit. After a few days of a no-dairy diet, I would take away another known food allergen like wheat/gluten. Etc...

I didn't know that what I ate affected my breastmilk until my daughter was 2 years old and old enough to talk. She told me that she had a stomach ache from drinking milk. I had a ton of dairy when I was breastfeeding her.

How long has your baby been getting formula? I agree that it seems odd to be told to stop breastfeeding as there are more potential problems with formula causing diarrhea than with breastmilk doing so. (My DS actually needed help pooping when he was exclusively breastfed.) And yes, antibiotics can cause it too. I ask how long your DS has been on formula because it's possible there's a problem with the formula--you might want to switch brands and see if that makes a difference. And since stopping nursing hasn't helped, that's clearly not the problem, so there should be no reason not to go back to it.

Since your Dr. can't figure it out, I'd go back to nursing as much as possible--partly to increase your supply and partly because it digests better. (There are also ways to re-up your supply such as eating oatmeal, drinking a LOT of water, red meat, etc. Check out Kellymom.com for more suggestions.)

Not to discredit your pediatrician, but I think I'd ask their overall view of breastfeeding. I'm really surprised at the suggestion that discontinuing BF is supposed to make your son better. I'm wondering if she's not one of the "breastfeeding isn't necessary after xxx amount of time" gals?

I hope you find a way to make your little one more comfortable.

Hello J.,

First, let me say that I am a mom of 5 children.. all of which were healthy and breastfed. (Approx 18 mos to 24 mos at end of nursing.) It really makes me upset that the DR's first idea was to stop nursing, as many children show allergies to formula. Secondly, "explosive diarrhea" is indicative of gastro intestinal symptoms... further cause for diet/formula caution. With no fever, and no symptoms of infection... antibiotics??!! Please feel free to contact me for further sharing. J. ###-###-#### cell

Go back to breastfeeding. Even if it is bacterial breast milk is better then formula. The main concern with extended diarrhea is dehydration. Breast milk is the most hydrating food you can give your baby.

I am not a pediatrician, but advising to stop nursing seems strange. I would get different opinions from other pediatricians next -- maybe from one who you know is fully knowledgeable. you might also want to start pumping to maintain and build back up your supply and take some supplements. Good luck!

My baby boy had diarrhea for 2 weeks when he was 7 months and again when he was 9 months. My baby was formula fed at that time and he was starting to eat vegetables (peas). We were helpless during his first time it happened. He also did not have any fever. We took a stool test and no bacteria was found. When it happened the second time, we asked another doctors advice and he said to stop the milk immediately. Give only pedialyte for 12 hours. See if the diarrhea stops. Then slowly introduce the milk slowly. 1/4 milk (breastmilk or formula)and 3/4 pedialyte for 2 -3 times then half milk half pedialyte until he is fully drinking his milk. Make sure he is hydrated at all times so give as much pedialyte your son wants.You can also start feeding rice cereal, banana. Good luck and I hope your son gets better soon.

Have the doctor check for Rotavirus. My daughter came down with the same symptoms at 11 months and a friend gave me the same advice and sure enough it was Rotavirus. My daughter had explosive diarrhea and it seemed as soon as we changed her there it was again. She became slightly dehydrated too because of it and was on an IV in the hospital for 5 days. Please go back and have your son checked.

I am sorry but I would demand to see a GI, Tummy doctor, can't spell, (preferably a pediatric GI, my daughter saw Dr Perr in Walnut Creek or SF) My daughter had loose stool and used to scream at night time for no reason, it ended up being food allegies. Please pump, buy a double pump and pump 5 times a day if you don't want to dry up. The GI would look at your sons tummy and recommend what tests a see what is going on.

I don't quite understand why your pediatrician suggested you stop breastfeeding. Does she think the baby is allergic to the breast milk or to something you are eating? I am not a doctor, but I would continue to breast feed, call la leche league for advice, and get a second opinion from a different pediatrican. The most important thing for your baby is to stay hydrated and to drink only formula and/or breast milk. Have you changed your diet in anyway recently? Antibiotics will actually give your baby diarrhea too. I think a longer discussion with current doctor and a second opinion is necessary. Good luck.

I am having the same problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was wondering the same thing.... my son is teething as well. He's been going #2 3 times a day and just about a week ago I was having a hard time getting him to go. My mother mentioned it was related to teething so I think in this case, that might be the issue for you as well. I would absolutly keep breastfeeding. I think that's CRAZY that your pedi said to stop. That's your liquid GOLD!!! That would be the LAST thing that I would try. I am suprised they told you to stop! In my opinion and if I were you, I would continue to breastfeed. My son gets the worst tummy aches and constipation from formula. Man made milk just freaks me out =) Good luck to you. Teething is no fun!

Is your baby starting solids? That could be it. He might be allergic to a vegetable or fruit. Also, the doctor might think that you are eating something he's allergic to and that's why the doctor suggested to stop breastfeeding. I breastfed my first daughter and she had bloody stool when she was 1 month old, so they had her blood drawn to find that she was allergic to lettuce! I was eating salads and breastfeeding, so it was making her gassy and hurting her digestive tract. My 2nd daughter had diarrhea for 2 weeks as well and I found she was allergic to oats (cheerios). So as soon as we stopped feeding cheerios to her, she was fine again. Really check your diet if you want to continue breastfeeding. I would keep a food diary and see if there are any changes in his stool. Hope this sheds some light to your situation. Good luck and I hope he starts to feel better.

J., Your baby maybe lactose intolerant. I breast fed my last two and one of them was lactose intolerant. Try a soy formula.

I just have to add to this. I agree with the people who are suggesting you question your pediatrician's advice. I am quite wary when a Dr. quicky prescribes an antibiotic, and in this case there doesn't seem to be a big enough reason to suspect bacterial causes to have started them before results came back from the stool sample. This sounds just like what my grandchildren have been experiencing and the Dr. said it's a virus. My nearly 11 month old grandson was put on the b.r.a.t. diet... bananas, rice, apples and toast... and that seems to be helping more than anything else. His mom breastfeeds and pumps so I'll have her milk in bottles for him during the day while I watch him. There was never a suggestion that she quit that. We give him pedialite and make sure he gets as much water as he will drink in between feedings to avoid dehydtation. He has had the diaharea sypmtoms for about two weeks like your baby, but finally seems to be getting over it since beginning this routine.
BTW... my husband and I both experienced some of the symptoms this weekend, which further tells me this is a viral infection that is making the rounds.

HURRY... PUT YOUR SON BACK ON THE BOOB! WHY YOUR DOCTOR THINKS BREAST MILK IS THE CULPRIT IS BEYOND ME! I have never heard such crazy advice...like 100% Formula is the answer?!

Strange that your dr. neglected to mention that diarrhea is a side effect of antibiotics. I don't know what may have started it in the first place, but that treatment would surely prolong it, and since she tested for bacteria I would be curious if she treated him even if the test was negative. Just some thoughts. I hope he gets better soon. I agree that you should resume regular breastfeeding.

Is there any way that you can see a different doctor for a second opinion... or a specialist? I have never heard of a doctor telling a mom to stop nursing. Also, what are you eating that may be going through your milk, maybe that's a thought. Good Luck and hope the baby gets well.

Oh my goodness, every time my baby had diarrhea the doctor was so happy that I was breastfeeding. Breastmilk if full of electrolytes that your baby needs while he has diarrhea. I know is very rare for boys, but have you had his urine tested for a bladder or kidney infection? My baby had diarrhea for an extended period and it ended up being a bladder infection, but I have a girl. Defiantly continue nursing and get a second opinion.

Did she prescribe antibiotics even though no bacteria was found in his stool (at least that is the impression I get)? That's dumb for a doctor to do so. Plus, a common side effect of taking antibiotics is diahrrea! So finish out this round of antibiotics because even though unneeded antibiotics is not good for your body, it's worse to start then stop without finishing it, so finish this out, then see if he's still having diarrhea.

And I would NOT stop breastfeeding, in fact I think it would be best to breastfeed MORE, not less. You may need to evaluate your own diet/health though - ie, if YOU are taking antibiotics or some other meds, it could be causing problems in your little baby's body??

Have you started adding other foods to his diet? (I ask because 5-6mo is about the time to start adding solids to his diet) perhaps his body is simply reacting to those changes?? Or if you haven't, perhaps that is his body's way of telling you he needs more solids? Cheerios would be what I'd feel comfortable giving him. Mainly while he's having the diarrhea, you need to make sure he's well hydrated. Pedialyte if you need to add to what he's getting from you. And, please go back to nursing him. It may not be as "convenient" for the doctor or as "reassuring" for you in that you dont have any measurement of how much fluid he's getting, but really, breastmilk is the best there is for baby.

I no longer live in Turlock but we really miss our family doctor at the Family Medical Group on Tuoloumne - we felt confident they knew what they were doing there and in their care of each member of our family. Good luck!

CHANGE PEDIATRICIANS!!.....Get one that is willing to take the extra time to really get to the root of the problem....

I am a grandma who is not up on all the latest possible solutions that have been suggestioned, but two red flags for me are, telling you to stop breast feeding and giving the baby antibiotics.....

I think you are right in questioning your pediatricians response and researching for help on your own......You know your son better than anyone and he depends on you to keep pushing until the problem is diagnosed and solved.......

Best of luck with that little one and getting his diarrhea problem solved.....Keep loving him and enjoy every moment you have raising him.....They grow up so fast....It seems, at the blink of an eye, they are out of the house and on their own.

Do not stop breastfeeding. That is actually the opposite advice I have heard from breastfeeding consultants. Breastmilk absorbs more quickly and easier than formula so if everything is passing thru you son quickly with the diarrhea breastmilk will give him more nutrition. Have you considered if the formula may be upsetting his stomach. Some moms I know have needed to switch formulas to a soy based or other options. Start nursing again and pumping so that you total 8 times of nuring or pumping per day and you supply should go back up. Your ped had bad advice for nursing.

Antibitics can cause diarrhea also. Add Florastool kids to his formula. It is an over the counter pribiotic and the pharmasitist should be able to tell you if they have it. My ped recommended it to help prevent diarrhea when my daughter was on an antibiotic.

Maybe get a second opinion because two weeks of explosive diarrhea is a long time. They should refer you to a GI specialist at this point.

I have never heard a doctor to tell a mom to stop breastfeeding. I think you need a 2nd opinion. I have no idea what could be causing the diarria. Have you changed formula brands, has he started solids maybe there is an allergy. If anything you need to breastfeed more. If he has diarria there is risk of dehydration and he needs your milk to help him. Find another doctor before your baby gets really sick.

Stop breastfeeding? Are you kidding me? That dr must be on crack. I'm no doctor or nurse but that is the worst advice I'd ever heard. Find a new doctor and fast. Start breast feeding again too. As for the teething, it's possible but for 2 weeks of diarrhea, doesn't sound right. I suggest Pedilyte w/water (50/50) mix. How's your child's eating of solids?

Hi J.,
My twins had a case of diarrhea which ran for over 2 weeks! They were about 10 months old then, it was something they ate. Sometimes they were touching floor and dirty staff and then put fingers in their mouths, or it could be that my hands were not clean when mixing formula. (I was breastfeeding and supplementing until just recently.) I think it was viral, not from teething. We even took them to our ped a few times, but it went away after 2 weeks. I absolutely agree with other posts, that your ped is giving you a wrong advice, if anything your breastmilk WOULD help the baby, not create problems. You can bring up your supply back by drinking Fenugreek and feeding and pumping more often.
E.