[runnybabbit]

So I have an eight-day-old baby boy and he's gorgeous and seems to be feeding well. His older brother is 20 months old and weaned himself at 14.5 months, when I was pregnant.

I'm thinking of giving DS1 some EBM further along the track, once my supply has sorted itself out a bit more (oversupply at the moment but it's getting better) to try and help his immune system out as he goes to day care and often catches the viruses that come along with the cesspool that is a congregation of toddlers with no personal hygiene.

Does anyone know if, at 20 months old, his gut would still be "open" and would he still derive benefit in the way of maternal antibodies by having, say, 50 ml of EBM every other day or so? I'd just put it in his Vitabrits for breakfast. Or is it a nice thought but probably not going to do much? If it's the latter then I don't think I'll bother with expressing.

[jacqg]

Haven't done it myself, but I had DD3 last Wednesday and I'm able to make buckets of milk. One of the midwives at the hospital told me that EBM frozen in your fridge/freezer lasts for 3 months, but lasts for 12 months in your chest freezer. Her own sonhas turned two and has EBM on his weetbix because she still kept expressing after he weaned.

Personally, as I hate being attached to the pump, I wouldn't do it, but yeah, there are people out there who do so they can give it to toddlers.

[lucky 2]

Hi, I said congratulations in your other thread!
I can't give the exact amount of components he would get in 50 mls but it's something he wouldn't get if he didn't get it iykwim and it's still human milk with all it's goodies including those immune factors.
I was faced with this question when dd was approaching 2 and I was still expressing for her (had since 8 months re breast refusal) but I was getting sometimes 70 mls max.
I couldn't make up my mind so I kept giving it to her until she started to refuse it.
His gut is not "open", I think that is more related to the early post birth period.
How about give it and see how you go, if you don't mind doing it that's fine, he may not even take it?
Or not?
All the best.

[Bek+3]

Hi, congratulations and yes absolutely. My older kids got excess EBM in their cereal all the time when I was expressing. It never stops becoming good for them.

All the best.

[KRT]

If it's there anyway, why not? It might help.

However, I personally wouldn't bother with the effort of expressing just for an older child. Ignoring whether or not his gut is 'open' or not, the antibodies that are most likely to be passed on are against gastro-type things, rather than colds etc, so there are lots of things it wouldn't provide much if any protection against. There's also the question of how much of the antibodies are preserved if you freeze and defrost - different if just refrigerated.

The other thing, of course, is that you have to have been exposed to whatever the bugs are yourself to be able to produce antibodies to it - and my experience of daycare bugs is that I've been laid low more often than DS!

[lucky 2]

the antibodies that are most likely to be passed on are against gastro-type things

Why would the antibodies in human milk be only for gastrointestinal illness?

[runnybabbit]

Thanks, everyone. And thank you, lucky 2! Feeding is going much better this time, not sure of Robbie's weight yet but he'll be weighed on Friday. He hasn't had any urates in his nappies so I think we're doing better (#1 had them every day up to day 7), wet nappy every feed and bright mustard yellow poos.

I think I'll see how I go with expressing (might not have the time really once I'm home alone with two under two) and if it goes well then I'll just put it in his breakfast. I did express for comfort a few nights ago, got about 20 ml and he had it with his Vitabrits without complaint.

[KRT]

Why would the antibodies in human milk be only for gastrointestinal illness?

I don't think that the antibodies were only for gastrointestinal illnesses, just that those were more likely to be passed on and actually make a difference to falling ill - tied in with the open gut etc. However, I have no reference for this - it was just something I came across a while back - and I'm certainly not an expert!

[lucky 2]

Thanks KRT, I'm just presuming that because breast milk feeding can help reduce the incidences of many different types of infections (for some infections it can be an accumulative effect, ie the longer the child has breast milk the higher the protection, this is not all infections though) that it would have within it antibodies for many different mico-organisms irrespective of the age of baby or stage of lactation.
It's so technical isn't it? I certainly wouldn't call myself an authority on every aspect of bfing, I'm much more suited to practical help rather than remembering everything I've ever read on the subject (I wish I could!). http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/delay-solids/
The article above does talk about the open gut being till around 4-6 months and that babies start producing there own antibodies after this age.