Expert: Nafeesah - 2/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: my daughter has a eating disorder and is breastfeeding her baby. how can i express how impoortant it is to her that she eats. she does not eat and does not drink much. she is weak,tired,depressed. i need to express to her how she needs to take care of herself. also how does this effect the breast milk?

ANSWER: New mothers who are breastfeeding are often told that what they eat can affect their milk production. Is she going through post partum depression after having the baby? Women will experience this after the birth of a child, but it's important that she eat healthy for the sake of her child while she breastfeeds. She's weak and tired because she's not getting nutrients and she needs to eat something because it can affect her milk because that's the food this baby will be eating before it's old enough to take the bottle and from what I read formula is not good for babies the mother's milk is much better for them. She may need some medical help in dealing with her depression that's driving her not to eat or drink. I would call a doctor and get some insight into what maybe wrong medically and work with trying to help her since taking meds can affect her milk because you don't want your grandchild taking breast milk that's tainted with drugs since whatever the mother puts in her body will show up in her milk. I would look at the post partum aspect because that's what it sounds like to me is depression after having a baby.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for your answer. my daughter is on meds for the post partum. but she is still not eating and is not producing much milk. the bay is hungery so we give her a bottle and that helps a lot. i am so worried because my daughter does not have energy any more. i am tring to tell her she needs to take care of herself or she is no good to her baby. how do i get her to understand that and how it is hurting herself and her baby?

Answer
This is the time to stage an intervention because if your grandchild is still an infant she's depriving the child of nutrients and if she's not producing milk that's a sign she's not getting enough nutrients to produce milk. The child may have to go on formula to make up for what its not getting in breast milk. It's time to consult with a mental health professional to get advice and insight to best deal with this situation because a child is involved with this and that having an eating disorder can cause problems for an infant if he or she is not getting the milk needed to sustain the child. Post partum depression is being declared a mental illness by psychiatrists and psychologists and it can lead to a lot of things from suicide to child neglect. I would call someone right away and ask them what to do because this is become serious because a baby is involved and help is needed right away and in many cases if a mental health counselor determines the situation is in need of attention you could stage an intervention ASAP. Your local social work agency has resources to contact someone who specializes in mental health issues.