Breastfeeding during treatment can have lots of benefits for infants with cancer. Karen Jepson, Advanced Paediatric Dietitian at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, explains more about the positive impact it can have.
Each mother’s breast milk is tailored to the child and is the perfect food for young children, including those having treatment for cancer. Easily digested and containing antibodies which change according to the child’s needs and mother’s environment, it’s particularly useful and protective for those with lowered immunity, and can help them recover more quickly after periods of illness or mucositis.
The unique bonding experience it gives enhances overall health and development, promoting feelings of warmth, closeness and normality at a time of stress. Even during periods of not being able to feed, nurturing skin-to-skin contact has proved to be beneficial and, as well as having a calming effect, it helps weight gain and to sustain milk supply.
Can there be challenges?
It can be hard and exhausting. Mothers isolated from their usual support networks need to constantly adapt to their child’s changing needs in unfamiliar surroundings. A child may need to be fasted for procedures or refuse feeds when unwell. Sometimes, they can be too tired or unwell to effectively breastfeed, develop mouth sores – making latching on difficult – or they may suffer from side effects from treatment such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. If breastfeeding less than usual, or your child needs to rest their tummy, mothers can express their milk to maintain supply. If a child can’t feed from the breast, they may be offered expressed breast milk as mouth care and/or via a nasogastric tube.
Some have additional requirements and need a specialised formula to supplement breast milk. A dietitian will ensure mothers are able to make an informed choice on how best to support their child while continuing breastfeeding.
If you are breastfeeding be kind and look after yourself
It’s normal for parents to experience a mixture of feelings and emotions after giving birth, which is escalated by the uncertainty of having a child with cancer. It’s important you are kind to yourself and reach out for help. A good place to start, which will make a world of difference to your confidence, is to check the hospital room to make sure:
- you have a comfy chair that offers good support
- you have a breast pump at the bedside and know where and
how to store your milk
How to look after yourself:
- Sleep and rest when you can
- Block off time to be left undisturbed and let people know you need some quiet time
- Eat and drink well with regular meals and snacks
- Take a breastfeeding multivitamin and mineral supplement
- If your child is more demanding and clingier, remember to move position regularly and take a break, even if just for a shower or a short walk
- If your child is fasting, ask family or staff members to help and distract
Though breastfeeding your child while dealing with the rigours of treatment may have its challenges, with patience, practise and support, you can navigate through them and enjoy a fulfilling breastfeeding journey. Remember, prioritise your own wellbeing, seek assistance and cherish the precious moments spent nourishing your little one.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Share your worries and reach out for help and support. Your child’s dietitian, lactation consultant or health visitor can support you, while the charities below offer free advice:
- La Leche League GB (www.laleche.org.uk) Helpline 0345 120 2918
- National Childbirth Trust (www.nct.org.uk) Helpline 0300 330 0700
- The National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212
- Association of Breastfeeding Mothers: 0300 330 5453
- First Steps Nutrition (Independent Health Nutrition Charity) Infants & new mums — First Steps Nutrition Trust
Lauren’s story
Lauren Mercer’s four-year-old son Murray was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, at 11 months old. She tells us about her experiences of breastfeeding Murray during his treatment.
Murray was a natural when it came to breastfeeding and, as my second, I was also better, so our breastfeeding journey started off brilliantly and I was very lucky for it to continue without a hitch. But never did I expect Murray’s consultant to politely ask me to continue breastfeeding during his treatment. As a parent, you never want to have this conversation about your child, and it wasn’t easy having a lot of pressure put on me, as his mum, to be the main caregiver during his treatment. Unfortunately, for us, this was also during the pandemic, so ‘main’ caregiver turned into ‘sole’ caregiver.
I can’t write this and say it was an easy path to follow, but if you were to ask me if I would go back and make the same choice, the answer is easy. Yes. I can confidently say that breastfeeding gave Murray a level of comfort he sorely needed and the added immune support it provided was something I’m glad I could offer. Plus, being a breastfeeding mum meant the hospital fed me, so I was very grateful to the staff for bringing me endless dinners, cups of coffee and chocolatey snacks! The downside to breastfeeding during treatment was that I had to leave my other son at home, and my husband Carl couldn’t help in the way he wanted to. I know he wished he could have done more, but we still believe it was the right choice to make.
The hardest part of our journey was during our stem cell transplant where Murray developed VOD (veno occlusive disorder) and I was told he couldn’t be fed. This was hard on two levels. Firstly, I wasn’t able to provide the comfort he needed and the drink he very desperately wanted. It made for one very grumpy Murray! Secondly, hand pumping in a tiny hospital bath isn’t one of my most dignified moments in life! But, we got through it.
When Murray finished treatment, I was still able to feed him and we kept going until he was two-and-a-half years old and was ready to stop. He then moved on to eating properly and devouring anything sugar-coated like any normal toddler would, and I also enjoyed a glass of wine.
It was a longer breastfeeding journey than I had expected, but as I said, I would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat. I’d advise any mothers out there who have been asked to keep up breastfeeding during treatment to do it. It will be hard but worth it, and it’s truly something that I believe made our journey that little bit easier. A word of warning though: make sure your team allows someone else along for any appointment that requires fasting - that isn’t easy for anyone involved!
Prof Sam Behjati, Murray’s consultant
When I first met Murray and his parents, there were many complex and difficult things to discuss. At some point, there was an opportunity for me to raise the question of breastfeeding, which Lauren responded to with cautious enthusiasm. From my perspective, in addition to nutritional and emotional benefits, breastfeeding is a powerful way of providing comfort to young children as they undergo intense treatment. Moreover, it serves as a very useful indicator of how well a child is. Breastfeeding is hard work for children – it requires energy, focus and coordination. Therefore, when Murray went through treatment, especially the more intense stretches, monitoring his ability to breastfeed helped us greatly in our clinical assessment of him.
A downside of breastfeeding is that it can be somewhat impractical. And when it doesn’t work, it can be an additional source of stress in already most difficult times. I’d therefore like to emphasise that breastfeeding should be considered a useful extra in the treatment journey of a young child. If it works, great, and if it doesn’t, or isn’t for you, don’t worry.
From Contact magazine issue 101 - Winter 2023
