Question
My family are giving my baby water, is this OK?
4 April 2017. Related: All topics, Children.
I’m HIV+ mother and my baby is 3wèeks old . My CD4 count was 311 and undetectable viral load. I’m breastfeeding her and my family don;t know about my status. She tested HIV – n. Shes taking her meds as well (nvp). My worry is that now my mom believe the baby needs water so we giving her water almost every day and my breast milk is not enough for her as shes always sucking me. They say she doesn’t get full so we must feed her. I would to know what are the chances of my baby being HIV +
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
And congratulations on the birth of your daughter. Its also great to hear that she’s already tested negative.
Your family giving your daughter won’t influence her possible status. However, babies who are this young don’t need water. What they need is milk, and milk alone. If you feel like you aren’t producing enough milk, you may need to change to formula. However, if you do this, you must not mix feed.
The best thing to do would be to speak to your babies doctor. They will be able to tell you if she’s growing or not. If its any help some babies suckle more than others.
Hi my sister is HIV positive is milk feeding the child and my mother doesn’t know about it is busy feeding this child with porridge and its 3weeks.what’s the risk of the child
Hi Olga,
Babies born to positive mothers should feed their babies either breast milk or formula. Not both.
Hi my baby is 6months old so I want to give her formula during the day and at night breastmilk its’ it okay or not?
Hi Cc,
Mix feeding with both formula milk and breast milk is not recommended. That’s because with mix feeding there can be some risk of HIV to your baby.
What does the doctor say about this? Can your sister talk to them about it. Has the baby been tested for HIV?
Hy… My twin sister is HIV positive has a baby boy and he’s 12 days old. Mom doesn’t know about her status and so my mom insists on mix feeding him. Will this affect the baby?
Hi Ririf,
Congratulations on having a new baby son.
Are you taking HIV treatment (ART). Taking ART when you are pregnant, and feeding your baby formula, is the best way to help protect him from HIV.
So it sounds like you are doing all you can.
There’s much more info in this guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health.
Hi I’m hiv + I’m not breastfeeding ….I’m giving my son formula ….his 7 weeks what are chances of him being tested negative?
Hi Thashi,
First, many congratulations on having a new baby boy.
Please see this question that Angelina has answered about the safest way to feed your baby.
Being on HIV treatment and having an undetectable viral load dramatically reduces the risk to your baby. But it’s not recommended to mix feed with both breastmilk and formula milk. If you are breastfeeding you can do this exclusively for six months and then wean your son onto soft food.
But please speak to your doctor about feeding your baby, including giving him gripe water.
Good day
My mom in law insist of giving my baby gripe water and I’m a HIV positive mother. The family is not aware of my status and I’m really scared to infect my son
Hi Phumla,
You mix feeding for just a few days is unlikely to have had any affect on your child. Neonatal sepsis is something that babies can get regardless of their mothers status. Your child is going to need specialist care.