When your baby is sick
• If your baby is sick you should not stop breastfeeding.
Your baby will get better more quickly if it is breastfed.
• Diarrhea is especially dangerous in babies. Often no
medicine is needed, but special care must be taken
because a baby can die very quickly of dehydration.
• For diarrhea, breastfeed more often and also give sips of
rehydration drink.
• Breastfeed more often if the baby is weak. If the baby is
too weak to breastfeed, remove the milk by hand and give
the milk with a cup. Take the baby to a health worker.
• For vomiting, give shorter feeds more often, and also
give rehydration drink in small sips with a cup every 5 to
10 minutes. If you can, see a health worker—dehydration
can lead to death.
• Keep breastfeeding your baby even if the baby needs to
go to the hospital. If you cannot stay at the hospital, try
to remove your milk by hand and get someone to give it
to the baby with a cup.
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rehydration drink
How to feed a baby with a cup
1. Use a small, very clean cup.
If boiling it is not possible, wash it
with soap and clean water.
2. Hold the baby upright or almost upright
on your lap.
3. Hold the cup of milk to the baby’s mouth.
Tip the cup so the milk just reaches the
baby’s lips. Rest the cup lightly on the
baby’s lower lip and let the edges touch
the baby’s upper lip.
4. Do not pour the milk into the baby’s
mouth. Let the baby take the milk into its
mouth from the cup.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012