Introduction For The HIV Positive Mother And Breastfeeding

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You Can Have a Healthy Pregnancy if You Are HIV Positive

You Can Have a Healthy Pregnancy if You Are HIV Positive Getting Pregnant Staying Healthy While Pregnant HIV Treatment Options Other Treatments While Pregnant Delivery Your Baby's Health Breast-Feeding Building a Support Network Credits and Acknowledgements You Can Have a Healthy Pregnancy if You Are HIV Positive Are you HIV positive and pregnant or considering having a baby? You are not alone. Living with HIV...

Ask the Experts

HIV positive mothers' reasons for breastfeeding

Why do HIV positive mothers make the decision to breastfeed their babies if there is a risk for spreading the virus to the baby?...

Response from Brooks Jackson, M.D.

Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Women in developing countries often breastfeed their babies because they cannot afford to buy formula, they have no clean water, and they are stigmatized by their community if they do not breastfeed their baby. BJ... Read more »

relationship between ages, race and HIV mothers breastfeeding

Is there a pattern in the ages of the HIV positive mothers who breastfeed their babies? Is there a particular race that tends to do this more than another?...

Response from Brooks Jackson, M.D.

Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

In the Unites States HIV positive mothers (regardless of age and race) are strongly advised not to breastfeed their babies. In the poorer developing countries, particularly in Africa, breastfeeding among HIV infected women is nearly universal at... Read more »

BREASTFEEDING WHEN HIV POSITIVE

AS FAR AS I KNOW THAT IF YOU ARE POSITIVE YOUR BREASTMILK HAS THE VIRUS BUT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT AFFECTS THE BABY COS THE BRESTMILK GOES TO THE STOMACH AND GETS DIGESTED, AND WHY BREASTMILK MUST NOT BE MIXED WITH FOMULAR? CAN YOU PLEASE...

Response from Shannon Southall

Rocky Mountain CARES

Hi,HIV can be transmitted through breast milk, so formula feeding is advised whenever possible. This is true even for women on highly active antiretroviral therapy; therapy may reduce but not completely eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus... Read more »

infant feeding choices for HIV positive mothers

What choices are available for an HIV positive mother when feeding her child?...

Response from Cade Fields-Gardner M.S., R.D.

The Cutting Edge

This depends very much on your resources. Guidelines suggest that if you are HIV-infected in a developed country you should consider avoiding breastfeeding. Those guidelines vary according to availability of viable breastfeeding substitutes. In... Read more »

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Young Mother of divorced hiv positive dad

Posted by Anonymous, 7 Replies

Wow, I just read all the posts and I am sorry about all the problems that have arised. I did not mean to stir people so much. What I was looking for was a way to educate myself other than the internet and chat rooms so I could feel comfortable, for... Read more »

Newbie introduction :)

Posted by javajo, 3 Replies

How does an HIV+ mother/wife ever get a vacation? for free... or as close to free as possible. Not that I'm looking to mooch. Just that we're sitting on "E" 95% of the time. The kids are constantly being kids (and who could blame them) The... Read more »

How do I tell my family I'm HIV Positive?

Posted by Anonymous

I am 42 year old single mother living on Miami Beach. I have been hiding my HIV status for 4 1/2 years now (my own daughter doesn't even know). I left New York because the word got out and I am very careful with my all of my partners but I am tired... Read more »

Let's Live...30Years Introduction

Posted by 30Years, 3 Replies

Hello Everyone:

I have a story to tell. I am a Hemophiliac who was diagnosed with HIV through a blood transfusion at age 7. I am now 33. I am blessed but I have found it hard to find someone who is HIV positive. The hard part is finding someone... Read more »

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