- Jillian Johnson’s son Landon died at 19 days old on March 15, 2012
- She was told breastfeeding her infant was the healthiest and best option
- However, she didn’t know that her breasts weren’t producing enough milk
- Landon was starving and put on life support for days, he died of dehydration
- Jillian wants to inform people breastfeeding isn’t always the right choice
Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com
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Jillian Johnson was overjoyed when she and her husband Jarrod were informed they were expecting a baby boy – but that bliss quickly turned to tragedy when he fell gravely ill.
At just 19 days old, Jillian’s firstborn son Landon died after the new mother devastatingly learned she had starved him while breastfeeding.
After rushing to the hospital, she was told her child was dehydrated, because Landon wasn’t getting any milk out of her breast.
Jillian feels she was failed by being told exclusively breastfeeding was the best option for the child and now wants to raise awareness that breast isn’t always best.
Jillian Johnson (left in 2017 and right in 2012) was devastated when she learned she essentially starved her firstborn child while she was breastfeeding him. She wasn’t producing enough breast milk and Landon died at 19 days old on March 15, 2012
The mother is now taking her tragic experience as a chance to inform other mothers that breastfeeding isn’t always the best option
SIGNS THAT A CHILD ISN’T BREASTFEEDING CORRECTLY
The Fed is Best Foundation aims to inform mothers when their child may not be being breastfed correctly.
They advise parents to look out for:
Low blood sugar, with jittery hands, low body temperature, inconsolable and high-pitched crying
Unsatisfied nursing, lasting longer than 30 minutes and occurring more frequently than every two hours
Not waking up for feeding every three hours, difficult to wake up
Growth or weight loss exceeding four percent in first 24 hours
No wet diapers in six hours and/or red brick dust on diapers
Yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice)
Source: Fed is Best Foundation
Appearing on The Doctors, Jillian said: ‘Life isn’t the same after losing a child. There’s a huge hole in my heart, all because we trusted everything that we were taught – that exclusively breastfeeding is best thing for a baby.
‘His death was 100 percent preventable. There is no reason that he shouldn’t be here today other than we were failed.’
Landon was on life support for several days and on March 15, 2012, he died.
Jillian, who works in finance, and Jarrod, an automotive industry worker, have since had two daughters, Stella, three and Aliona, one.
The Southern California woman made headlines earlier this year when she shared the heartbreaking story and said her family still celebrates Landon’s birthday every year with a cupcake, singing Happy Birthday and writing his name in the sand.
To mark his fifth birthday, Jillian wrote an account of their experiences in which she said she still suffers from guilt and regret.
‘If I had given him just one bottle, he would still be alive,’ she wrote on Fedisbest.org.
She added: ‘The best advice I was given by one of his NICU doctors while he was on life support is, “Sure breast is best, but follow with the bottle.”‘
Jillian is taking her tragic experience as an opportunity to teach other mothers there are other options and breastfeeding isn’t right for everyone.
There are two reasons why a child isn’t breastfeeding properly; the mother isn’t producing enough milk or the baby isn’t latching onto the breast appropriately.
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The Southern California family still celebrate Landon’s birthday every year with a cupcake, singing Happy Birthday and writing his name in the sand
Jillian said: ‘His death was 100 percent preventable. There is no reason that he shouldn’t be here today other than we were failed’
10 REASONS FOR LOW MILK SUPPLY WHEN BREASTFEEDING
1. Insufficient glandular tissue
2. Hormonal or endocrine problems
3. Previous breast surgery
4. Using hormonal birth control
5. Taking certain medications or herbs
6. Sucking difficulties or anatomical issues
7. Not feeding at night
8. Scheduling feedings and/or using a pacifier between feedings
9. Birth medications or jaundice
10. Supplementation
Source: Today’s Parent
The Fed is Best Foundation aims to inform mothers of the signs when their child may not be being fed the right way.
There are several indicators that a newborn isn’t breastfeeding correctly that parents can spot to make sure the child is given the proper supplements immediately.
In Jillian’s case, her body wasn’t producing enough milk for Landon.
Diana West, IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) and co-author of Making More Milk, gave some reasons why mothers aren’t making enough milk.
These include not having enough ‘milk-making’ ducts or glands, hormonal problems, previous breast surgery, certain medications and herbs, and hormonal birth control.
Experts advise mothers to exclusively breastfeed their child for the baby’s first six months of life and then for six more months while introducing new food to them.
This is because breast milk is loaded with nutrients that babies need, including vitamins and healthy bacteria.
A new study by the University of California Los Angeles’ Pediatrics Department found that microbes from the mother’s milk and skin around the nipple were transferred to the baby’s gut.
Gut colonization of healthy germs are essential to develop the baby’s defense systems and studies show it can combat obesity, boost metabolism and immune systems, and even impact brain performance.
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