Safety Tips for Nursing While Ill

(Newswire.net — December 8, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — Usually when one gets sick, they’re told to stay home and lock themselves away avoiding contact, especially if it’s contagious. However, when time comes for nursing, a sick mom is still expected to be on duty. They are very few illnesses that would require a mom to stop nursing but for the most part, it is quite safe to have your baby suckle as usual.

“The best thing you can do for your baby when you’re sick is to continue to breastfeed, so when you have a contagious illness such as a cold, flu, or other mild virus, your baby was exposed to the illness before you even knew you were sick,” says Kelly Bonyata, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. “Your milk will not transmit your illness to baby, but it does have antibodies in it that are specific to your illness (plus anything else you or baby have been exposed to) – they’ll help prevent the baby from getting sick, or if he does get sick, he’ll probably not be as sick as you.”

Nursing while fighting common illnesses like the cold, sore throat, fever and flu generally won’t do any harm to the baby. If medicines must be prescribed, it’s important to inform your doctor that you’re still breastfeeding your baby so they can offer something that doesn’t interfere with lactation.  

Majority of the pharmaceuticals on the market are risk-free to a nursing mom but it’s always good to be cautious and double check with your doctor, as there is virtually always an alternative available for the questionable drugs around. 

“The one exception to all of this is if your child is younger than 3 weeks old, babies are especially vulnerable to infection in the first few days of life,” explains Catherine Dundon, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital. “For instance, a mother who is ill with the flu when she gives birth is usually kept away from her baby until she’s no longer contagious, or she may be required to wear a gown, gloves, and a mask when she holds the child. Breastfeeding is not advised during this time.” 

Outside of the aforementioned situation, nursing should continue in spite of an illness, in fact, if one were to stop, it would most likely cause your baby to become sick since they’d be deprived of the anti-bodies supplied by breast milk. Nonetheless, sanitary precautious like washing hands clean at regular intervals and limiting unnecessary contact should naturally be exercised.  

“While you’re sick, remember to drink lots of fluids, the more hydrated you are, the better your milk supply will be and the stronger your body will be,” advises Alanna Levine, pediatrician at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, New Jersey. “And always wash your hands before picking up your baby and before breastfeeding.”

Now it goes without saying that eating healthy as best as one can helps with a speedy recovery and that alcohol should be avoided during sickness, especially when taking medications. Once you’re up and running as normal again, a celebratory toss may be in order. So when that moment arrives, a mom should be prepared with a reliable and user-friendly breast milk analysis kit at hand, such as the HealthyWiser™ PureMilk™ alcohol detecting strips.