Can I breastfeed if I have a cold or fever?
When we have a cold or fever, we may be afraid of breastfeeding our baby and that it will catch it, but the virus is not transmitted through milk,
Everyone knows the great benefits of breastfeeding . No formula milk can (and never will) match natural breast milk formula. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life . It is logical to think that today this pattern is often difficult to follow, generally due to the difficulty in reconciling motherhood with working life. Also, breastfeeding is not always the first option for all mothers, something totally respectable .
Index
BREASTFEEDING
The Breastfeeding has all the components and nutrients needed for the baby. In a natural way, we are giving you everything you need to grow and develop. There are many studies that confirm the reduction of the risk of contracting multiple diseases, not only from the baby. Breastfeeding appears to be tremendously beneficial for mothers as well.
In addition, beyond a strictly nutritional point of view, breastfeeding uniquely favors the establishment of the bond of attachment between mother and child.
In any case, a mother who is practicing breastfeeding may have doubts at specific times. One of the most frequent questions is: can I breastfeed my baby if I am sick?
LACTATION AND ILLNESS
A priori we can think that the most logical thing is that we transmit viruses to the baby through milk . However, even for this situation also nature is very wise. Most viruses are not transmitted through milk, and if they did, they are such a small number that they would not affect the baby.
Therefore, in situations of common illnesses such as colds, colds, flu, etc., there is no risk of contagion to the baby. We must also think that most of these diseases have an asymptomatic incubation period and at that time viruses are already present in our body. If they were transmitted so easily through milk, we would run a constant risk of contagion by not knowing if we are sick or not.
ANTIBODIES
Breastfeeding is not dangerous when the mother suffers from the flu or a cold, indeed, it is beneficial. During these catarrhal or flu processes, we naturally generate antibodies to fight viruses. Although we do not transmit viruses to our baby, we do pass our antibodies on to them. In this way, the baby would have protection against suffering from this type of disease, even in years to come, as shown by some studies.
OTHER TYPES OF DISEASES AND MEDICATIONS
In addition to the flu or the common cold, there are other more serious diseases that would not be transmitted through breastfeeding. In any case, when in doubt, it is always advisable to consult a doctor to confirm the existence of risk or not. In the case of medicines , it is also advisable to trust what our doctor tells us. Generally, there are also no problems with the most common medications.
During pregnancy, the medication passes directly through the bloodstream, but this is not the case with breastfeeding. However, once again, it is best to ensure our doubts with a medical professional and that a cold does not prevent us from breastfeeding our baby.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.