Can I breastfeed if I have a runny nose?

The most taboo thing during breastfeeding is catching a cold, because once you catch a cold during breastfeeding, it will affect the future progress of the child, and may even be accompanied by a fever, leading to milk infection. Therefore, during breastfeeding, mothers are very worried about themselves, because they dare not breastfeed their children because of a little runny nose. In fact, a little runny nose will not affect breastfeeding, but if you have a high fever or are taking medicine, you must be careful not to breastfeed.

Can I breastfeed if I have a cold during breastfeeding?

Whether a mother who has a cold while breastfeeding can breastfeed depends on whether the mother has a high fever when she has a cold. If it is just a common cold, there is no need to stop breastfeeding; but if the cold is accompanied by a high fever, you need to stop breastfeeding.

1. If the mother catches a cold while breastfeeding, but does not have a high fever or bacterial infection, she does not need to stop breastfeeding. Because the baby has a certain degree of resistance, there is no need to worry too much, but it should be noted that the mother can transmit bacteria through the respiratory tract, so the mother must remember to wear a mask when breastfeeding. Pay attention to personal hygiene during a cold, wash your hands frequently, and change clothes frequently. Apart from breastfeeding, do not have too much contact with your baby.

2. If a cold is accompanied by a high fever, you should stop breastfeeding for about two days. However, remember to express the milk on time to ensure normal milk secretion in the future and continue breastfeeding. During the weaning period, you can feed your baby some formula milk or rice cereal and add more water.

The impact of colds on breast milk during lactation

1. If a mother catches a cold during breastfeeding, if it is just a common cold, she does not need to take any medicine and it will not affect breast milk. If you have a severe cold or a high fever, you may take medication under the guidance of a doctor. In fact, whether the drug has an effect on the baby depends on the concentration of the drug in the breast milk and the nature of the drug.

2. After the mother takes the medicine, only one or two percent of the drug ingredients will be transferred to breast milk through digestion and absorption by the gastrointestinal tract. This amount is very small and will not have any adverse effects on the baby. Although medical research has been conducted on small animals to study the concentration of drugs in breast milk, and related experiments have also been conducted on humans, no effects on babies have been found. Even if there are any effects, we don't know. So, don't worry too much even if you take medicine.

3. However, we must know that breastfeeding mothers should use isoniazid, gentamicin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, codeine, and other drugs with caution to prevent poisoning reactions in babies. Breastfeeding mothers are strictly prohibited from using radioisotope therapy or anti-tumor drugs. If it is really necessary, breastfeeding must be stopped.

4. Therefore, parents can rest assured that catching a cold during breastfeeding will not have much adverse effect on breast milk. Unless some contraindicated medications are taken, it is safe for the baby. Of course, for the baby's health, mothers must follow the doctor's instructions and suggestions when taking medications, and it is strictly forbidden to take medications at will.