The consequences of taking cold medicine while breastfeeding

Because the immunity of breastfeeding mothers is relatively low, they are more likely to catch a cold during breastfeeding. After catching a cold, they should not blindly use medications because the hormones in the medications may be passed to the baby through breast milk. However, there are also a small number of mothers who do not pay attention after taking cold medicine and accidentally feed their babies. So what are the consequences of breastfeeding after taking cold medicine?

Whether taking medicine during breastfeeding will affect the baby depends mainly on the nature of the medicine and its concentration in breast milk.

After mothers take cold medicine, the medicine is absorbed into the blood circulation through the gastrointestinal tract, and 1%-2% of the medicine can be transported into breast milk. This dose generally does not cause adverse reactions to the baby, but related tests do not have exact data to show how much medicine the baby can absorb from breast milk. Therefore, except for some medicines that specifically state that they are not allowed to be used during breastfeeding, ordinary cold medicines should be relatively safe. However, mothers should try to pay attention to some issues regarding taking medicines during breastfeeding. For cold medicines, you can choose some Chinese patent medicines, which are relatively safer.

How long can I breastfeed after taking cold medicine during breastfeeding?

If it is a common cold without fever, the mother can feed the baby once before taking the medicine, and then try to leave a longer time between the next feeding. If you are taking Chinese patent medicine or the like, it will not have any effect on the baby.

However, in order to avoid infecting the baby with a cold, it is best for mothers to wear a mask when breastfeeding and when having normal contact with the baby.

If the mother has a fever over 38.5℃, it is best to stop breastfeeding for about 3 days after taking medicine. She still needs to wear a mask after resuming breastfeeding. During the period of suspending breastfeeding, she must express the milk to prevent breast engorgement and reduced milk secretion.

If you are really worried about the baby being affected, it is recommended that you follow the doctor's advice.

Recommendations for choosing cold medicine for breastfeeding mothers

1. Try to choose single-ingredient medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen and other single-ingredient antipyretics.

2. If you have a stuffy or runny nose, it is recommended to use a nasal spray or relieve the stuffy nose by inhaling steam.

3. If you have a sore throat, you can gargle with light salt water, or choose some lozenges.

4. It is not recommended to use compound cold medicine.