Can I breastfeed my baby if I have a cold?

Mothers are very concerned about their babies' health, especially those who are still breastfeeding. During the breastfeeding period, mothers will take good care of their bodies because they have to feed their children frequently. If the mother has a cold, she will generally stop breastfeeding because it is generally believed that if the mother has a cold, it is likely to affect the child. So, can you breastfeed your child if you have a cold?

In fact, you can continue breastfeeding if you have a cold during breastfeeding. The most common cold symptoms for breastfeeding mothers are fever, sneezing, runny nose, cough, sore throat, etc. Generally speaking, cold viruses are not transmitted through breastfeeding, but are transmitted through air droplets. Therefore, when the mother catches a cold, the environment in which the baby lives has already been contaminated. Breast milk produces antibodies on its own, which helps the baby fight diseases. However, if a breastfeeding mother has symptoms of fever, she can stop breastfeeding for one or two days. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers don’t need to worry too much if they catch a cold. Just relax and breastfeed your baby.

Can I take medicine for a cold while breastfeeding?

Many breastfeeding mothers are too scared to take medicine when they catch a cold. If they take medicine, they worry that the chemical components of the medicine will enter the baby's body through breast milk when feeding the baby, affecting the baby's normal development. But if mothers don’t take medicine, the cold virus will bother them for a long time, which is really a dilemma.

If the cold symptoms are so severe that you have to take medication to relieve them, you need to use the medication correctly according to the doctor's advice. Breastfeeding mothers must remember to take the right medicine to get rid of the cold virus as soon as possible.

If a breastfeeding mother has a cold accompanied by inflammation and needs to use antibiotics for treatment, it is recommended not to choose antibiotics blindly. You can consult a professional doctor and purchase antibiotics according to the doctor's instructions.

Although generally speaking, mothers with colds during breastfeeding can still breastfeed their babies, for the health and safety of the baby, they should also pay attention to the following matters:

1. Wash your hands before breastfeeding: You should wash your hands before feeding your baby. You should be more careful when the baby has a cold, because breastfeeding mothers may sneeze or blow their noses, which will cause some cold viruses or other bacteria on their hands. They need to be washed thoroughly, otherwise they can easily be brought into the baby's stomach.

2. Don’t cough or sneeze towards the baby: Never cough or sneeze towards the baby. Viruses and bacteria can be transmitted to the baby, causing respiratory infections and other diseases. You can wear a mask when feeding the baby.

3. Drinking more boiled water will help you recover from a cold as soon as possible.

4. Drinking more chicken soup during breastfeeding can prevent colds. You can add a little pepper, ginger, etc. to the soup, which also has a certain effect on treating colds.

5. Keep the indoor air circulating and open windows more often to let in sunlight to kill bacteria and disinfect.