What to do if a breastfeeding mom has flu?

Understanding the Situation: Breastfeeding with the Flu
When a breastfeeding mother contracts the flu, it raises important questions about the safety of continuing to breastfeed and how to protect the infant from potential infection. The good news is that breastfeeding can continue, and there are effective strategies to minimize risks.
Continuing to Breastfeed
Health experts generally agree that it is safe for mothers to continue breastfeeding even when they have the flu. The flu virus is not transmitted through breast milk, which means that the act of breastfeeding itself does not pose a risk to the baby. In fact, breastfeeding can provide the infant with antibodies that help protect against infections, including the flu.
Precautions to Take
While breastfeeding is encouraged, mothers should take precautions to prevent spreading the virus to their infants. This includes practicing good hygiene, such as thoroughly washing hands before handling the baby and wearing a mask while breastfeeding. These measures are crucial since the flu is primarily spread through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
When to Consider Pumping
If a mother feels too ill to breastfeed directly, or if she is concerned about her baby’s exposure, she can pump her breast milk. This allows a healthy caregiver to feed the baby with the expressed milk, ensuring that the infant still receives the benefits of breastfeeding without direct contact with the sick mother. This approach is particularly useful if the mother is experiencing severe symptoms or needs to rest.
The Importance of Vaccination
To prevent future flu infections, it is highly recommended that breastfeeding mothers receive the annual flu vaccine. This not only protects the mother but also helps shield the baby, as antibodies can be passed through breast milk. The CDC advises that everyone aged six months and older should get vaccinated during flu season.
Conclusion
In summary, a breastfeeding mother with the flu can safely continue to nurse her baby while taking necessary precautions to avoid transmission of the virus. By maintaining good hygiene practices and considering pumping if she feels too unwell, she can ensure her baby remains healthy while still benefiting from the nutritional and immunological advantages of breast milk.

Will my baby get sick if I’m sick and breastfeeding?

In fact, your body will actually start producing antibodies for those illnesses and pass those antibodies through your milk to your baby, effectively reducing the risk and severity of those illnesses to your infant and/or toddler.

Are breastfed babies safe from the flu?

Influenza is not spread to babies via breastmilk. Rather, people infected with the flu can spread it to others via tiny germ droplets (eg when coughing or sneezing).

Does your milk supply drop when sick?

Getting sick. Just catching a virus or bug such as the flu, a cold, or a stomach virus won’t decrease your milk supply. However, related symptoms such as fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, or decreased appetite definitely can.

Can I pass flu to my baby?

Your baby can get infected with the flu if they come into contact with someone with the flu, breathes the virus in or touch something (like a toy) that has the flu virus on it and then touches their nose, eyes or mouth (this is less likely).

What can breastfeeding moms take for flu?

Can I take flu medication while breastfeeding? Yes. Although there’s limited data on antiviral flu meds taken while breastfeeding, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends nursing parents with the flu (confirmed or suspected) take antivirals, with oral oseltamivir being the preferred pick.

Will my baby be OK if I have flu?

Pregnant people are at high risk for severe illness, hospitalization and death if they get the flu. If you get the flu while pregnant it can also cause serious problems for your baby including premature labor and birth defects.

Can a baby get flu from its mother?

If a mother is not ill with the flu, breastfeeding is encouraged. If you are sick, you may need to express your milk for use in bottle feedings given by a healthy person. It is unlikely a newborn can catch flu from drinking your breast milk when you are sick. Breast milk is considered safe if you are taking antivirals.

How long is flu contagious?

Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. When am I no longer contagious with the flu? People with flu are no longer contagious if 24 hours have passed without a fever and without the use of fever-reducing medications.

What are the five stages of flu?

🤧 (And when or if you need to go to the hospital)… Flu season is here, and it’s crucial to recognize the signs early. You may have the flu if you experience: 1 Fever or chills 2 Cough 3 Sore throat 4 Body aches 5 Fatigue If you or a loved one exhibits these symptoms, it’s essential to take precautions.

What to do if you have the flu while breastfeeding?

If you have the flu, you can keep breastfeeding your baby, even if you take antiviral medicines for flu-like symptoms. Breast milk is custom-made for babies, providing antibodies that babies need to fight infection. So, continuing to breastfeed can protect your baby from the infection that your body is fighting.