I Have a Cold and Nursing

You can look up medicines to see how they're rated for breastfeeding, much like you can for pregnancy. A local lactation consultant told me to stay clear of meds that "dry you up," like sudafed, etc.

Don't take the nyquil!! You can take the tussin, tylenol, or advil. Drink lots of fluids and either take vitamin c tabs or eat an orange every day.

Hope you feel better soon!

K.,

No, these are not safe for the baby of for you! I know you want some relief, but these drugs will not help you heal and they are dangerous. I would suggest visiting your local health food store and getting some elderberry syrup or make a simple remedy yourself consisting of honey (raw if possible) ground ginger, turmeric and cinnamon (any combination of these will work, whatever you have on hand). These herbs have many anti-viral compounds to help your body heal.
Also, a warm herbal tea would be helpful like chamomile or peppermint, with some honey and lemon.

Hope you feel better soon,
C.
www.lostrivernaturals.com

Go with natural stuff...get some fresh lemons and honey at the store. Put the juice of several lemons in a cup and then add enough honey to make it tolerable then just take two teaspoons every 2 to 3 hours. The lemon will break up the congestion and the honey will coat your throat and help the cough. You can also make some hot lemonade...yummmm! Hope you feel better. Also, take 1000 mg. twice a day of vitamin c tablets. Give your body an extra boost while it's "down".

Hey, K.! This is R.! I had a cold over Christmas and used tussin cough syrup. But i ended up calling my allergy doctor to get some prescriptions and made sure they knew i was nursing. I'd call your obgyn first before taking anything just to make sure it won't affect your milk production. Hope you feel better!

Hi,

I would not take any over the counter meds. since it will go through your milk to the baby. They're not going to help you get over the cold, they'll just help deal with the smyptoms. Up your antioxidants with fresh raw fruits, vegetables,& berries. Gargle with warm salt water. Apple cider vinegar with a little water, & natural sweetner is a good anticeptic to drink (I use Stevia. You can get it at the health food store or Kroger in their health food section). Saline solution will help dry up the sinus passages and keep down infections. Colds will last a few weeks. Drink lots of water and cut out sugar and sweets (they weaken the immune system.

Juice Plus+ always helps me. It's whole food nutrition of 17 fruits and vegetables in a capsule and safe for everyone to have even babies. It helps bridge the gap when you can't eat that many fruits and vegies daily and strengthens the immune system. My web site has more information about it: www.takejp17.com. Dr. William Sears has a great web site for parents www.askdrsears.com

Ask your doctor, but there are some natual cough drops to help with cough.

I live in Lawrenceville, happily married and have a wonderful 16 year old son.

Feel better soon,
D. R.

Delsym is the BEST medicine in the world for cough...and it doesn't make you feel worse than you already do. I have given it to my daughter since she was 4 and it is 12 hours and it WORKS. It is over the counter...try it and I think you will swear by it like I do. I am not sure about nursing...but there are no narcotics in it. Hope you feel better!

The best thing to do is call a pharmacy or your OB physician and ask for their advice. Either one should be happy to tell you what the best thing to take would be that would have the least effect on your breast milk and on your daughter if it does pass through breast milk. Good Luck! I know how you feel, I have had a terrible virus since Thursday, and I still feel awful. At least my nursing days are long over - my baby is 18.

Hi, I nursed for a three years between my two kids and got a few colds during those years. I took cold medicine that was honey based and not one that was alcohol based. I just went to my local vitamin shoppe and asked the the person that worked there to refer one to me. The one that worked on my cough the best was B and T Boericke and Tafel and I purchased it from The Vitaminne SHoppe. They even have a childrens one, which I give to my 2 and 4 year old.

When I was still nursing, my doctor told me never to take anything besides tylenol products. Try tylenol cold, see if it helps!

Be careful with decongestants -- they can dry you up! I'd check with the OB. Hope you feel better.

What ever goes into your body will go into your babys body. I took regular tylenol if i had to take something. its good that you are coughing, you want to get that infection out of your body. Call your peditrition. they can tell you what is safe to take. hope you feel better and try and rest when you daughter rests.

I too am nursing and this is what I did to deal with my cold: take extra fluid and try to extra rest when an opportunity arose. Warm compresses on my face/chest helped with sinus pressure and congestion. Warm liquids like soup and hot chocolate. Non-medicated throat drops (pectin), and vitamin C drops, as well as gargling with salt water helped with sore throat. Really warm shower or johnsons baby vapor baths. Sitting in the bathroom with Hot Steamy shower going to help with congestion. Humidifier at night. Johnson baby vapor (non medicated) rub on neck and upper chest before bed. If it doesnt go away within a couple weeks, I woulod consult your doctor. I was never a big fan of medication while pregnant or nursing, but your doc. can give you info on what is safe to take.

I'm pretty sure that Tussin (plain/ orginal is fine) I had to take while pregnant. Also for cough - try Vick's medicated rub. My 5 month old (and husband both) have colds, and the pediatrician recommended rubbing this on the baby's chest. It helps to get rid of coughing -
Hope that helps!

You can take any Tylenol cold med with breastfeeding.

Robitussin is ok... I don't think nyQuil is. You can also use Afrin.
I have had many colds/sinus infections this year and my nursing baby hasn't gotten them! :)
M.

I had a running nose and sore throat last week and my doctor said Sudafed PE was okay when nursing. I also was prescribed amoxicillan. Hope this helps and you feel better soon!

I'm nursing a 2 month old and was sick.

Hi Darlin

May I suggest you seek advice at your neighborhood Health Food Store. They have something that is all natural that will cure your cold and will be gentle to your body.

Be Blessed and be well,

I had the same problem, but cannot remember what the doctor told me. I wouldn't use any of those meds that you mentioned until you talk to a doctor. If you don't have health insurance, try to find one of those websites that have an advice nurse to answer your questions. Or, a Pharmacist. Good Luck.

benadryl and tylenol is all i was told to take. I am nursing also and you basically have to tough it out... which isn't what you want to hear.
Hope you get to feeling better soon! We just got over that nasty stuff and it took a week to feel somewhat normal again.

I don't know if you're over your cold or not yet, but I just tried a netti pot and it worked wonders. it's all natural so it doesn't dry up any of your milk supply like antihistimines and decongestants can. I don't know if you watch Oprah or not, but it was shown on there about a month ago. It's called nasal irrigation...pretty much just a nice cleansing of your sinus cavities using a salene solution. It was my lifesaver last week when I was sick. I got through my cold without having to use any meds except tylenol!

Hi K.,

Unfortunely I have had several colds and I also nurse and my doctor told me that I could take regular robotussin for the cough, benedrel, regular sudafed, and claritin for the stuffyness and thats it.

When I was nursing I took Tylenol cold medicine but, since then they have changed some of the ingredients. I would call your doctor to find out what they recommend you take over the counter. I hope you feel better soon.

Make sure to drink alot of extra water. I was told that I could only take Tylenol products when I was nursing (about 4 years ago). You might want to talk with a lactation specialist at your hospital, or your doctor. I do remember that you should stay away from menthol in cough drops. This is frustrating since most of them contain it. When my seven year old was a baby, Robitussin made a honey almond cough drop that did not contain menthol and it had a gooey honey center. I don't know if they still make it or the ingredients now. You might want to have some hard candy on hand. Running a humidifier should help some. REST!!!!

Vicks chest rub is good for coughs and very safe. The meds you mentioned are not okay if you are nursing. The only cold med that is okay is nasal decongestant, nothing added.

K. B.

Hi my name is Nekki. I am a RN and I also have 3 children.
My advice is to not take any cold medicines if you can help it. As you may already know a cold is a virus and most times medicines, especially antibiotics DO NOT help with viruses. The best remedy I can give is to drink plenty of fluids like 100% juices and give your body time to rest. You can also make a "lemon tea" that may help. Slice a whole lemon, squeeze the juice and put the lemon including the peel in a pot with 1/2 cup of water, add a few cough drops, and peppermint candy. Boil until the cough drops and peppermint melt. Sip. Please try and stay away from juices with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Chicken soup and plenty of rest is what I highly recommend.
Nekki, RN

Check with your doctor to be absolutely sure but I think you can probably take a product called Delsym. It is dextromethorphan and is a cough suppressant. Good luck -- and know that you are giving your baby antibodies with every nursing. That should make you feel better!