Keeping Baby from Getting Sick

A cold once in a while is good for a baby. It helps to build their immune system. When they get a cold, their immune system recharges and gets stronger in case they have to battle it again.

I was sick with terrible bronchitis and the baby was fine. I wore the dr's masks on my face 24/7 around the baby. You can get them at any drug store. I also washed my hands constantly. It'll be fine. Good luck.

Hi M. -

Yes, definitely keep nursing...even if you have the stomach bug you should continue to nurse. (I had the stomach bug back in November, it was so hard to nurse, but baby gets your antibodies).

At that young age, your baby should be protected from your germs. Be sure to keep your hands impeccably clean!!!

Enjoy her - they grow way too fast!
J.

Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do to keep her well! Your breastmilk will give her antibodies that will help her fight your cold. I just got over a horrible cold and my little girl didn't get it even though we were together 24 hours a day. Also, wash your hands, don't sneeze on her, etc. Good luck! It's so hard to keep your energy up to care for baby while you're sick. Uggh.

when my daughter was 4 days old i got sicker than i have ever been in my entire life, some sort of respiratory infection. i was on so many meds(even codeine) and they couldnt stop the coughing. i was completely depressed thinking she would end up in the hospital if i got her sick that i didnt go near her and just cried. then i wore a mask. finally i just got fed up. i washed my hands every second, and tried to cough on the shoulder i didnt burp her on. it was really bad and took over a week before it even started to get less. she never got sick!!! i do though think it took away some of those first bonding moments which does make me sad. i would have liked to be focusing on her instead of being sick. dont stress, you will all be fine.

M.,

Absolutly keep breastfeeding, your antibodies pass through to the baby and if she gets sick it will not be as bad as you. Also wash you hands alot, and if you are worried about breathing on her while feeding get a mask. A hanky or a dust mask will work. Drink lots of OJ for Vit C to pass to baby.

Wash your hands constantly with anti bacterial soap or use purell. As for breathing on her, ask your hubby to pick up some surgical masks if you are that concerned or make your own with a bandana.

Hi M., keep breastfeeding for sure, it will keep your baby healthy and help her fight off germs such as your cold. While buying masks may not be feasible financially you can create a barrier by loosely covering your baby with a receiving blanket/towel draped over your shoulder, across the baby when she's nursing. This creates a barrier from breathing on her and still allows her to breathe freely. REMRMBER LOOSELY DRAPED.. Then toss it in the laundry, use a new one each time. Feel better, Good luck! ~E.

Keep breastfeeding. YOu are producing antibodies for this infection that will get into your breast milk and help protect her from getting it.

Yes, keep breastfeeding. It builds her immunity. Viruses spread by droplets in the air i.e. from coughing,sneezing. Wash your hands after you blow your nose. Good luck.

A.

You should keep Breastfeeding. But the best way to avoid getting her sick is to wash your hands, be aware of the things you are touching. Chances are she may get it no matter what you try and if she does don't worry too much just bring her to the Doctor. If she starts to show signs keep an eye on her temperature. If she starts to get a fever call your doctor right away. Feel better!

Congratulations on your newborn, M.!
Your breast milk has the immunities to help your little girl fight off any germs you or the environment give her. Be sure and take the toxic chemicals out of your home as well, like bleach. Check my web page for safer ideas: www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.
Take care of yourself.
L.

it is fine to keep breastfeeding while you are sick. In fact, it helps your baby. The antibodies you produce to get you well, will be based to your baby and help keep her from getting sick or less so. Wash your hands, and be careful of your baby's eyes and mouth. That is where she is likely to pick it up from you.

Hi M. -
Congratulations on your little girl!! That's great that you are breastfeeding. DON'T STOP! I have an 8 month old baby girl and I just breastfed her through a cold and she didn't get it! I just washed my hands a whole lot more often and I made sure not to cough or sneeze on our little angel. Apparently - when you have a cold there are important antibodies in your breastmilk that will help to protect your daughter. It seems magical - but it works! Good luck, feel better and rock on!

the best thing you can do is breastfeed! Maybe wear a mask if you're really worried....wash your hands a lot. Hope you feel better!
-J. D.

I nursed both my babies through any illness I had. My lactation consultant assured me I could. I do not remember them ever getting sick from me. I am not sure if there is any exception however if you are on antibiotics ask your doctor about what he is prescribing you. Most often I took over the counter cold medicine for children (that is what they recommended).

M..
BREASTFEED EVEN MORE!! :o) I say that with a huge smile of encouragement. It is SO hard being sick and taking care of a little one. Get hubby to do everything while he just brings you the baby to nurse. That way you rest and actually recover.
BECAUSE... You are giving her all of the antibodies she needs to fight off the infection that you have. Feel better soon. Drink twice as much water as you ever thought you could :o)

She may not even get sick at all - if she does, it will be milder than if you stop breastfeeding. Isn't it awesome how our bodies work to protect the littlest people?
Wish you the best.
-H.
mom to Emilia age (almost 9)
mom to Arelis age 20 months
Due in June 08

hey M... congrats on your baby.. you can't really keep from getting your baby sick... the best thing to do is keep washing your hands, take your vitamins... the baby will get whatever vitamins (vit c) and your immunities.. so keep breastfeeding! hope you feel better soon!
J.

the antibodies that your body is making right now to fight the specific illness you have are being passed to your baby when you nurse. isnt it amazing??!! dont take cold meds and drink a lot, try to take care of yourself, you're only 8 weeks out! and keep breastfeeding as much as you can. feel better soon, and congrats!

You are not just feeding her breastmilk, you are also giving her antibodies for the cold that you have. I was sick many times while breast feeding but my wonderful little girl never got my colds. You are doing the best thing for her.

you SHOULD breastfeed more than ever! the virus isn't transmitted, but your immune system response to the virus is. lots of handwashing, and nursing and she'll likely be fine!

Please continue breastfeeding, your body has already built antibodies for this terrible cold, so that means you are giving your beautiful baby those antibodies through your breastmilk. If she does get sick it will most likely be milder because of that. Also, get as much sleep as possible, i'm sure your little one would love to curl next to you and rest.

Breastfeeding while you are sick is fine - even good for the baby - the antibodies in your system that are fighting your cold are transferred to her and thus boosts her immune system.

If you are worried about breathing on her, get a mask. make sure to wash your hands everyime you touch her, avoid touching her face as much as possible. And make sure if you are taking any cold medicines that they are safe while breastfeeding, the pharmacist or pediatrician can help you with that.

The best thing you can do for her is to continue breastfeeding!! She has all of your antibodies, so she should stay healthy. Jsut remember to always wash your hand, etc.

Hi M.

Congratulations on your new baby! Since she is only 8 weeks, she is probably still working on your immune system. You would be suprised how much she will resist. It is still possible to get your cold but I would not worry about it too much. If you want to take xtra precautions wash your hands often and avoid direct contact with her extremities..ie: nose mouth eyes. Good luck
G. L.

Absolutely, keep on breasfeeding because you will be giving your baby the antibioties(sp) to fight the cold if she does get it. Therefore, the cold will not be as severe-if she get's it at all. Remember-breastfeeding is not only the best nutrition for your baby, but it is also the only immune system that they have until they develop their own.

Absolutely keep breastfeeding. The antibodies your body produces will be transfered to your baby and will help protect her. I'm a memer of the Le Leche League and that was one of the topics we discussed at one of our meetings.

M., i learned when my son was little that breast feeding while you are sick helps your immune system as well as your baby's. It's a magical thing.

Hi M.,
I'm a mom of a 6 year old who's healthy as a horse most of the time. I wouldn't worry too, too much about it because when you are nursing and holding her so much it's really hard to prevent the spread of germs. That's just a matter of opinion I guess because personally I'd rather give it up to the gods most of the time. also, nursing will give her the antibodies and all the good stuff she needs to fight whatever bugs she's exposed to. when Maeve, my daughter became old enough to take the little sugar pellets that homeopathic remedies are made of, I would give her the remedy that I was taking for whatever illness I had while I had it for prevention. I recently did this with the flu and she had only one bad day and she kept telling me she was fine. I was really impressed. I use homeopathy a lot and Maeve responds to it. There are remedies for teething and chammomile, arnica and achonite are three good ones to have on hand for kids. It's worth looking into.
best of luck
L.
L

Yes keep breastfeeding...

Cold germs spread by air droplets or by contact. The best thing you can do is wash your hands thoroughly with soap, especially after you touch your mouth, nose or eyes. You could get one of those face masks so you can avoid breathing on your baby or sneezing around her.

You can continue to breastfeed, but be careful of cold medicines, which can be passed through breastmilk. Decongestants can dry up your milk supply as they dry up your runny nose.

I had a cold and continued breastfeeding without getting my baby sick, but I am a stickler for hand washing. I avoided taking any kind of cold medicine and when my nose was drippy, I plugged it with tissue (like you might do if you had a nose bleed) so it wouldn't drip on my baby. Drink lots of liquids and take zinc supplements - zinc boosts your immune system so you'll kick the cold faster.

Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for her. All the antibodies will help ward off something much worse she could catch. Good luck with your new baby.

Keep breastfeeding.... by breastfeeding you are giving her the antibodies to fight your cold. She may not get it at all.

breast feeding is the BEST way to keep your child healthy. your body makes antibodies for the colds you have and you pass these antibodies to your baby through your breast milk. yea!!!

Keep breastfeeding! It's the best way for her to fight your cold. Just wash your hands as often as you can. My baby got her brother's cold when she was 8 days old and she survived. It's not the end of the world if she gets sick. Good luck.

I would wash my hands, and hope for the best. I suppose if you are trying to be very clinical about it, you could pump, and let your husband feed your baby...but that seems like it would be impossible. My son caught his first cold at that age, but it was not for me. It did not last long, but he had to sleep in his carseat for a few nights so he would not get too badly congested. Breastfeeding actually helps the development of their immune system, and it is passed through mucus membranes.

it's best to keep breastfeeding because she will get the immunities against the cold that your body is developing. wash your hands alot. sorry, no kisses :( not an expert, just mom advice :)

KEEP BREASTFEEDING!!! That's what is keeping your sweet baby healthy!! I hope you feel better soon!

Hi M.,

I too caught a horrible, breath-defying cold myself in the very last week of pregnancy and it stayed with me during labor and for a month after.

The doc's advice? Absolutely keep on breastfeeding -- your own immunities and your breast milk are what keeps her immunity up and will do so until she's 6 months or so...Just keep your hands clean, especially after blowing your nose or sneezing before touching her. (I used to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the bed and in every room baby and I hung out.)

Don't worry about breathing on nor even kissing her too much...it's the hands that would spread the germs. And you try to get some rest, too! Feel better soon!

Absolutely!!!! In just about EVERy case, Breastfeeding when your sick is the BEST thing you can do. You're body makes antibodies to fight off your virus, etc... those antibodies come thru your breastmilk to the baby so she is naturally protected. It's very unlikely that she'll get sick at all, if she does it's either 1) a different virus all together and just coincidence that it's at the same time or 2) a very mild case of what you have cause she isi protected. For the most part, I wouldn't worry. Hope this helped.

Yes michele its fine to continue to breast feed, just check with both doctors if your taking any medications.
I have never had a sick newborn, TG, they are naturally resistant. However its not uncommon for them to cough and have a runny nose , but thats just from being born and getting used to the new enviornment.

Of course try not to sneeze on her, ect.. LOL

Make sure you wash hands and change your shirt, keep the place a sterile as possible, NO need to take any unnecessary risks right.

And Lastly , if its something that really bothers you, you could always PUMP and have someone else bottle feed,
this way you still have milk,

M

I think you should definitely keep breastfeeding because your breastmilk has protective qualities for her, but I"m not a doctor, I remember being in the same situation and being told to keep breastfeeding.

KEEP BREASTFEEDING - guess what, she gets all the immunity and you get to suffer! Seriously she will gain all the protection from your breastfeeding just make sure you keep drinking liquids so you and she get all the hydration you need. And I think you can at least take Tylenol - double chek with her ped - so you do not need to suffer too much.

Breastfeed on! Its the best way to prevent your baby from getting sick. My baby is 9 months old now and I have been sick several times as well as family members and she hasnt been sick yet. Good luck!