When a Nursing Mom Gets Sick

Oh, well! I've been sick for almost one week now. Actually, I caught Trev's cough and colds. He's been suffering from colds for almost four weeks already. Blame it to the cold weather last month! When we first brought him to his pedia a few weeks ago to check his colds, his doctor said that water therapy and salinase will do. But he started coughing last week so we had to bring him again for another check up. It's the first time he's ever had cough eversince he was born! And he is now almost 16 months old. Sigh... Oh, my poor little baby! He cries at night most of the time because of clogged nose and coughing. He couldn't sleep. He was given cough drops and antibiotics. Still, no meds for his colds, just water therapy and salinase as needed. So far, he's not coughing as much as he was last week. And his colds is getting better too. Thank God! Hope he gets well real soon. 

But, unfortunately, I caught the virus too. :-(

I have been on water therapy for the past week but I'm still sick. I searched the net on what to do and so far, what I found always says that I need to just rest. Oh, my! Rest is verrry elusive for a stay at home wife and mom like me. Haha! So, I'm just sticking with water therapy for now hoping and praying that it would do me any good real soon.

Well, there are other natural remedies that a nursing mom could take based on Kellymom. Here's just a few:

1. Garlic eaten raw is good.
2. Fenugreek tea is good too. (Well, that's good news as fenugreek is a known galactagogue too!)
3. Apple cider vinegar and water, to be used as a gargle.
4. Lemonade with honey.
5. Vitamin C from fruits and other foods. (Actually, I've been eating Trev's oranges already. Hihi!)

As much as possible, I don't want to take in any medication because as you all know, I am a breastfeeding mom. Although, based on my research, if all else fail, there are medications which are generally regarded as safe for a nursing mom. 

Still on Kellymom, here's what I found out. You also need to follow certain guidelines when taking meds. Kellymom is really a very nice website and most of the things that I want to know about breastfeeding, I could find it there. Thanks to Kellymom!

Here's the guidelines I got from their website:

1. Avoid a combination medicine when a single one will do the job. Always treat only the symptoms you have.
2. Short-acting forms of drugs (6 hours or less) are generally better.
3. When possible, better to use nasal spray instead of oral medications.
4. Take any medication right AFTER you nurse and only as needed.

As for medications, here's what Kellymom have to say:

1. Lozenges are generally considered safe. Just avoid eating excessive amounts containing menthol because large amounts of menthol can reduce milk supply.
2. Guaifenesin is safer but Dextromethorphan is considered as the safest when it comes to cough medicine.

I found a very interesting read on Breastfeeding Basics' website, it said:

For coughs: Avoid products with an alcohol content of over 20%. Robitussin, Mucinex, Triaminic Expectorant, and Vicks Nyquil are not known to be harmful, but watch for infant drowsiness. Expectorants like Guaifenesin (the main ingredient in Mucinex, Robitussin, Benylin) don’t suppress coughs. They loosen up the mucus in the respiratory tract to make it easier to cough up. They haven’t been known to cause any adverse effects in nursing babies, but they also don’t seem to be very effective. Avoid multi-action formulas such as Tylenol Multi-Symptom Cough medication and Vicks Nyquil Liquid or Liquicaps.

Dextromethorphan is an antitussive/cough preparation that seems to work by elevating the cough threshold in the brain. It’s the main ingredient in Benylin and Robitussin DM. It’s considered to be the safest of the antitussives and the one least likely to transfer into milk. As with other cold meds, watch your baby for drowsiness.

So, there. I have learned so much again. If I'm still sick for the next few days and water therapy is not making me any better, that's the only time I will try to take any medication. I'll try to go natural for the meantime and pray hard that it will make me better soon. It's so hard when you're not feeling well and you're taking care of your baby who happens to be sick too. It breaks my heart seeing him feel bad and it's kind of frustrating that I couldn't give my 100% as of now because I'm sick too. :-(

Thank God my husband is very loving and caring, he helps me take care of Trev when he arrives from work despite the fact that I know he's tired too from working the whole day.  

Let me also mention that I did not wean my baby now that I am sick. I am continuously and will still continue to breastfeed him for as long as he wants. Many websites say that a nursing mom's body produces antibodies to the specific virus that is causing the infection, which are then passed on to the baby through her breastmilk. That could help protect the baby from any infection or sickness, or make him get well faster if he's ever gotten sick. And I believe that very well. :-)