Breastfeeding and Flu - Valley Village,CA

I had strep throat twice and the flu when I breastfed my daughter. I never stopped. My obgyn told me just to wear a mask around her since I would be so close to her to protect her from getting each illness Keep breastfeeding and I hope you feel better soon!

Absolutely continue to breastfeed!!! Your breastmilk is providing important antibodies to your baby that will hopefully keep him/her from catching the flu!! You will need some help in between breastfeedings with taking care of the baby...but just spend lots of time in bed....nursing that precious baby. My daughter just finished a bout of the 24 hour flu ( which she graciously shared with me, her father and her sister!!!) but she breastfed her 5 month old son throughout the entire time...he stayed healthy and happy!!
As to medicine....contact your pediatrician or your pharmacist for information on what is safe to take while breastfeeding. I know my daughter took low doses of ibuprofen for the achiness, but other than that, nothing much is going to help with the flu. I am sure there are some nausea medicines out there that would be safe to take but you need to check with a professional.

I've had the flue a couple times while breastfeeding. Both times my daughter got sick as well (maybe from me, maybe from whoever else got us sick) but not as bad as I did although her recovery took longer. Definitely yes on the fluids. You may notice your supply decrease but vitamins and mothers milk tea can help.
Feel better!

Definitely OK and, from what I've heard, the milk includes the antibodies your body is producing, which helps to protect the baby from catching the flu.

Two good sources of information on breastfeeding are www.kellymom.com and www.lalecheleague.com.

Be sure to keep drinking tons of liquids!! Something that always helps me feel better, no matter what illness I have, is hot water with lemon and honey. Hope you feel better soon!

Although it may not be fun to breastfeed with the flu, keep it up. If your child gets it, it will help them, and it may even prevent them from getting it. Try side nursing if you can't sit up, and make sure you are getting enough in yourself (fluids, maybe some soup broth). I found that nothing really helps me for cold symptoms, so when I have the flu or am sick, I just rest a lot, and take ibuprofen as needed. I have taken cold stuff while nursing, which your doctor will most likely ok, but it didn't help me, so I gave up on it. I've also tried tea (which I really don't like) with honey to help for cold symptoms.

of course it's okay to continue BF! probably the best protection and medicine in the entire world for your LO...

as for medicine, you should always ask your dr., but they will generally tell you that most things that are made with a children's formulation should be okay-- or, believe it or not, take the children's flu meds. like i said, i'm no dr., you should ask someone that went to medical school, but MOST things are actually okay. just be careful about anything that "dries up" mucus, because mucus, sweat, and breastmilk are all produced in a similar way by the body, so although your nose may be un-stuffed, your milk production may suffer as well.

Yup. Continue on. I was so sick one time with one of mine that I was literally nursing, then puking. lol

I am just like Cathy. I got the flu and just kept on nursing. Through out the whole night I was puking, nursing, then puking. haha so not fun. But my baby was fine and she never got the flu from me. I think by nursing it gave her the antibodies so she didn't get it. As for meds you can take mild stuff like Ibuprofin.

Nurse, nurse, nurse! It will help your nursling get all of your good antibodies. She/he is already exposed to your illness.

Drink as much as you can tolerate...have someone bring your baby to nurse and take them away again to let you rest.

It sucks! Sorry, you feel bad. I hate having the flu and trying to nurse.