When a mother faces a common illness like a cold, the flu, or a stomach bug, medical guidance confirms that breastfeeding is not only safe but also highly encouraged. Continuing to nurse provides the infant with unique protective benefits that cannot be replicated by formula. The focus shifts from stopping feeding to implementing practical strategies that ensure the mother’s comfort and prevent the physical spread of germs.
The Protective Role of Breast Milk During Maternal Illness
Breast milk acts as a dynamic shield, providing the infant with passive immunity tailored specifically to the mother’s current infection. When the mother’s body detects a pathogen, specialized cells in her immune system initiate the production of infection-fighting antibodies. These antibodies are then transferred directly to the baby through the milk.
The primary antibody transferred is Secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA), which is not absorbed into the infant’s bloodstream but instead works on the mucosal surfaces. This protein coats the lining of the baby’s gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, effectively neutralizing the pathogens before they can cause illness.
Since the mother and baby share the same environment, this protective transfer begins immediately, often before the mother displays symptoms. Breast milk reduces the severity of illness in the infant even if they contract the same virus.
Essential Hygiene Practices for Minimizing Transmission
While the illness-causing agents in most common infections are not transmitted through the milk itself, the risk of respiratory or contact transmission remains. Simple, consistent hygiene practices are the most effective way to prevent the baby from contracting the illness through physical contact.
Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and water is paramount, especially before holding the baby, feeding, and handling pump parts or bottles. If the mother is coughing or sneezing, wearing a face mask during close contact significantly reduces the physical spread of droplets.
The mother should use the inner elbow to catch coughs and sneezes, rather than the hands, to keep surfaces cleaner. This minimizes the risk of the baby contracting the illness while still receiving the immune benefits of the milk.
Navigating Medication Use While Breastfeeding
A primary concern for many sick mothers is whether the medications they take for symptom relief will harm the baby. For nearly all medications, only a very small percentage, often less than one percent of the maternal dose, transfers into the breast milk. Preferred over-the-counter choices for general pain and fever relief are acetaminophen and ibuprofen, which are considered compatible with nursing.
Caution must be exercised with multi-ingredient cold and flu remedies, which may contain decongestants that impact milk supply. Oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can significantly reduce milk production. A single dose of pseudoephedrine, for example, has been shown to decrease milk volume by an average of 25 percent.
To manage congestion without risking milk supply, topical nasal sprays, such as oxymetazoline, are preferred because they have minimal absorption into the bloodstream. Non-sedating antihistamines, such as loratadine or cetirizine, are also safer options than older, sedating formulas. Mothers should always check the active ingredients on cold products and consult a healthcare professional or reliable database, such as LactMed, for drug compatibility before use.
Situations Requiring Temporary Interruption or Medical Consultation
There are rare circumstances where breastfeeding may need to be temporarily paused or when specialized medical consultation is mandatory. A temporary interruption may be necessary if the mother’s illness is so severe that she is physically incapacitated, such as with extreme dehydration or sepsis, preventing her from safely holding the baby. In these instances, the mother should pump to maintain her supply until she recovers, and the expressed milk can generally still be given to the baby.
Certain serious or untreated infections constitute true contraindications, meaning nursing must be avoided or managed under strict medical supervision. These include untreated active tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in specific settings, and infections like Ebola. Mothers undergoing specific treatments, such as chemotherapy or receiving radioactive agents, must also consult their medical team about temporary cessation. An absolute contraindication is classic galactosemia, a rare metabolic disorder in the infant where the baby cannot process the sugar in milk.