Pregnancy Timeline
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If you are breastfeeding, it is normal to wonder about the possible impact of breastfeeding on your infant’s health when you are ill. Can exclusive breastfeeding continue in case of illness? What are the effects on breastfed babies?
Can you continue breastfeeding when you are sick? Let’s take a closer look.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding?
Even when it lasts only a few weeks, breastfeeding remains beneficial: breast milk is easy to digest, quickly absorbed, and contains all the essential nutrients for your baby’s proper development.
At the very beginning of lactation, your baby receives colostrum, a liquid very rich in nutrients and antibodies, produced in small quantities but perfectly suited to their needs.
When it continues for at least three months, it helps protect your baby against certain infections, particularly ENT (such as ear infections), digestive (gastroenteritis), and respiratory (bronchiolitis). In children with a family history of allergies, exclusive breastfeeding for at least four months reduces the risk of allergies and related conditions, such as atopic eczema or infant asthma. It also helps reduce the risk of obesity later in childhood and adolescence.
The composition of breast milk naturally changes over time to meet your baby’s needs and growth. However, it also reflects your health status and diet. Therefore, certain substances you consume, such as medications, can pass into the milk and reach your child.
For a medication to be present in breast milk, it must first be present in your blood plasma. If not, it will not pass into the milk. The infant is exposed to it only through ingestion, during feeding.
Warning: a medication authorized during pregnancy is not necessarily safe during breastfeeding. Conversely, some medications not recommended during pregnancy may be used safely while breastfeeding.
Can you continue breastfeeding if you have the flu or bronchitis?
Acute illnesses such as the flu or bronchitis do not prevent you from continuing to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is even possible in the case of COVID-19 infection. Common illnesses or infections such as the flu, bronchitis, a cold, gastroenteritis, or diarrhea do not require stopping breastfeeding.
On the contrary, breastfeeding is beneficial for your baby, not only because it provides all the nutrients your baby needs to grow, but also because it offers immune protection.
But how can this be explained?
When you breastfeed while sick, you produce antibodies that fight the illness or infection. These antibodies are passed to your baby through breast milk. This process helps develop your baby’s immune system.
Be careful: this transfer of antibodies does not mean you cannot infect your infant. Therefore, we recommend washing your hands thoroughly before breastfeeding your newborn and avoiding saliva contact by wearing a mask during feeding or when caring for your baby.
Breastfeeding does not worsen the illness; do not hesitate to seek follow-up from your doctor or pediatrician if you experience difficulties breastfeeding.
Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your journey as a new parent.
Which illnesses prevent continuing breastfeeding?
Some illnesses may affect the continuation of breastfeeding. The recommended approach may vary depending on their nature (virus, chronic illness, or infection) and sometimes requires temporary adjustments or, more rarely, stopping breastfeeding.
Can you continue breastfeeding when you are sick? The case of viruses
When you are breastfeeding and contract a virus, what to do depends mainly on the specific illness. As mentioned earlier, in most cases (flu, gastroenteritis, etc.), contracting a virus does not require stopping breastfeeding. However, there are some specific cases.
To date, only the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) completely prevents breastfeeding, as it is transmitted from mother to child through breast milk. Neither exclusive nor mixed breastfeeding is possible for women with this virus.
Breastfeeding mothers who are HIV-positive, meaning they have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), can continue breastfeeding if they are on antiretroviral treatment. The WHO even promotes breastfeeding for women with HIV if they adhere to their treatment.
Sometimes, breastfeeding must be temporarily interrupted. This is notably the case when the mother is infected with Ebola or Marburg virus.
When breastfeeding is temporarily not possible, some parents may use infant formula given by bottle until the medical situation stabilizes.
Can you continue breastfeeding when you are sick? The case of chronic illnesses
In the case of a chronic illness, your doctor may prescribe treatment that keeps the condition under control without being harmful to your breastfed child.
The question of breastfeeding arises particularly for women with breast cancer. Stopping breastfeeding may or may not be avoidable when breastfeeding women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
In the best-case scenario, the mother can pause breastfeeding for a specific period and resume exclusive breastfeeding later. She should pump and discard her milk to continue stimulating lactation. However, the toxicity of cancer treatments often makes continuing breastfeeding impossible.
Can you continue breastfeeding when you are sick? The case of infections
As with viruses, the approach during breastfeeding depends on the type of infection.
In the case of a urinary tract infection, a healthcare professional may prescribe an antibiotic treatment incompatible with breastfeeding. This occurs mainly with a resistant bacterial infection. In this case, you must stop breastfeeding for a certain period.
If this happens, it is strongly recommended to pump and discard your milk to maintain lactation and resume breastfeeding once treatment is complete. However, we would like to reassure you that there are few antibiotics that are truly contraindicated for breastfeeding women.
Another infectious disease case: chickenpox. When a breastfeeding mother contracts chickenpox between 5 days before and 2 days after delivery, a temporary interruption of breastfeeding for 7 to 10 days may be prescribed. This decision depends on each maternity unit, as other management options exist.
Good to know: fever is not an alarming symptom. You do not necessarily need to stop breastfeeding. However, if the cause of the fever remains unknown, your healthcare provider may advise you to pause breastfeeding until a diagnosis is established. Lactation can be maintained using a breast pump.
Can you continue breastfeeding when you are sick? The case of inflammation
During breastfeeding, you may also experience inflammation. This is particularly the case with mastitis, which is inflammation of an area of the breast and the mammary gland. It is sometimes called “breast flu”, as symptoms resemble those of the flu: fever, body aches, significant fatigue, and general malaise. The affected breast becomes warm, painful, and red, usually on one side.
However, it is entirely possible to breastfeed during mastitis! Sometimes your baby may refuse to feed on the affected breast because the milk may taste saltier.
To relieve pain and reduce fever, taking acetaminophen (paracetamol) may be considered.
If there is no improvement after 24 hours, it is important to consult a doctor quickly. In some cases, mastitis requires antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory treatment. The vast majority of these medications are compatible with breastfeeding.
A word from Hélène Maréchal, pediatric nurse:
“The best remedy for mastitis is to spend 24 hours in bed with your baby, breastfeeding on demand!”
Which medications are allowed for breastfeeding mothers?
Many medications are allowed for breastfeeding mothers. Most of the time, they do not pass into breast milk or do so in quantities too small to affect your baby’s health. However, it is still preferable to avoid self-medication and consult your doctor so they can assess the need for treatment.
Some medications have side effects and may decrease or increase milk production. In some cases, effects may also be observed in the baby.
This is particularly the case with antihistamines, as they tend to cause temporary drowsiness in breastfed babies. Some medications may also have long-term effects on infants. Tetracyclines are an example, as they can be toxic to dental development.
Here are some examples of pain relievers compatible with breastfeeding:
- acetaminophen (paracetamol),
- ibuprofen,
- ketoprofen,
- flurbiprofen.
Aspirin passes into breast milk but is ingested in small amounts by the breastfed infant when the prescribed dosage is followed.
All information regarding possible contraindications is available in the medication leaflet. You can also easily check whether a medication is compatible with breastfeeding on the website of the Reference Center on Teratogenic Agents (CRAT).
Although many medications are available without a prescription, we recommend consulting your doctor to determine the correct dosage for each medication and avoid unnecessary risks. You can also seek advice from your pediatrician or a lactation consultant.
The benefits of breastfeeding are well established, and situations requiring its interruption are rare. However, nothing obliges you to continue breastfeeding, especially if you feel too weak to do so.
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Photo credits: Aleksandra_larosh | s_kawee | lamapacas
This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May US/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.
