Breastfeeding When You or Your Baby Are Sick

Hispanic mother holding unhappy baby girl
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Life happens, even when you're breastfeeding. Moms and babies can come down with a cold, a stomach bug, or another illness. You may worry about whether or not you should continue breastfeeding while sick. Here's what you need to know about breastfeeding when you or your baby are not feeling well.

Breastfeeding While Sick 

You can come down with a minor illness at any time, even when you have a child that is still breastfeeding. For most minor issues, you don't have to stop breastfeeding. There are a range of common conditions that you can safely continue to breastfeed through. These include:  

  • Bronchitis
  • Common cold
  • Cough
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Flu
  • Mastitis
  • Sinus infection
  • Sore throat
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)
  • Vomiting

Safety Concerns

You may be worried that you'll get your baby sick if you continue to breastfeed while you have a cold or the flu. But, since breastfeeding keeps you in close contact with your baby, he or she will have most likely already been exposed to the illness by the time you realize that you're sick.

Your breast milk contains antibodies to the illness and can actually protect your baby from catching what you have. Continuing to breastfeed your baby through your minor sickness is the best thing you can do.

Breastfeeding Tips

Here are some tips for breastfeeding when you are sick. 

  • Avoid over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Talk to your doctor first before taking any medication, including over-the-counter meds. There are some OTC medications that are safe to take while you're breastfeeding. However, some medications can pass to the baby through breast milk, and others can decrease your milk supply. 
  • Drink plenty of fluids. You will need additional fluids to prevent dehydration and a decrease in your milk supply, especially if you have a fever. 
  • Get enough rest. Your body needs extra energy to fight off the illness, maintain your energy level, and continue to make a healthy milk supply for your baby. 
  • Inform your doctor that you are breastfeeding before she prescribes any medication.
  • Monitor your milk supply. You may notice a decline in your milk supply during an illness, but it is usually temporary. It should bounce back once you are feeling well again.
  • Try not to cough or sneeze directly onto the baby.
  • Wash your hands often. Washing before breastfeeding or touching your baby will help to minimize the spread of germs to your baby and your breasts.

If your child does catch what you have, you can still breastfeed. Breastfeeding a sick child provides fluids, nutrition, and comfort.

There are only a few illnesses that prevent moms from breastfeeding. You can breastfeed through most of the typical minor illnesses that you or baby might catch. Whenever you're in doubt or have concerns about your health or your child's health, you should contact your healthcare provider. 

Breastfeeding a Sick Baby

Breastfeeding can help protect your baby from getting sick, but it cannot completely prevent illness. At some point, your child may get an ear infection, catch a cold, or develop an upset stomach. When this happens, the best thing you can do for your child is to continue to breastfeed.

Benefits

Breastfeeding helps children when they are sick because: 

  • Breast milk provides nutrition and essential fluids that your child needs to stay hydrated.
  • Breastfeeding is a great source of comfort to a sick child.
  • There are antibodies in breast milk that can shorten the length of the illness and allow your baby to recover more quickly.
  • Your baby can digest and absorb your breast milk more easily than formula. Breast milk is more likely to stay down and less likely to make diarrhea or vomiting worse.

Breastfeeding Changes

Depending on the illness and the child, you may see a change in your breastfeeding routine when your child is sick. A sick child may need more comfort and want to breastfeed more often or stay at the breast for a longer time at each feeding. Or, your child may not feel well, sleep more, and breastfeed less.

If your child is breastfeeding less and the child is sick:

  • Continue to offer the breast often especially for a younger infant
  • Keep an eye on the number of wet diapers and watch for signs of dehydration
  • Pump or hand express your breast milk to prevent breast engorgement and maintain your milk supply

Tips for Breastfeeding a Sick Baby

There are different tips and concerns when you are breastfeeding a baby with different types of illnesses.

Common Cold or Nasal Congestion

If your baby has a cold and a stuffy nose, but she can still breastfeed OK, you don't have to do anything to treat her stuffy nose. However, a stuffy nose can often make breastfeeding more difficult. Since infants breathe through their nose, it can be frustrating for the baby as she tries to nurse and breathe at the same the time.

If your child is fussy at the breast and not breastfeeding well, you can try to ease the nasal congestion to make breastfeeding more comfortable for her with these tips.

  • Moist air from a humidifier can help clear the nose and make it easier for your baby to breathe. If you do not have a humidifier, steam can work as a humidifier. You just have to sit in the bathroom with the baby while you run a hot shower. 
  • Saline nose drops for infants can be used to help loosen secretions and open the nasal passages.
  • Try breastfeeding your child in an upright position.
  • Use a bulb syringe aspirator to gently suck out the mucus from your baby’s nostrils before nursing.

Do not give your baby any over-the-counter medication without first consulting the doctor. If your baby continues to have a difficult time breastfeeding, contact your pediatrician.

Ear Infection

An ear infection can be painful, especially during breastfeeding. Your baby may only breastfeed for a short time at each feeding. So it's important to breastfeed often. You may need to pump or express milk between feedings to relieve breast engorgement and keep up your milk supply. Notify your pediatrician if you suspect your child has an ear infection. The doctor may want to prescribe an antibiotic.

Stomach Bug

Gastrointestinal illness is less common in breastfed babies, but it can happen. Vomiting and diarrhea can be very dangerous in infancy since they can lead to dehydration.

However, breast milk helps fight diarrhea. It is easily digested and more likely to stay down when your baby is sick. Therefore, if your child has a stomach bug, be sure to breastfeed frequently to replace the fluids your child is losing and keep your baby hydrated.

When to Call the Doctor

If your child has a little cold but is still breastfeeding well, you can continue to monitor her. However, if you're ever concerned about your baby you should feel comfortable consulting the doctor. You should also call your baby's doctor if:

  • The baby isn't wetting her diaper. If your child is only producing a small amount of dark, concentrated urine, that's a concern. It's a sign that she's not breastfeeding well and becoming dehydrated. 
  • Your baby is not breastfeeding well. If you notice a change in your baby's breastfeeding pattern and all of a sudden your child isn't breastfeeding well or refusing to nurse, you should notify the doctor right away. Poor feeding in infants can be a sign of illness. It can also quickly lead to dehydration.
  • Your child has a fever. A fever is a sign of an infection. You can continue to breastfeed but call the doctor. Your baby may need an antibiotic.
  • Your child is vomiting. If your baby is vomiting after most feedings, it's a sign that something is not right. Call the doctor or take your child to an emergency room. 
Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  • Ballard, O., & Morrow, A. L. Human Milk Composition: Nutrients and Bioactive Factors. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2013; 60 (1): 49–74.
  • Lawrence, Ruth A., MD, Lawrence, Robert M., MD.  Breastfeeding A Guide For The Medical Profession Eighth Edition. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2015.
  • Riordan, J., and Wambach, K. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Fourth Edition. Jones and Bartlett Learning. 2014.

By Donna Murray, RN, BSN
Donna Murray, RN, BSN has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University and is a current member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Honor Society of Nursing.