When you are sick with a cold or other temporary illness,
feeling crummy can add stress that sometimes affects your breast-milk
supply. This decrease in milk supply is
usually only a temporary thing. Once you
start to feel better, a little extra attention should help your milk supply to
increase.
If
you feel that your supply has decreased, the first and most important thing
that you can do is to pay attention to the breastfeeding basics:
(1)
frequent feedings with a
(2)
good deep latch and
(3)
enough time at breast to adequately empty the breast.
Plan
on you and your baby working together to accomplish the following goals, and
your milk supply should return to normal.
(1) feeding at
least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours (or at least 6 times if baby is already taking
solid foods)
(2) latching well
onto the areola taking the nipple deeply into the mouth AND
(3) nursing long
enough to get to the rich “hind-milk” (the stuff that comes out last) in the
feeding
Be
patient, and as your health improves, your milk supply will probably also
improve. In the meantime, there are a
few things that you can do that might
help you feel better and possibly protect your milk supply. Warm soups and other liquids can be soothing and
bring comfort; it helps to stay adequately hydrated when you are ill,
especially with a cold or flu. Taking
time for yourself to relax (deep breathing, meditation/prayer, yoga, bubble
baths, etc.) will help improve milk supply as well.
If you do decide to take an herbal supplement or
over-the-counter cold remedy, please take time to read and understand the
ingredients in the medication or supplement.
Some of the over-the-counter cold remedies, while considered safe to
take (will not harm the baby) have also been known to cause some decrease in
breast-milk production. For example, the
nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine
has been linked in recent research with a decrease in milk supply, particularly
in mothers whose babies are over 8 months old or those mothers who may already
have a low milk supply before they became ill. As an alternative to pseudoephedrine, some
health-care providers recommend using a sodium chloride (saline) nasal spray to
relieve sinus congestion. (They may also recommend trying a nasal spray
with oxymetazoline, or phenylephrine as an active ingredient.) If possible, it is best to avoid medications
that are long-acting or treat multiple symptoms at the same time. Keep in mind, that if a drug works by drying
up secretions in other parts of the body, it might also affect your milk
supply.
For
more information about common over-the-counter medications for symptoms of
short term illnesses, check out this link:
Contact your healthcare provider prior to taking any over-the-counter medications or herbal supplements.
