Question
If the mom has a cold, can she continue breastfeeding? The child has a bit of a stuffy nose, but otherwise is fine. Can she change the child’s diapers? The child got fever before the mom did. He is currently taking cefaclor dry suspension and ambroxol oral solution prescribed by the hospital. He just started to have a fever yesterday…
Answer
If there is no high fever, it is important to pay attention to drinking plenty of water, eating a light and easy-to-digest diet, and taking fever medicine or herbs like platycodon. Try to have others take care of the child more so that the mom can rest more and recover from the illness thoroughly, as well as to prevent cross-infection. When breastfeeding, since she is close to the child, she can wear a mask while feeding. The little one already has some immunity, so there is no need to worry too much about passing on the cold and be afraid to change the diapers. If there is fever accompanied by chills or severe coughing, one should go to the hospital for treatment. The doctor will prescribe medication that has little effect on breast milk, such as cephalosporin drugs, which are very safe. At the same time, one can still take platycodon and fever medicine. It is important to drink plenty of water, eat a light and easy-to-digest diet, and get enough rest; this often leads to a quick recovery. During low fever, breastfeeding can be temporarily suspended for 1-2 days. During this period without breastfeeding, the milk should be expressed to prevent an increase in milk supply due to stopping breastfeeding.