I've been having flu-like symptoms lately, and I might have the flu. Is it
safe to continue breastfeeding my baby?
– Stacey
Yes, you can continue to breastfeed your baby, even if you are taking antiviral
medicines for flu-like symptoms. A mother's breast milk is custom-made for her baby,
providing specific antibodies that babies need to fight infection. So, continuing
to breastfeed can actually protect your baby from the infection that your body is
fighting.
While you're sick, however, it's important to protect your baby from as many germs as possible. Babies
are at higher risk of catching the
flu and having health problems from it. So:
- wash your hands
often
- cough or sneeze into a tissue (and then throw it away)
- limit close face-to-face contact with your baby
You might consider wearing a facemask during breastfeeding to avoid coughing, sneezing,
or breathing directly into your baby's face.
If you're worried about your baby's risk or are too sick to breastfeed, pump your
breast milk and have someone who is not sick feed your baby the expressed milk. Also,
doctors recommend flu
shots during flu season for babies and everyone else 6 months and older.
Contact the doctor if your baby develops any flu-like symptoms.
Date reviewed: September 2018
