A new baby in the house can be exhausting. But when you add any kind of illness, even a cold, on top of that, it can flat out drain you. Now, you’re doing a search for, “what cold medicine can you take while breastfeeding.” Luckily, we are here to save you a little time.
Why You Need to be Careful When Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding alone doesn’t come without its challenges. You worry about the baby latching on properly and then worry more about if they’re getting enough to eat. Well, not to make you worry more, but you have to be careful what you’re putting in your body, too.
Why? Because your baby will ingest anything you ingest. You are the food source. Think about when we eat meat. In this instance, we will use a cow as an example. If the cow eats anything harmful that’s in the pasture or in its grain, we will ultimately eat that too once the meat is on our plate.
So, whether it’s food, alcohol or medication, you have to be mindful of what’s going into your body.
What Cold Medicine is Safe When Breastfeeding?
Now, we are back to the cold medicine issue. Wait, but why is it an issue?
First, it can affect your milk supply. You’ve worked hard for that milk supply, so now you certainly don’t want to do anything that would adversely affect it. Granted, some have the potential to affect the supply negatively more than others.
Specific ingredients that have been known to have some affect on milk supply include menthol and pseudoephedrine. That’s not to say this absolutely will happen. However, if you do notice your supply begins to decrease after taking medications with these ingredients, you should stop immediately. Other antihistamines could also drop your supply.
And second, you don’t know how your baby will react. Although, it may not have any side effects on the baby, do you really want to take any chances if you don’t have to?
Instead of pills, you could try nasal sprays. These have less possibility of negative side effects. Options include Afrin, Flonase or any drug-free saline products.
No matter what, speak with your doctor before taking any medication. Even over-the-counter medications (OTC) could affect you adversely. This is especially true if you are already taking any medications (whether prescription or OTC) or if you or your baby have a unique health situation.
Natural Remedies
On the other hand, natural remedies are usually a much safer route. After all, why take any kind of medicine when a natural alternative could do the trick. Here are a few ideas:
- Hot, steamy shower. Ah, yes. Not only does it feel good, but it can clear those sinuses right out. Shut the door to your bathroom and turn the water to as warm as you can stand it. Then, bask in the nasal and congestion relief!
- Sleep. Oh yes, that evasive word when you have a baby. Nonetheless, you need it. Rest and sleep are important when battling the annoying colds.
- Neti pot. While it can definitely feel a little odd, the Neti pot can work wonders when performed correctly. Important note: make sure you use distilled or sterilized water.
We recommend trying one of these options before you consider cold medication.
In summary, you definitely want to minimize any risks to yourself or your baby when breastfeeding. Be sure not to try out natural remedy options before you desperately Google, “what cold medicine can you take safely while breastfeeding.” It’s true that a medication may work quicker, but you don’t want that to be at the expense of anyone’s health.
