You have a miserable cold. You can’t breathe, you can’t sleep and frankly, sitting in the steamy bathroom isn’t cutting it as your only means of decongesting. You’ve tried other natural remedies to no avail. If your breastfeeding, what are your options?
Cold Medications and Breastfeeding
Cold medications are generally made with one of two active ingredients: either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. Both are considered moderately safe while breastfeeding but pseudoephedrine can cause a decrease in supply in some women. Does that mean that you should stay away from it all together? Not necessarily.
Phenylephrine
Phenylephrine has not been reviewed by the AAP and is considered L3 for breastfeeding. That means it’s considered moderately safe. It has not been shown to decrease supply and this is probably the best solution if natural remedies aren’t working.
Unfortunately, phenylephrine does nothing for me. It is as effective as nasal spray, the steamy shower or any other more natural remedy out there.
Pseudoephedrine and Breastfeeding
Taking pseudoephedrine is not a good option if you already have supply issues. Women who are exclusively pumping should not consider taking it either. Women who are feeding infants who are not yet on solid foods should also consider using something else. With that said, it doesn’t decrease supply in all women.
Every woman’s body reacts differently. It has been associated with a decrease in supply but it isn’t a given that if you take it, your supply will decrease. I do also have to mention that it’s not recommended for long term use–but I would hope if you’re so sick that you’re using it for more than a few days–you’d go to see a doctor.
So What Do You Do?
I’ve been asked numerous times what I personally do, since it’s a reasonable assumption that I’ve been sick in the last 9 years while breastfeeding.
If the baby is under 3 months, I do nothing but use natural remedies for the cold. I would take a phenylephrine based cold medication if I thought it worked better, but on me, it just doesn’t. Fortunately, I’ve only gotten really sick once while having an infant that was under three months old.
When my babies are older than three months, I take pseudoephedrine in the evening and night when colds tend to be at their worst. I use natural remedies during the day. And yes, it does affect my supply a little. By taking it at night though, I’m taking it not only to help me get more sleep (which will in turn speed my recovery time) but also at a time of day when the baby is nursing the least. While it does affect my supply, I find that the baby will nurse more (which probably means the he’s getting more antibodies to ensure that he doesn’t get what I have) and that overall, it’s just not a big problem. Hopefully, those of you suffering with colds this season will find these guidelines helpful.
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