Human milk offers wonderful immunities to your nursing little one. Still, children are prone to catching colds and little bugs throughout childhood and passing those germs along to their parents and siblings. We hope the tips below from La Leche League resources and the New Beginnings community will help you feel better prepared to support your family through an illness while nursing.
For personal human milk feeding support, please reach out to a La Leche League USA Leader near you or find support virtually. You can find a Leader or Group near you or meetings online here.
The Art of Breastfeeding (9th edition) shares information and helpful tips on the topic of nursing through illness.
“During breastfeeding, the baby’s saliva passes ‘information’ to the breast about viruses she’s been exposed to. This triggers the production of targeted antibodies, which are passed back to the baby through milk. That’s why, when everyone else in the house gets sick, the nursing baby often gets a milder version of the illness, or not sick at all. If the baby doesn’t nurse directly, you can still get some of this protective effect as long as the person whose milk the baby gets spends time around the baby, coming into contact with the same germs.” (page 26)
“You and your baby have been a unit since she was conceived. Not only does she live on your milk, she shares your immune system. By the time you know you’re sick, you’ve started passing on not only the illness but your immunities to your baby. If you stop breastfeeding when you’re sick—whatever the age of your child—you stop supporting her immune system when she needs it most. And it works the other way around, too. If your baby picks up an illness that you haven’t been exposed to yet, she passes those germs to you through nursing, and within the breast itself you begin making antibodies and passing them back to her, to help her recover.
Bottom line: with very few exceptions, keep breastfeeding when either you or your baby is ill! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States) and the World Health Organization both have information on breastfeeding during specific illnesses. Most medications are safe while breastfeeding. Illness in babies can come quickly, hit hard, and leave just as quickly. Nursing provides fluids and nutrition when your baby refuses other food and drinks or can’t keep them down, and it provides excellent pain relief.
Here are suggestions for breastfeeding through minor illnesses:
- Stuffy nose: Try nursing out of doors or in a steamy bathroom. Upright positions can also help. Some parents use saline drops to flush their babies’ noses, or you can get a special ‘baby nasal aspirator’ (snot sucker!) device. If your baby really can’t nurse, expressed milk can tide him over.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea: If you have either of these, you might see a small dip in your milk production. Stay hydrated as best you can—your milk supply will bounce back as you recover. If your baby is vomiting or has diarrhea, short, frequent feeds help keep him hydrated. If nursing triggers vomiting, you could try offering a freshly expressed breast to see if your baby can keep down smaller amounts of milk. If you’re worried about either of you, contact your healthcare provider.” (page 513)
Here are some resources from New Beginnings about nursing and illnesses:
Also, check out these encouraging New Beginnings stories from families who have leaned on breastfeeding as a comfort and a help in healing during illnesses:
Editor’s note: Did you enjoy this article? We are hoping to include more Resource Roundup content in the blog in the future, compiling tips from our Facebook page, excerpts from LLL books, and connections to related stories from past New Beginnings. If you have a topic you’d like to see covered during this series, please let us know.
Share your stories with Kylie at [email protected]
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
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Posted: March 25, 2025 by Yael Breimer
Nursing Through Illness: Resource Roundup
Human milk offers wonderful immunities to your nursing little one. Still, children are prone to catching colds and little bugs throughout childhood and passing those germs along to their parents and siblings. We hope the tips below from La Leche League resources and the New Beginnings community will help you feel better prepared to support your family through an illness while nursing.
For personal human milk feeding support, please reach out to a La Leche League USA Leader near you or find support virtually. You can find a Leader or Group near you or meetings online here.
“During breastfeeding, the baby’s saliva passes ‘information’ to the breast about viruses she’s been exposed to. This triggers the production of targeted antibodies, which are passed back to the baby through milk. That’s why, when everyone else in the house gets sick, the nursing baby often gets a milder version of the illness, or not sick at all. If the baby doesn’t nurse directly, you can still get some of this protective effect as long as the person whose milk the baby gets spends time around the baby, coming into contact with the same germs.” (page 26)
“You and your baby have been a unit since she was conceived. Not only does she live on your milk, she shares your immune system. By the time you know you’re sick, you’ve started passing on not only the illness but your immunities to your baby. If you stop breastfeeding when you’re sick—whatever the age of your child—you stop supporting her immune system when she needs it most. And it works the other way around, too. If your baby picks up an illness that you haven’t been exposed to yet, she passes those germs to you through nursing, and within the breast itself you begin making antibodies and passing them back to her, to help her recover.
Bottom line: with very few exceptions, keep breastfeeding when either you or your baby is ill! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States) and the World Health Organization both have information on breastfeeding during specific illnesses. Most medications are safe while breastfeeding. Illness in babies can come quickly, hit hard, and leave just as quickly. Nursing provides fluids and nutrition when your baby refuses other food and drinks or can’t keep them down, and it provides excellent pain relief.
Here are suggestions for breastfeeding through minor illnesses:
Here are some resources from New Beginnings about nursing and illnesses:
Also, check out these encouraging New Beginnings stories from families who have leaned on breastfeeding as a comfort and a help in healing during illnesses:
Editor’s note: Did you enjoy this article? We are hoping to include more Resource Roundup content in the blog in the future, compiling tips from our Facebook page, excerpts from LLL books, and connections to related stories from past New Beginnings. If you have a topic you’d like to see covered during this series, please let us know.
Share your stories with Kylie at [email protected]
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
Follow us on:
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Category: Breastfeeding and Health Conditions
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