High temperature during lactation is very worried about a woman. Lactating mother worries about the quality of breast milk during this period and experiences whether it will not harm the baby, whether it is possible to continue feeding. To answer this question you need to know why the fever in the nursing mother has risen and, consequently, the cause of the disease.
You can breastfeed at a temperature if:
- the temperature in the nursing mother rose due to ARI or ARVI;
- the cause of the temperature is inflammation of the breast, mastitis, chest lactostasis;
- in a nursing mother, the temperature is 39 ° C and only - to refuse to feed a baby at this temperature is completely unreasonable, since the temperature itself is not dangerous to the child.
It is advisable for a while to stop breastfeeding if:
- high fever during breastfeeding is associated with purulent mastitis ;
- the presence of staphylococcal infection in breast milk or other seeding by pathogenic microorganisms.
In any case, breastfeeding experts strongly do not recommend excommunicating the baby forever. Even with a severe course of the disease, it is possible to interrupt feeding for 1-2 weeks, and then painlessly restore it. For this, the mother will need to regularly express milk and carefully observe the hygiene of the mammary glands.
So, why is it so important to breastfeed a baby, even if the nursing mother has a high fever:
- In ARI or ARVI, antibodies are produced in the mother's body, which, when ingested with milk to the baby, help it to develop immunity against the disease. Much worse, if the mother because of unreasonable fear will stop feeding the baby breast milk. Then the risk of contracting and getting sick in a child is much higher.
- Breast milk is the most valuable product that your baby can receive. Even at a temperature of 38 ° C and above, the lactation mechanism is not disturbed in the nursing mother. Breast milk does not gurgle, does not curdle or sour. All these are popular prejudices that have not been scientifically and practically confirmed. Churn up the temperature to 38.5 ° C is not recommended, but with further increase, consult a doctor. He will tell you a safe antipyretic.
- At a high temperature, a woman is weakened, and it is much more useful to feed the baby in every way in a convenient position than to express milk eight times a day. This procedure is rather tiring, and besides, it can lead to stagnation of milk and the development of mastitis.
Expressing milk should be used only in extreme cases, when doctors strongly recommend temporarily interrupting feeding. If the milk is not yet suitable for feeding the baby, the nursing mother needs to make every effort
Even in the presence of a disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms (otitis, tonsillitis, mastitis, etc.), it is possible to select new generation antibiotics that can be used without interrupting breastfeeding. They should be taken during or immediately after feeding to prevent accumulation in milk. Take antibiotics should only be prescribed by a doctor!
We hope that after reading the article, many mothers found the answer to the question whether it is possible to breastfeed a baby at a temperature. It is only necessary to behave correctly and correctly in case of illness, so as not to harm yourself and the child.