Cold Medicine While Breast Feeding

call the pedi. Allivert is safe, but only if it is allergy related. I believe most are safe, but they can dry you up, just something to think about. They say an untreated cold lasts a week, and a treated cold lasts 7 days. :)

I would trust an OTC medication long before going to herbal/home remedies for one simple reason. Anything the FDA has approved has studied tied to their claims - almost all herbal, home remedies have no scientific data to support their claims.

I'd call your doctor or ask your pharmacist. A pharmacist will easily be able to tell you if there's a warning against using while lactating on the label of a product you're interested in using. Your OB/GYN's or Pediatrician's office may be able to give you recommendations.

But, you do need to be cautious because of the passage through the breast milk. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends no cough/cold medications for kids under the age of 6. I wouldn't guess unless I'd spoken with a doctor/pharmacist first.

You can avoid medications and use natural approaches to speeding up recovery from the cold... OTC drugs can actually prolong or aggravate colds since they contribute to weakening your immune system. The best thing is to release stress, rest up, eat light with lots of vitamins and some essential fatty acids, and do some meditation, deep breathing, and energy healing exercises to replenish your energy and help your body get back to normal faster. You can also read up on natural ways to help drain the sinus congestion, some are perfectly safe to do when breastfeeding.

Hi E., check out this link, it has all you need to know about cold remedies for breastfeeding Moms. I have it saved on My Favorites :)
Hope you feel better! and congrats on the little one!
http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html

I feel that you aresolutely right. Even though this is my first child, I do believe that if the are taught the common manners and courtesies that young ones may be less apped to "bullyiing". I also feel that they would be greater instilled if our schools had a way of reinforcing these manners and courtesies.

Do not take anything w/out asking your doctor because the ingredients in it could cause your milk to dry up. You don't have to go to the doc but just call and ask unless they really would like you to come in since you are only 11 weeks postpartum.Hope I helped but I got a huge lecture on it when I went to all the classes...

All of them will reduce your milk supply temporarily, some worse than others. You can call your pediatrician or pharmacist and have them look them up for you. I do this every single time, regardless of what I have already been told in the past. Medical knowledge changes so frequently that what I took last year may have new info this year. And I usually call my pedi and then when I go to the store and get the meds, have the pharmacy double check for me. I have been told different things before by two different people, so I always doublecheck.

My suggestion is to talk to your pharmacist about it, he/she will know what will be safe for you. Go to a professional for your medical advice...they are the ones with the knowledge to give you safe answers.

My doctor told me that anything long lasting is unsafe. If the instructions tell you to only take it every 6 or 12 hours, it is unsafe to use while breastfeeding. I urge you to call your ob or your baby's peditrician to be safe. They are there to answer any questions you have and are happy to do it.

When I was nursing, I think I was told I could take anything Tylenol. But everyone is right. Call your pediatrician's office! The phone nurse should be happy to give you an answer straight away, or have the doctor call you back. If you still have plenty-o-milk, something that zaps your supply for a few days might be worth the relief of your cold symptoms. But for many people, stressing over milk production is worse than the cold. Hang in there!

You can take most OTC meds for a cold but be aware that it can decrease your milk supply because if it can dry up the mucus in you sinuses it can also dry up you milk!
Try drinking alot of water and getting as much sleep/rest as possible!

Go get Immunity Take Care by New Chapter. There is no med that will cure anything. You must build the immune system. Do NOT take TYLENOL! IT guts glutathione in the liver and that is your only defense against anything!

Oscillo is homeopathic but made from duck guts. Some may have a problem taking that for ethical or dietary reasons.
Colds go away quickly with gentle clean foods, rest and water to flush the system.
Good for your concern about your baby and for breastfeeding! Keep it up.

Oscillo is a homeopathic remedy that is sold OTC at Publix, Whole Foods and others. I've had really good luck with it over the last year, despite not being someone who usually uses homeopathic remedies.

I know when I was pregnant and afterwards, my OB and ped both said I could take chloraphenarmine (sp) as a decongestant....but anything that helps dry up your nose will also cause a drop in your milk.

Ultimately I have also used Vick's nasal spray. (AVOID anything that has the same ingredient Afrin has.) The vick's wears off quickly, but does give a little respite when I think I will lose my mind if I don't get a clear breath once in a while.

Most synthetic chemicals pass through the breast milk. I would dodge all OTC meds. First, make sure you are on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex. If you don't know of one, I can recommend one. Elderberry syrup is used all over the world for lactating mothers. Elderberry boosts the immune system so your body can heal itself. I used it when my little ones were small. You can take it by the teaspoon or you can drink it in hot tea and it's absolutely delightful as well! I have never used Echinacea but I have friends that say it works well too to heal. However, iIn order for it to be effective you need to remove all sugar from your diet including white bread and white potatoes. That's good for your immune system as well.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

M.

I've nursed 3 babies over the last 5 years and have been told (repeatedly) that I can't take anything :(

Good luck.

J.