Can I breastfeed if intestinal infection

Lactating women are very sensitive about their health. Still, moms worry that the baby is not sick, because he's so small and weak. That is why women often stop breastfeeding when colds and infectious diseases, and resume it only after full recovery. Stand as a separate line intestinal infection. Mom is not immune from this disease, so there are often questions whether it is possible to breastfeed in intestinal infection? A simple answer to this question is impossible, as there are certain nuances that can affect breastfeeding.

Intestinal infection

Causes of intestinal infections a lot. You can become infected through dirty hands, unwashed food, from animals and people who are a source of infection. Pathogens can be transmitted these ways:

  • Airborne.
  • Fecal-oral.
  • Household.
  • Food.
  • Water.

In some cases, a nursing mother gets sick after contact with a sick person, in the other case the source of infection can be contaminated water or spoiled food. This files most often diagnosed such intestinal infections:

  • The rotavirus.
  • Enterovirus.
  • Dysentery.
  • Salmonellosis.
  • Botulism.

Each of these infections has its own characteristics of course, so depending on the diagnosis the doctor makes the decision on the temporary termination of breastfeeding. The attention is drawn not only form intestinal infection, but the General condition of the mother. If a woman carries the disease hard to breast-feed until full recovery is not recommended.

At the first sign of intestinal infection nursing women should see a doctor. The doctor not only to diagnose and prescribe treatment, but also give sensible advice on breastfeeding.

The clinical picture

Symptoms of all intestinal infections of the same type. The severity of symptoms in a nursing mom's can even be a little stronger than the other people. During the illness of the woman concerned:

  • Persistent nausea and uncontrollable vomiting.
  • Severe diarrhea.
  • High temperature.
  • Dryness of mucous membranes.
  • Headache and dizziness.
  • An abnormal weakness.
  • Constant thirst.

When intestinal infections very quickly show signs of dehydration. This condition is very dangerous, as it quickly leads to irreversible consequences.

Depending on the diagnosis the disease is easy or hard, but in any case, the status of nursing mothers is severely disturbed. If intestinal infection is not quickly begin treatment, it may cause liver, heart and nervous system.

Some of the causative agents of intestinal infections can enter the blood stream, so there is a high probability of infecting the baby.

When feeding, you can continue

If breastfeeding mothers diagnosed with rotavirus or enterovirus, breast-feeding can not stop. These infections are not transmitted via milk, therefore, subject to certain rules of hygiene, the child will not be infected.

The same goes for food poisoning. In this case, the health of the child threatens nothing. If the immunity of women is good, do a couple of days feeling much better.

But to continue breastfeeding only if the mother is not too heavy. If a woman carries the disease seriously, she has a strong symptoms of intoxication and dehydration, it is better to suspend breastfeeding. At this time, a woman needs to create the conditions for recovery and to limit any stress on the body.

To maintain the nursing breast is often recommended to decant. The milk can be boiled in a water bath and to give the child.

When GW has to be put

To breastfeed the baby not if the intestinal infection can be transmitted through breast milk. Suspend feeding in such cases:

  • In dysentery.
  • When salmonellosis.
  • In typhoid.
  • In botulism.

It is strictly forbidden to breast-feed in cases of poisoning drugs, mushrooms or toxic substances. All of these components penetrate the bloodstream and breast milk.

Suspend feeding in the case of the treatment of moms need to use antibacterial or antimicrobial drugs. It is understood that many antibiotics have a negative impact on the body of the baby and can lead to dysbacteriosis, and to other more serious conditions.

Nursing women doctors try to prescribe gentle treatment, but in some cases it is necessary to resort to strong antibiotics.

How to treat nursing mothers

Treatment Protocol women during lactation is almost indistinguishable from the treatment of other people. The difference may be only that if breast-feeding is not terminated, the physician is trying to limit the adsorbents, probiotics and antipyretic agents. The woman has to drink a lot. You can drink clean water without gas, and you can cook a compote of dried fruits.

If the condition is too severe and prescribed sparing treatment has no effect, then resort to antibiotics. In the appointment of antibacterial drugs take into account the results of bacterial analysisvomit and feces. If these tests are for some reason not performed, then the patient is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Along with the antibiotics administrated probiotics to prevent the development of dysbiosis.

How to protect the child

If intestinal infection while breastfeeding not too serious and breast-feeding continues, the mother needs to follow certain rules to protect the baby. These rules basically boil down to hygiene.

  • After each visit to the toilet should wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. It is worth remembering that many intestinal infections are transferred by the fecal-oral route.
  • Before feeding the baby or changing the mother should wash hands and wear clean clothes.
  • Things patient intestinal infection should be eliminated with the addition of disinfectants and high temperature.
  • Before each feeding, the Breasts need a good wash soda solution.
  • If the mother suffers from rotavirus, when feeding the baby she should wear a gauze mask.

If you have any concerns about the ability to infect infants intestinal infection, feeding on the best time to suspend. The milk can be pump, sterilized a few minutes in a water bath, and then to give the child.

If the mother decided to feed the baby formula milk, the Breasts still need to Express to maintain lactation in the normal amount.

The risk of infecting the child's intestinal infection when the mother's illness is quite high. Hso to prevent this, you need to clearly comply with all recommendations of the doctor and not to neglect the prescribed treatment. If the woman's condition is very heavy, and there is dehydration, feeding better temporarily abandoned in order not to aggravate the disease.