When you’re sick, it can be hard to feel motivated to do much of anything. However, for nursing moms, continuing to breastfeed when you don’t feel well is the best sacrifice you can make for your baby.
“Withholding your breast milk during an illness increases the possibility that baby will get sick, and deprives baby of the comfort and superior nutrition of nursing,” explains Kelly Bonyata, lactation consultant and creator of kellymom.com.
Before you can even tell that you’re sick, your body has already started producing unique antibodies in your breastmilk that boost your baby’s immune system and give them the ability to fight off whatever sickness you’ve contracted.
So while it may feel as though breastfeeding will transfer the sickness to your baby, it actually prevents them from becoming ill.
Other ways you can help keep your little one healthy are to make sure you wash your hands often (especially before nursing), limit face-to-face interaction and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
To read more about breastfeeding when you’re sick, click here.