Mother’s temperature during breastfeeding: reasons, how to reduce it and what can be done. What to do if your mother has a fever while breastfeeding

The long weeks of pregnancy are over, and the wonderful time has come for the baby to meet the outside world. So far, the little man sleeps almost all the time, and when he wakes up, he asks for his mother’s breasts full of milk. A healthy and happy mother feeds her baby quite often - up to 6-7 times a day.

However, there are often situations when a woman suddenly has a fever, and a logical question arises before her: will breastfeeding in this condition harm the child’s health? Let's try to figure it out.

Is it possible to breastfeed at a fever?

Any person sooner or later encounters diseases that cause an increase in temperature. The majority reduce excess levels with the help of pharmaceutical drugs, without really thinking about the consequences, and only a few go to the doctor for adequate treatment. When a nursing mother’s temperature rises, there simply cannot be room for negligence. After all, such a woman is inextricably linked with her still helpless child, which means that self-medication or ignoring the problem can undermine his precarious health.

There are a huge number of reasons for the condition in which the thermometer shows high numbers. Perhaps there is no need to worry, or perhaps quite the opposite. The best solution for fever is to seek medical help. The doctor, having examined mommy, will make an accurate diagnosis, reassure her or prescribe the necessary treatment. In any case, you should not refuse a visit to the doctor, nor should you refuse to feed the child during this period.

The fact is that if the temperature rise is caused by some kind of infection, the baby, along with the mother’s milk, will receive the substances he needs to form immunity. If you suddenly stop breastfeeding, you may not only deprive him of additional protection, but also put yourself at risk of developing mastitis due to the cessation of emptying of the mammary gland. In addition, a break in natural feeding can lead to the child completely refusing it in the future.

Hello. My temperature has been 38.5°C since this morning. A lump is felt in the chest, the chest itself ache a little. On the other hand, everything is fine. (Anna, 30 years old).

Hello Anna. Judging by your description, the increase in temperature may be caused by stagnation of milk. I would recommend that you monitor your condition for another 1 day. To make sure that the “culprit” of the extra degrees is the chest, measure the temperature in the groin area or in the elbow. You can put a paracetamol suppository. If the temperature does not decrease, contact the maternity hospital where you gave birth to the baby. You may need to pump to eliminate lactostasis.

It is worth considering that a temperature of up to 37.1°C in women during lactation is a completely normal condition. This change is directly related to the arrival of milk, and therefore you should not be alarmed when you see unusual numbers on the thermometer. During the feeding process, the thermometer can normally reach 37.4°C.

How to measure temperature correctly while breastfeeding

Since body temperature increases during feeding, to obtain the most reliable results, it is best to measure it half an hour or an hour after it, at rest.

During lactation, forget about the only way to measure body temperature - in the armpit. From now on, the degrees reflected on the thermometer after it is removed from this zone will not be entirely informative.

The temperature in the elbow and groin area does not depend on the lactating breast, and therefore such indicators will more accurately reflect the general condition of the mother. The simple procedure must be carried out in the same way as in any other way: place a clean, dry thermometer in the bend of the elbow or in the groin fold, wait 7-8 minutes.

If there is a difference in temperature when measured in the armpit and at the bend of the elbow (or in the groin) in favor of the first method, it means that the heat is coming from the chest, and there is no need to worry if the numbers are slightly above 37°C.

Good afternoon, please help me, I'm very worried. I gave birth not so long ago, just 5 days ago. Since then my temperature has fluctuated between 37.1°C and 37.5°C. I feel fine, the child eats well too. Tell me, is this normal, or should I see a doctor? (Zina, 25 years old)

Good afternoon, Zinaida. A slightly elevated temperature is completely normal for you. This change occurs during breastfeeding due to the influx of milk. There is no need to be nervous and run for help. You can start to worry if the thermometer shows numbers above 38.5°C.

Possible causes of fever during breastfeeding:

1. Breast engorgement. In this case, there is no need to worry, the increase in temperature is associated with the arrival of milk (maximum normal values ​​​​are 37.6 ° C). If there are no complications, the temperature drops on its own, and you can postpone going to the doctor. You can start to worry if the lumps in the chest do not want to go away, and the fever lasts a long time. This may be due to stagnation of milk (lactostasis), and to resolve this problem you need to properly express the accumulated liquid.
2. Mastitis. A fairly common occurrence in postpartum women, caused by an infection that has entered the body. As a rule, pathogenic microbes enter the breast through small cracks in the nipple area. The main symptoms of mastitis: high temperature (39°C and above), chest pain, chills, persistent lumps in the mammary gland are palpable. If you have these symptoms, you cannot hesitate; you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible.
3. Allergic reaction. In the first days after childbirth, a new mother is more sensitive, and therefore allergies to certain foods, medications, and even odors are quite expected. If the temperature does not exceed 37.5°C, and there are no manifestations of allergies on the body (spots, scratches, etc.), you can monitor the state of your health yourself. After a couple of days, the body should adapt.
4. Bacterial infection of the nasopharynx and oropharynx (sinusitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis). The best solution in this situation is not to self-medicate, but to call a local therapist for an examination.
5. Dehiscence or inflammation of the seams. Sutures remain after a cesarean section, as well as after a perineotomy or episitomy. The reason for the increase in temperature in the overwhelming percentage of cases is the first option. If you notice redness, thickening or infiltration on the skin at the junction of the sutures, immediately contact the maternity hospital where you gave birth, at any time of the day.
6. Food poisoning.
7. Exacerbation of chronic diseases. After childbirth, the mother’s body is still weak after the stress it has experienced, and therefore there are frequent cases of deterioration in well-being. Usually, the postpartum woman herself knows about her chronic diseases, as well as their symptoms. You should not tolerate it or treat yourself with what you are used to; many drugs pass through breast milk and are very harmful to him.
8. Postpartum depression. As anyone who has had children knows, the postpartum period is full of surprises, stress and sleepless nights. This regime is very difficult for a young mother, and therefore, often against the background of constant excitement, her temperature may rise. The treatment for this disease is simple - avoid unnecessary worry, give yourself rest, and at least occasionally leave the baby with close relatives for a couple of hours.

As you can see, there can be many reasons for an increase in temperature, and not all of them are directly related to the condition of the mammary glands.

How to reduce fever while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding women are denied access to many drugs, because most seemingly harmless drugs tend to pass into breast milk. As a result, the child and his mother receive “treatment”, which can cause many side effects in a small body that are unpleasant or even life-threatening.

It is undesirable for postpartum women who are breastfeeding to lower their temperature until it reaches 38.5°C, because at this time their own interferon is produced and the infection is actively fought. When feeding, the baby also receives useful substances to strengthen the immune system. However, doing nothing when you have a fever is also not the best solution - you need to lie down more, drink warm water, make sure that the room is not too hot, and refrain from swimming for a while.

The best remedy for self-administration at home is paracetamol. It is harmless to the baby and is approved for postpartum women. It is advisable to take the drug in the form of suppositories, so it will definitely not pass into breast milk.

Aspirin, which is familiar to everyone, is very dangerous for young children. The main component of the drug suppresses the production of thromboxane A2, which causes blood thinning. When taking aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid invariably penetrates into the baby's body, causing many terrible consequences: decreased hemoglobin production, disruption of the hearing organs, liver, kidneys, and brain.

Although it is approved for use during lactation, it is still better to start taking ibuprofen after consulting with your doctor to determine the correct dosage.

After taking the medicine, to protect the baby, it is better to take feeding breaks of 3-4 hours.

And yet, it is better not to self-medicate. The best solution is to call a qualified doctor who can competently assess the condition of the postpartum woman and prescribe safe treatment for her.

How often do you visit a gynecologist (not during pregnancy)?

Please choose 1 correct answer

Once a year

Total score

Semiannually

Good day, dear readers, Lena Zhabinskaya is with you. Modern mothers take a very responsible and demanding approach to their lifestyle, diet and health, because it has long been known that all this affects the quality of milk.

What can we say when health problems begin? In this case, many questions arise. One of them concerns those situations when you need to answer what to do if a mother’s temperature rises while breastfeeding? Is it possible to continue feeding the child, how can I help myself in this situation, and is any treatment possible? We will learn about all this and much more today.

Inflammatory processes in the postpartum period.

Both caesarean section and natural childbirth are stressful for a woman’s body, and do not always occur without consequences. It is possible to develop diseases such as inflammation of the uterine mucosa or sutures.

Such conditions are always preceded by elevated body temperature. But the main danger is not this, but the risk of sudden bleeding, in which literally minutes count, and you simply may not have time to get to the hospital.

Therefore, you need to be extremely careful about body temperature above 37.5 degrees in the first two weeks after birth. To be on the safe side and exclude inflammation in the female part, take a general blood test with a detailed leukocyte formula.

If it is not possible to immediately visit a doctor, first, at least try to decipher the results online, on special medical portals and reference books. If they deviate from the norm, very urgently schedule a visit to the gynecologist.

Low-grade fever.

Body temperature up to 37.2 degrees in the absence of other symptoms and undisturbed general condition may be a consequence of increased milk production by the body and is considered conditionally normal.

To make sure there is nothing serious, it is also recommended to take a clinical blood test.

ARVI.

Viral infections are the most common cause of fever. As a rule, in this case, a runny nose, cough, and sore throat are added to the symptoms. These manifestations can occur together, separately, or in various combinations with each other.

Popularly it is also called colds, flu, etc. – this doesn’t change the essence.

In this case, body temperature can increase within varying limits, from 37 to 39 degrees and above.

Lactostasis and mastitis.

Usually, with such problems, elevated temperature is accompanied by pain and severe discomfort in the chest, so the nursing mother, at a minimum, guesses that the cause of the temperature is problems in the mammary glands.

Diseases of internal organs.

As a rule, exacerbation of existing chronic diseases is most often possible. We are talking, for example, about cystitis, pyelonephritis, pneumonia, otitis media, etc.

In such cases, the temperature is usually accompanied by symptoms and pain that are localized in a specific area.

As a result, a young mother can at least guess about the reason for the increase in the mark on the thermometer.

How to measure correctly

Body temperature is measured in the armpit. The safest way to do this is with a modern electronic thermometer, which should be held for some time after the beep to be sure. It is better to watch the screen and take it out only when the mark stops changing. This indicator will be more reliable.

If you suspect that it is the breasts that are causing the elevated temperature due to active milk production, you can check yourself as follows. Measure the temperature at the elbow while squeezing your hand tightly.

This is exactly the method used in the department of postpartum complications, in which. If the temperature is not due to the chest, then it “rises” in the elbow bend.

How does it affect milk?

There are many myths that when the temperature rises, a nursing mother must immediately stop breastfeeding, because the milk curdles, turns sour, goes rancid, etc. Some people advise boiling milk during illness before giving it to the child.

All of this is myths and speculation coming from people who do not understand breastfeeding issues.

Boiling milk generally destroys almost completely all the beneficial substances in it.

Elevated body temperature itself does not affect the quality of milk.

Therefore, when the mark on the thermometer rises, it is recommended not only not to interrupt breastfeeding, but moreover, to actively continue it. Why? Read on!

Is it possible to breastfeed

The answer to this question will depend on what is causing the increase in body temperature and what treatment will take place.

If the cause is a viral infection, flu, or cold, then the doctor will prescribe symptomatic treatment.

Milk is formed from blood and lymph. Viruses do not penetrate the blood and lymph. Therefore, breast milk is not contaminated with ARVI and influenza.

On the contrary, it contains antibodies produced by the mother's body to fight the virus. It is these antibodies, if the baby feeds on the breast, that will help him either completely avoid infection by airborne droplets from the mother, or suffer from a mild form of the disease.

Therefore, during a viral infection, breastfeeding is simply necessary.

If the mother has a bacterial disease (inflammation of the uterine lining, mastitis, cystitis, pneumonia, otitis media, etc.), the treatment of which requires a doctor to prescribe antibiotics, then the question arises as to whether the latter are compatible with breastfeeding.

Antibiotics are prescribed exclusively by a doctor, who must be aware that we are a nursing mother.

In the modern world, there are antibiotics approved for use in nursing mothers. A competent doctor will certainly select for you the option of medication that is effective and at the same time approved for use during breastfeeding.

If the prescribed antibiotic is not compatible with breastfeeding, the newborn will need to be switched to artificial feeding for the period of its use.

You should express milk 6-7 times a day to maintain lactation. This will be a signal to the body that milk is being removed from the breast, and therefore it needs to continue producing it.

After you are treated, you will be able to breastfeed your baby again.

If you have mastitis, you can feed anyway as long as it does not cause you obvious pain. If the pain is unbearable, you should feed from the healthy breast and pump the sick one.

Treatment

If the cause of the high mark on the thermometer is a viral infection (flu, common colds, other acute respiratory viral infections), then the treatment that the doctor will prescribe for you will be symptomatic, since currently there are no drugs with proven effectiveness that can act on viruses.

The following are intended to alleviate the condition of a nursing mother:

1. The air in the room is 18-20 degrees. Due to the difference in body temperature and room temperature, the body will be able to lose excess heat, thereby independently lowering body temperature. In this case, you should dress warmly.
2. Air humidity is 50-70 percent. Only a special device can cope with this task - an air humidifier (costs from 2000 rubles). As the temperature rises, the body begins to rapidly lose fluid. If at the same time you have to breathe dry and warm air, then the losses are catastrophic, dehydration, rhinitis and bronchitis are guaranteed.
3. Drink plenty of fluids. Mineral water, dried fruit compotes, fruit drinks, special solutions for rehydration (sold in pharmacies) are designed to significantly alleviate the condition and reduce recovery time by removing toxins and viruses from the body through urine and sweat. If there are no contraindications, you should drink up to 5-6 liters per day.
4. Antipyretics if necessary symptomatically. If you are wondering how to lower your temperature, then the recommendations are as follows. During breastfeeding, paracetamol and ibuprofen are allowed for use according to the instructions and prescriptions of the doctor.

How to take medications correctly

This is because when the temperature rises in the body, there is an increased production of interferon, the main fighter against the virus. And the higher the temperature, the more it is produced and the faster the body copes with the disease.

However, temperatures above 38.5-39 degrees should not be tolerated, since in this case severe dehydration of the body already begins, and the harm from this is much greater.

To minimize the concentration of antipyretic in milk, it should be taken, if possible, immediately after breastfeeding. In this situation, by the time of the next breastfeeding, the amount of medicine in the body will have already decreased significantly.

These measures in combination are designed to alleviate the condition of the nursing mother and lead to recovery in the shortest possible time. Typically, on the 4th day of illness, the temperature should decrease compared to previous levels. On days 5-7 the temperature should drop completely.

This is the standard course of a common viral infection. Otherwise (no recovery by the end of the week), you should immediately consult a doctor, as this may indicate complications of the disease and the addition of bacterial complications.

I had to get sick while breastfeeding, and, thanks to the recommendations indicated above, I really recovered quickly, and the children either did not get infected at all (this is truly a miracle, no less, the magic antibodies in milk really work), or got sick, but in a mild form . Have you ever been sick during lactation and what helped you cope with the disease?

Be healthy, and if you get sick, then recover easily and come visit again, Lena Zhabinskaya was with you, bye-bye!

Every person has his own algorithm of action if he has a fever. The most common medications to reduce it are always at hand in the first aid kit. But what should a nursing mother do, since many medications are simply unacceptable to use during breastfeeding, as they can cause serious harm to the little person?

At what thermometer reading should you start to worry?

If the mercury column of a conventional or digital indicator of an electronic thermometer stops at 37.6°C, then this is a reason to consult a doctor. After all, such a temperature can be a symptom of a serious illness, and the doctor will make the correct diagnosis and promptly prescribe adequate treatment (See “”).

Does the lactation process affect temperature?

Usually we measure the temperature in the armpit, and if we do this when the mammary gland is full or during and after feeding (pumping), then the thermometer reading will surprise you a little: the temperature will be 37.0- 37.4°C. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that this increase is caused by the temperature of the milk, which is formed deep in the tissues and has a temperature much higher than 37 degrees. In addition, in the process of extracting milk from the breast, the ducts contract, which also produce heat. For the thermometer to be relatively accurate, the temperature in this case should be measured approximately half an hour after feeding.

Causes of fever during breastfeeding

Usually, as soon as the temperature rises, we immediately assume that we have a cold, although in reality there are many more such reasons, and they depend on many factors. Therefore, consulting a doctor is very important and even extremely necessary, since only he can correctly make an accurate diagnosis.

Inflammatory diseases

An increase in temperature within three days immediately after childbirth, especially if it was accompanied by surgery or complications, signals the presence of postpartum inflammatory diseases:

• mastitis;
• endometritis;
• inflammation of sutures after episiotomy or cesarean section.

During this period, an exacerbation of chronic infections – herpes, pyelonephritis and others – is possible.

Lactation mastitis

Another inflammatory disease, which may also be accompanied by a significant increase in temperature, is lactation mastitis, which also appears in the first days after childbirth (See “”). It is a serious inflammatory process in the mammary gland that is caused by bacteria. The problem can arise in the maternity hospital, but most often it hits the young mother almost immediately after returning home. Quite often, the causative agent of lactation mastitis is the well-known Staphylococcus aureus.

The likelihood of mastitis significantly increases:

• lactostasis;
• anatomical abnormalities of nipple development;
• injuries and cracks;
• cicatricial postoperative changes in breast tissue;
• endocrine diseases;
• foci of purulent infection on the skin of the mammary glands;
• gross violations of the basic rules of hygiene and pumping.

Colds

An increase in temperature three to four weeks after childbirth is most often due to common colds or food poisoning.

What should a mother do if she has a fever?

If the thermometer reading exceeds the mark 37.6°C:

1. See a doctor – in the postpartum period (6 weeks after giving birth), you can safely go to the doctor who delivered the baby.
2. Call your doctor if you have cold symptoms - runny nose, cough, red throat, swelling, or if there are signs of food poisoning - vomiting, diarrhea.
3. A urologist will help if you are worried about pain in the lower back, in the bladder area and painful urination.
4. If the temperature rises above 38.5°C, and the reason for this is unknown, and the doctor will not be able to come in the near future, then to reduce the fever, you can safely take those medications that are usually given to small children in this case - Nurofen, Efferalgan. But the dosage should be for an adult.

Is it possible to breastfeed a baby at high temperatures?

This fully depends on the reason that caused such a reaction in the body. This is why consulting a doctor is vitally important, because treatment may require a serious drug that is simply incompatible with breastfeeding or cannot be continued due to a serious infectious or viral disease of the mother.

But, as a rule, in most cases, all problems can be solved, and there is no need to stop breastfeeding early. Sometimes the total amount of milk produced by the mother may decrease significantly, but this is due to a weakening of the body, and not due to a high temperature.

Does the quality of milk change with temperature?

The high temperature itself does not in any way affect the quality of the milk, so if the mother has a cold, on the contrary, it is recommended to feed the baby - after all, with mother’s milk he receives protective antibodies that protect him from illness. But in some cases with mastitis, especially if it is purulent, feeding from the affected breast will have to be stopped until the latter has completely recovered. A lot depends on the doctor who chooses the treatment regimen, as well as on the form and severity of the disease itself.

Sometimes you can hear completely ridiculous recommendations that a baby should not be breastfed while the mother is ill, but that milk should be expressed, then boiled, and only then given to the baby. These recommendations are given by absolutely narrow-minded people, and following them is the height of absurdity! Boiling breast milk means killing all its beneficial properties!

Let's sum it up

The most important thing is that a nursing mother must undergo treatment! There are a lot of medications that are compatible with breastfeeding, as well as a whole arsenal of traditional medicine that will help you quickly and absolutely harmlessly restore your health. The disease cannot be carried on your feet, because your excellent health is important not only for you alone, but also for your little loved one!

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Article last updated: 05/30/2018

Sooner or later, a nursing mother faces the question: is it possible to breastfeed at a fever? Unfortunately, we are all susceptible to various infections, and breastfeeding women are no exception. On the contrary, after childbirth the body is extremely weakened. So what should you do if the thermometer is off the charts, and the baby is waiting for the next portion of mother’s milk?

Causes of increased body temperature

The human body is unpredictable, and anything can happen to it. And a woman who has just given birth can become hostage to diseases such as lactostasis and mastitis. And various street infections can be a reason. Therefore, there could be many reasons for this. Here are the main ones.

• Milk stagnation or lactostasis.
• Mastitis, a consequence of lactostasis. An extremely insidious disease, accompanied by terrible pain and heaviness in the chest.
• Intestinal infections, possibly due to poisoning.
• Viral infection, possibly ARVI, acute respiratory infections, etc. The most common cause.
• Sore throat, and other inflammatory processes.

As you can see, there are many reasons. And there are 2 camps, those who are for and those who are against feeding during this difficult period. But what do experts say about this?

To feed or not?

Opponents believe that breast milk should be excluded from the baby’s diet. You cannot continue feeding until recovery. As a last resort, express, boil and drink from a bottle. But all the beneficial properties will disappear when boiled, and the baby will get used to eating through the pacifier during the mother’s illness. Once you show them, they quickly get used to this easy work. After all, food pours into the mouth itself, and through the chest you need to work hard to get food. According to statistics, most infants abandon their mother's breasts for this very reason.

The opposing camp also claims that the quality of the product may decrease when sick, for example, it may turn sour or become bitter. You don't need to believe it. The properties are not lost at all. These are the arguments of experts who claim that feeding a child at a fever is necessary and important.

How do they explain this? Very simple. Everyone knows that temperature is a protective reaction of the human body. How is this ensured? Through the production of antibodies that promote immunity.

Consequently, through milk during breastfeeding, the baby will also receive immune cells for itself. It turns out that this is even useful, because the child’s immunity is strengthened. In addition, if this process is abandoned, the mother will have to pump every 3 hours. But this is an extremely difficult procedure.

In a sick state, not everything can be expressed. And this will lead to stagnation and an increase in the already high temperature.

Remember that for any illness accompanied by an increase in body temperature, you must wear a face mask. You may have to send the child to a separate room, meeting him only during feeding.

Nothing will be transmitted through milk except beneficial antibodies. It is much more likely to infect a child if you are constantly with him. This is especially true for the flu. But how to treat and with what during the epidemic? And if natural feeding is acceptable, what medications can be taken without harming the baby?

Treatment

To treat the mother, it is necessary to find out the cause of the disease. And only a doctor can do this. Take the time to establish a diagnosis. The doctor will not only identify the disease, but also recommend medications. Remember that not everything is acceptable to take if you are feeding a child. Here is the list of prohibited ones.

1. Tetracycline antibiotics. And, in general, all antibiotics are undesirable when feeding.
2. Medicines based on fluoroquinols. This will disrupt bone formation.
3. Analgin can negatively affect hematopoiesis.
4. Sulfonamide drugs can also leave a negative imprint on the quality of the baby’s blood.
5. Nitromidazole will disrupt the toddler's digestion.

Any medication taken must be strictly agreed with the attending physician. Refusal to consult can lead to disastrous consequences for the child. This is the main and most important reason why you should not self-medicate.

But if the doctor, despite breastfeeding, prescribed these medications, do not refuse! Just stop feeding your baby naturally for a while. Unfortunately, there are reasons when you cannot do without therapy. This is worth remembering. With the correct behavior and persistence of the mother, the procedure can be restored. Control the processes of your body, if possible, immediately begin the natural path of feeding. Offer to your little one over and over again, patiently and without nerves. In the end, you will win. And such serious treatment happens in extremely rare cases.

If the mother has caught a common acute respiratory infection, it can be treated with folk remedies. Of course, drink plenty of fluids. All toxins and microbes are removed with water. This helps to normalize the processes occurring in the body. And of course, raspberries, lemon, honey. But you should be very careful with honey, it is a strong allergen. May have a detrimental effect on the child. Among the acceptable medications for reducing fever, Paracetamol is recommended, and Ibuprofen is also possible. And if this indicator is less than 38 degrees, there is no need to shoot down.

Also, there are certain limits above which you should stop breastfeeding for a while. This is a body temperature above 39 degrees. It is at this indicator that milk will change its taste properties. Even if you give breastfeeding, the baby will refuse. Don't despair and keep an eye on the thermometer. As soon as a decrease occurs, resume feeding the baby.

Every mother, having given birth to a child, knows how important it is for the baby to feed on breast milk for its development. No modern infant formula can replace it. Mothers are attentive to themselves and the child’s health. Fever, snot and slight malaise are already causing concern. If the thermometer shows a serious increase in body temperature, the nursing mother becomes hysterical, afraid of infecting her child.
She has a thought: maybe she should stop breastfeeding for a while. And if the baby’s temperature rises, many mothers wonder whether it is possible to force-feed the child and what to do if the child refuses to latch on to the breast. Let's look at these issues.

Causes of fever in mother

A person never develops a temperature just like that and without any reason. A nursing mother is no exception. She may feel an increase in body temperature suddenly. You won't have to look for the reason for long. Everything will become clear after analyzing the obvious symptoms.
1. Swelling of the mammary glands and the appearance of nodules on the chest are a clear sign of the onset of mastitis. If the baby does not completely empty the breast, the woman needs to express the milk after feeding. Otherwise, it stagnates, which provokes the appearance of fever.
2. For mothers who do not adhere to clear nutritional recommendations and do not monitor the quality of food they eat, fever will occur after intoxication of the body and poisoning.
3. After childbirth, a woman often develops various inflammatory processes associated with the organs of the reproductive system. Temperature, accompanied by pain in the pelvis and abdomen, indicates that something is happening inside not as nature intended. Going to a gynecologist is the only right decision.
4. After the birth of a child, the mother’s body is severely exhausted. Getting sick by catching a virus is as easy as shelling pears. Fever is a symptom indicating that there is an infection in the body.

Feeding during fever - myths and reality

Many consider the advice of adult, experienced relatives to stop breastfeeding when a fever appears to be the only correct one.
Modern doctors and scientists refute the correctness of this decision.

Stopping lactation, if it exists, is extremely unwise. Breastfeeding is good for the mother and her baby.

Especially if the nurse is infected with a viral infection.
Also, in order to maintain lactation, when a woman develops a fever, it is advised to express milk and give it to the baby in a bottle after boiling. Such a recommendation is absurd and useless, even harmful.
After heat treatment, breast milk loses its beneficial properties.
A baby, having once tried his food from a bottle, may later completely refuse to breastfeed. The milk flows from the nipple into the mouth, and it needs to be sucked out of the mother’s breast, which is extremely difficult for infants. The advisers agree with this fact, and then give another proven method of feeding - using a teaspoon. Considering that a child needs to be given food every 4 hours, how long will it take to eat from a spoon?!
Pumping is also harmful for the mother. When she doesn't feel well, she just wants to lie down. There's no time to express milk here. In cases where breastfeeding is interrupted, for example, during illness and antibiotic treatment, a woman needs to empty her mammary glands every 4 hours in order to maintain lactation. If you don’t express yourself completely, stagnation will occur, which will only worsen the mother’s condition and increase the temperature.
The decision to feed a child can and should be made only by the mother. In cases of fever, it is wiser not to immediately interrupt breastfeeding, but to consult a doctor. If it is possible to maintain lactation, you should not neglect it.

Breastfeeding during a cold

Those who think that a mother who is sick with ARVI while breastfeeding her child can infect him are mistaken. In fact, the virus had long since developed in her body and began to progress. The mother, being constantly in close contact with the baby, could have infected him long ago.
But Mother Nature has thought out everything about this. The appearance of a temperature indicates that there is a struggle inside to destroy the disease with the help of antibodies produced by the immune system. The baby receives these antibodies through mother's milk, which strengthens his immunity many times over. If a mother stops feeding during a cold, this can only worsen the situation.

In what cases should breastfeeding be stopped at fever?

Every mother should know when to stop feeding her baby breast milk.
1. If the temperature has risen to 39 and no antipyretic drugs help or lower it for a short time, you can stop breastfeeding for a while.
2. In cases where pain in the abdomen, pelvis, or genitourinary system appears along with fever, feeding is not recommended, and a visit to the doctor cannot be postponed.
3. Breastfeeding is contraindicated if you suspect lung, kidney, heart or liver disease.
4. It is strictly forbidden to breastfeed a child if a woman is taking strong medications (especially antibiotics).
How long to stop breastfeeding during a serious illness can only be answered by a qualified doctor. It would be a good idea to consult a pediatrician. In case of serious illnesses, it is often recommended to stop lactation and switch the baby to formula. In other cases, if possible, and there are no medical contraindications, breastfeeding should be maintained.

Now let's consider another question: What to do if the baby gets sick? Is it worth feeding him? Is it possible to maintain lactation if the child refuses breastfeeding?

We all know very well that when the temperature rises, appetite decreases sharply. I don't feel like eating at all. If you have an adult child, then you should not feed him. You just need to maintain your drinking regime. Food will not contribute to a speedy recovery. On the contrary, force feeding in case of high temperature can cause vomiting. But you need to drink as often as possible to speed up the healing process and avoid dehydration.

But if a baby has a fever, then the question of whether to breastfeed him or not is ambiguous. After all, milk is not only food, but also a drink that is so necessary for the baby. And if your baby refuses to latch onto the breast, we recommend that you forcefully pour a teaspoon of milk into his cheek every 10-15 minutes.

You will have to pump to maintain lactation if your baby does not latch on. Expressed milk can be offered to your baby from a spoon or syringe. You will have to feed the baby like a kitten so that he recovers faster. Experience shows that it is worth waiting a couple of days, and then the baby will begin to latch on to the breast again.