What To Know About Covid and Breastfeeding
The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely stressful for everyone, and parents are no exception. If you’re parenting a little one, not only are you worried about keeping yourself and your child safe from COVID, but you’re likely navigating the care of your child with less support than usual due to social distancing protocols.
You’re probably also feeling confused and conflicted about a number of things: Should you continue breastfeeding if you have been exposed to COVID? What if you contract the virus? Is the COVID vaccine safe for breastfeeding parents?
We’ve got answers to all your Q’s! Here are the most frequently asked questions related to COVID and breastfeeding, with evidence-based answers.
Can A COVID Positive Mother Breastfeed Her Baby?
All major health organizations recommend that your baby continue to receive breast milk, even if you have tested positive for COVID. COVID antibodies are found in the breast milk of moms who’ve been infected with COVID (yay!), and breast milk in general provides virus fighting-agents for babies. Additionally, the CDC says that it’s unlikely that COVID-19 is transmitted via breast milk.
The decision about whether to directly breastfeed your baby, or have someone else feed expressed milk to them, is a personal one, and one that you should consult with your healthcare provider about. Many breastfeeding parents decide to continue directly breastfeed their baby, with precautions like mask wearing and frequent hand washing.
If you have a medically vulnerable baby, your doctor might ask you to isolate until you are no longer infected. Your decision may also change during the course of your illness, depending on your particular experience of COVID and whether you feel too ill to breastfeed directly.
How Can I Safely Breastfeed My Baby If I Have COVID?
Many mothers will choose to continue breastfeed their baby during the time that they have COVID. If you decide to do this, make sure you follow the CDC guidelines about breastfeeding when COVID positive. You will want to take some basic precautions, such as:
Thoroughly wash your hands before breastfeeding your baby (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds)
Wearing a mask while breastfeeding your baby
What Should I Know About Pumping My Milk If I Have COVID?
Some mothers prefer to isolate from their babies while they are infected, and have someone else feed their baby pumped milk. Again, this is not strictly necessary, especially because it’s likely that your baby was already exposed to COVID, even before you knew you were sick. However, everyone’s circumstances are different, and this might be the best choice for you.
The CDC has specific guidelines for how to pump your milk if you are COVID positive:
Make sure you use your own breast pump—don’t share pumps with someone else
Wear a mask while you pump your milk
Thoroughly wash your hands before using your pump (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds)
Thoroughly clean your pump parts after each use; take special care to clean any parts that come into contact with your milk
If possible, have a caretaker who is not infected with COVID feed your baby; any caretaker who has been exposed to COVID should wear a mask while feeding your baby
What If I’ve Been Exposed To COVID?
If you’ve been exposed to COVID and have symptoms, but haven’t tested positive, you should either isolate from your baby and express your milk, or take precautions while feeding your baby, such as wearing a mask and washing your hands before breastfeeding your baby. If your partner or anyone in your household has symptoms of COVID, or a positive COVID test—they should isolate from you and your baby until they receive a negative COVID test, or until their quarantine period ends.
If you have been exposed to COVID and aren’t sure if you have been infected with COVID, it’s not usually recommended that you isolate from your baby. However, if your baby has a medical condition that makes them especially vulnerable to a COVID infection, such as prematurity, lung or heart defects, or a suppressed immune system, you may have to be extra cautious and isolate from your baby. You can discuss your options with your healthcare provider.
If you choose to isolate from your baby under any of these circumstances, you should continue to provide your baby with breast milk whenever possible, as it has antibodies and other antiviral agents that can protect your child from becoming infected with COVID or becoming severely ill with the virus.
Can My Baby Get Coronavirus From Breast Milk?
COVID-19 is still a novel virus and information about it is constantly being studied and updated. From what we know so far, though, COVID-19 is not likely transmitted via breast milk. As the CDC explains it, “Current evidence suggests that breast milk is not a likely source of infection.”
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine clarifies this further by saying: “In limited studies on women with COVID-19 and another coronavirus infection, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), the virus has not been detected in breast milk; however we do not know whether mothers with COVID-19 can transmit the virus via breast milk.”
Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Coronavirus?
This is another area that is still being studied. In general, breastfeeding protects babies from viruses and disease, and so breastfeeding is helpful whether you’ve been infected with COVID or not. Antibodies for COVID-19 have been found in moms who’ve been infected with COVID, though it’s not clear yet to what extent these antibodies protect babies from infection.
“The presence of IgA in breast milk is one of the ways in which breastfeeding protects infants against infection and death,” explains the World Health Organization (WHO). “IgA antibodies with reactivity to the COVID-19 virus have been detected in breast milk of mothers previously infected with COVID-19 but their strength and durability have not yet been adequately studied to address protection from COVID-19 among breastfed infants.”
There is some evidence that receiving a COVID-19 vaccination can provide robust levels of COVID-19 antibodies in breast milk.
Does Covid Affect Breast Milk Supply?
There is no information as of now of how a COVID-19 infection can affect milk supply. In general, becoming ill can sometimes decrease your milk supply, but this is usually temporary. The best thing you can do if you are noticing a drop in your milk supply is hydrate, rest, and continue to breastfeed and pump frequently. Your milk supply should rebound once you are feeling better.
Can A Breastfeeding Mom Get The Coronavirus Vaccine?
As of now, the COVID-19 vaccines that are available can be taken by people who are breastfeeding.
However, as the CDC notes, the clinical trials for these vaccines have so far not included people who are breastfeeding. Therefore, there is no data on the safety of the vaccines on breastfeeding parents, how vaccines may affect breastfeeding children, or how the vaccine may affect milk production.
That doesn’t mean breastfeeding parents shouldn’t get the vaccine—in fact, many are choosing to do so. There is new and encouraging evidence that vaccinated parents produce strong levels of antibodies in their breast milk. In addition, as the CDC explains, the current COVID-19 vaccines we have are “non replicating vaccines.” This means that they “are able to create an immune response but do not reproduce inside host cells.”
The CDC concludes that COVID-19 vaccines are likely not a risk to breastfeeding babies and believe that getting vaccinated if you are a breastfeeding parent is a viable choice.
Where To Go From Here…
Even well informed parents will continue to have questions about breastfeeding and COVID-19. We all have different and varied circumstances and healthcare concerns. If you are unsure about anything to do with COVID-19 and breastfeeding your child, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant or healthcare provider for advice. They can help you make decisions based on your particular situation and needs.
Our 3 Fav Breastfeeding Products
🌛 1. This nursing bra is the absolute BEST for breastfeeding at night. It’s super comfortable and made of the softest material ever. You’ll want to wear it forever to sleep in, even after you’re done breastfeeding.
💪 2. Boost supply and tone up postpartum. Milk Dust is protein powder made just for breastfeeding moms. It nourishes and tones postpartum bodies (and contains milk boosting ingredients too!) Get 10% off Milk Dust using the code MILKOLOGY at checkout
🤱 3. If your nipples are sore, these are an absolute lifesaver. They’re super cheap, can be worn for multiple days (perfect when you’re trying to get a good latch), and are soooo soothing.