Breastfeeding First Aid Kit for Colds and Flu

Being sick is a miserable time for the best of us. When we have to continue on with mothering it can be downright awful. And breastfeeding puts a whole new spin on being sick. All the fall back methods of antibiotics and over the counter cold and flu medications are not always breastfeeding friendly. This is where natural and alternate therapies will help you weather colds and the flu while breastfeeding.

When I decided to breastfeed beyond six months, I realised that I was going to have to get savvy and creative with my health care. While eating healthy, trying to get adequate sleep and some exercise helped to support my system – sometimes getting sick happens to the best of us.

I’m proud to state that although I’ve been sick numerous times in the past five years, I haven’t once been to the doctor or taken antibiotics. I discovered there was something to be said for old-style remedies. They are just as effective as their pharmaceutical counterparts for the most part, in addition to being gentler on the body and in the long run far cheaper. You also don’t have to leave the house and sit in a waiting room full of sick people.

In part one of A Breastfeeding Mums First Aid Kit for Colds and Flu I look at getting to know your body and using olive leaf extracts, essential oils, hot teas and soups as a first line defence against getting sick.

Pay Attention and Slow Down

The best thing you can do when you are feeling rough or rundown is to re-assess your priorities. As a breastfeeding mother your first priority is breastfeeding. Getting sick will hamper your efforts to breastfeed – from the extreme (lowering your milk supply) to the more annoying (sneezing and coughing causing your baby to stop feeding and check out what is going on).

You don’t get any points for being super woman, especially when pushing yourself beyond your means hastens the difference between getting sick and not getting sick. When breastfeeding all our reserves go into producing milk, meaning there is very little left to fight off illnesses.

I have always believed that getting sick is our body’s way of pulling us into line, demanding that we take note and start caring for ourselves more appropriately. Breastfeeding has been the best thing to ever happen to me, in terms of caring for myself. I actually started to listen and respect body. Plus, my breasts would get tender when I was getting run down and I came to view it as my early warning system. I’d slow down and spend a few quiet days at home or to ask for help around the house.

Olive Leaf Extract

Olive leaf extract, as the name suggests is made from the leaves of the olive tree. It has been found to boost your immune system by attacking any pathogens (bugs) in your system that causes illness. It is particularly beneficial for colds, the flu, yeast and viral infections. At the first hint of feeling ill I take a dose before going bed and keep on for a few days. Last year, I used it effectively to protect myself from infection when I had my lower wisdom teeth removed (rather than take antibiotics). It can be bought as a dried leaf for preparation as a tea, as a pill and also in a liquid form.

Olive Leaf Extract Australia has an abundance of information on the benefits of olive leaf. They also ship their wonderful product across the world.

Essential Oils

Essential oils while initially expensive really pay for themselves over time – especially when you consider the cost of going to see a doctor and filling a prescription, not just for one person but for the whole family. We have been using with great success the oils of thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon and lavender. It is a very simple and inexpensive oil kit to have – and with the exception of thyme oil, all the other oils can be used in homemade cleaning products, if you have are a chemical free household.

You can find the recipes for colds and the flu in the article Supporting Your Immune System with Essential Oils. If the use of essential oils appeals to you, a worthy investment is Valerie Ann Worwood’s classic The Fragrant Pharmacy.

Warm Teas

There are a variety of teas that help to boost your immunity including thyme, olive leaf, the perennial hot lemon drink and a wonderful (though rather foul tasting) essential oil tea of clove and lavender oil. Take one to bed with you if you are feeling ill. I know on more than one occasion I’ve avoided falling head long into being sick just by having a hot lemon drinking and having a bit of a sweat while I sleep.

Soups

Chicken soup is famously known as the Jewish penicillin, is a well known and valued remedy for the flu. Sally Fallon author of Nourishing Traditions writes: “Modern research has confirmed that borth helps prevent and mitigate infectious diseases. The wise food provider, who uses gelatin-rich broth every day or a frequent basis, provides continuous protection from many health problems.” And it doesn’t have to be just chicken or beef broth. French Onion soup is a brilliant alternative, combining the health benefits of onion with beef broth. Fennel soup is also good for recharging the batteries and has the added benefit of increasing breastmilk production.

Don’t wait to get sick – prevention is always better than a cure. Picking up on the early warning signs and knowing how to nurture and nourish yourself at that point will make the difference to just how sick you get – or if you get sick at all. It is true; a stitch in time does save nine!

Jodi Cleghorn is a Brisbane mother and writer, as well as a passionate advocate for breastfeeding, natural birth and alternate therapies. She is the co-author of the book Reclaim Sex After Birth: the survival guide. You can find more of Jodi’s writing at Writing With Passionate Abandon and Reclaim Sex After Birth.

Thanks to the Arthur family for the image Will’s Hands.

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3. Discomfort in Breastfeeding
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5. Breastfeeding Does Not Contribute to Breast Sagging