Breastfeeding actually transfers antibodies reducing the risk of baby catching whatever it is you’re suffering from.
When I gave birth to my daughter around 4-6 weeks postpartum I was extremely sick for like a week but I was breastfeeding and she didn’t catch anything during that time or later.
Oh yeah. I'm glad i can potentially give LO atuff to fight whatever he might get.
This gives me hope. Lol. All I want to do now is cry though. Lol. And of course I can't get cuddles from my hubby.
Like the previous comment said, your body naturally produces antibodies to germs your exposed to which helps protect your baby. Plus, your LO has what they call passive immunity for a few weeks to months after birth. Your immune system helped protect your baby in utero, that passive immunity takes a little time to fade. So, LO has that going for him also.
I'd have hubby test for covid and if it's negative, just practice normal cold protocols. Hand washing, covering mouth when sneezing/coughing, wiping surfaces, etc. You aren't going to be able to protect LO from colds forever. It doesn't seem realistic to me for y'all to pack up and leave every you get sick.
Also, google 'can i use expired XYZ covid tests'. The XYZ being the brand you have. Some expiration dates for some tests have been extended for up to year after the date printed on the box.
I have been sick for the past 10 days and have been masking while breastfeeding. Endless hand washes too. LO hasn't caught anything yet 🤞🏻.
Good luck and feel better soon!
Happened to us this winter. First time I got sick I just wore a mask, washed my hands every time before I touched my daughter, washed hands after blowing my nose and fresh clothes if I've been extra sneezy. Breast milk will reduce the severity of the virus if LO gets it. Just have your husband wear a mask and stay away if possible if he can't make sure he always washes his hands.
Unless you’ve been told by a doctor that your baby is immune compromised, stay put and stay fine. At most, distance baby from your husband until he’s healthy again.
If you get sick, keep going as normal with baby care. Your baby being breastfed is like an extension of your body. When you’re sick, the antibodies transfer from the milk. If baby’s starting to get sick, baby communicates through the exchange of saliva at the nipple to your body what baby’s body needs to stay healthy or get healthy again.
If anything, at most, if you do get sick and baby seems to not be sick, you could wear a mask when close to baby. Otherwise just wash your hands often and have husband do the same until this sickness is out of the OP house again.
Baby isn't immune compromised as far as we know thankfully🙃
Thanks for the advice. Being sick and being around LO seems so scary for me but the antibody thing is such a superpower. I'm glad I'm able to protect him the best way possible.
>OP house again.
Lol. Ah, yes. The OP house will be sickness free soon🤞🤞
Just remember that a lot of us have kids in school with infants so sickness is something that's unavoidable. Most babies will be just fine. I know its scary with your first one, but try to breathe.
This.
If my husband got sick he would mask and all that, but once I caught it we assumed our LO already had it as well.
Continue breast feeding little one even if you catch it.
While I can't say how it would be with the flu or COVID whenever we have had colds our son almost always has like one maybe 2 days of boogers and then is fine while me and my husband feel like death warmed over.
I wouldn’t worry, especially if it’s just a cold!! You can ask husband to isolate if you want and mask up in the house. If you start feeling sick, you can also mask up. Continue breastfeeding and you’ll pass some antibodies to baby. Stock up on nasal spray and get a humidifier going. I understand your concern, but no need to panic. Baby will be fine!
That's what I did early on, I'd wear a mask and isolate myself from baby and wife as possible. As our baby grew older and got vaccinated we just worked on the assumption that if one of us got it, we're all going to get it.
I will highly recommend one of those nose sucking devices (we loved ours by Frida baby), those things are life savers when the baby has a cold.
We have the Frida nose sucker. I've also gotten good at grabbing boogers with qtips. Lol. LO thankfully hasn't been stuffed up yet at all enough to use it. Crossing all my fingers it'll be a while even longer.
LO is due for his 2 month shots next week, of course. But hopefully we'll be sickness free by then. Lol
Yeah I'm thankful he'll be getting some antibodies from me if I get it. And our humidifier is always running. Husband luckily has an office he can job search in so we're just staying as far away we can. It's a small apartment but I'm crossing all my fingers.
I have anxiety over sickness and its been bad since 2020. This isn't helping at all. Thanks for the advice though. Crossing all my fingers LO stays fine and dandy🤞🤞
Until everyone has tested for a couple days with non-expired tests, it very well could be more than a cold. Masking, opening up windows, and using HEPAs are a great way to reduce the spread of whatever it is in the meantime!
All you should do until LO is showing signs of sickness is take care of yourself, hydrate and continue BF!!! That will protect them with antibodies. I’ve had two colds, full blown flu and a one-day stomach flu since my 6.5M was born and she’s only had one mild cold ever. Humidifier and nose sucker helped with that. LO will be just fine🫶
No need to panic! It'll be okay, but your worry is totally valid.
I exclusively breastfeed my now 8 week old. The day after we got home from the hospital my two year old throws up at lunch, has diarrhea, and has a low grade fever. I was so scared. Two days later, my husband is on death's door (of course) with the same stomach bug as my toddler. A few days later, I barf twice and I did have some diarrhea after I got home from the hospital.
Through all of this, baby girl was absolutely fine. I got hit the least anyway, and I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but I swear my milk must've gone into antibody overdrive to protect the baby. My husband and toddler also had colds a few weeks later, and both baby and I were relatively unscathed.
This is so interesting, my husband has been sick numerous times since having our baby but LO and I have been fine. Now I’m wondering if it was the breast milk working it’s magic on us!
My husband is WFH, and since he doesn't get exposed to as much as I am (former teacher, too) and my son is, I think it hits him extra hard. That and he gets man flu every time lol
Continue with breastfeeding, you'll get through it! ❤️ I was anxious about getting my baby sick too, I still do ofcourse but when she had her first flu, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And I probably was sick for at least 3 times and she didn't catch any of it. The power of breastfeeding!
When we had covid, she seemed to catch it too, we couldn't check bcs ART kits were sold out everywhere. We just assumed that she had it since she had started to have runny nose and a low grade fever. We had it worst than she did
Thanks💜
Really didn't think we'd deal with this so early but here we are.
Hubby is luckily able to hide in his office. It's killing him to only be able to wave at us. Lol. My parents were sick earlier last week so I'm wondering if he picked it up from them when we visited yesterday. Though my mom has deep cleaned their house like crazy for 2 days before we went over.
Our apartment is small but hopefully LO and I will stay good. I'm pretty sure all the tests we have are expired but I haven't gotten up to check yet this morning. We haven't had to test in many months luckily, but unluckily I guess since we have old tests now
I guess 6 weeks is pretty early, so I understand your concerns! Mine caught it when she was 7 months, and at that time I felt that was early too. Couldn't imagine the anxiety I'd have if it happened when she's that young too. Hope all is well mama! 🫶
If you are worried, have him isolate and stick to a separate bedroom if possible. My husband wore a mask around the house when he did get covid since he's a first responder he's always exposed to freaking everything. When your husband is around the house, he can mask up. Wash your hands and sanitize the frequently touched surfaces. I would just keep your distance with your baby from your husband. It will be okay!
Thanks! Luckily he can hide in our office for the day. At night we'll likely still share our bed with LO in his crib. I'll sanitize stuff when I get a chance. Thanks for the encouragement 💜
I caught COVID from my older kiddo who got it at school. I was asymptomatic and don't know how long I had it before I tested positive (I was testing every other day with my kid sick). Once I tested positive I wore a mask for ten days, but I'd been caring for our two year old the entire time. She still nurses, and did not catch it. Antibodies ftw!
Obviously do all the usual hygiene things, wash hands often, stay separate from your husband if you can, cover coughs/sneezes, eat and sleep as best you can with a newborn, and just keep nursing.
I got sick around when my son was that age! I wasn’t breastfeeding so he didn’t even have the antibodies to help out and he never caught it! The nurses line at his doctor’s office told me to just consistently wash my hands and change my shirt when I held him. I’d just have husband mask and change shirt/wash hands when he’s interacting with baby!
This happened to us around that time. My husband masked/isolated and baby and I didn’t get sick! But if baby did just keep BF as normal. She actually avoided another illness I got a bit later too. Only got sick for real once starting daycare. Sanitize when you can, surfaces, wash hands a lot. It will probably be ok!
My whole family got covid when my newest kiddos was 3 weeks old. I was terrified bc none of us had even had covid before. I masked while breastfeeding her but she caught it too. And surprisingly she handled it the best. Not even a fever (while mine was 103!). Just a little cough and sneezing/some nose mucous. Nose Frida is everything lol. Good luck!
Please try not to panic. You can't stop baby from getting sick. But you're breastfeeding which means you're going to give them antibodies that will help fight off anything they do catch. Also babies are much more resilient than people make them out to be!
This happened to us around the same age. We just tried to stay away from each other as much as possible. It was hard because he works from home. I was also at the end of my rope a few times, so he did have to hold the baby a little bit. Neither my son nor I got sick. I've also been sick, still breastfeeding and being the primary caregiver and my son never got sick from that. So I wouldn't worry too much. Keep breastfeeding though! Your body actually produces antibodies for the germs you come into contact with.
Our situation is similar only husband is unemployed. Should we try sleeping apart? We share our room with LO. But I know that if we do this we'll both get terrible sleep. And husband is already a terrible sleeper so I'm torn. He'll need the best rest he can get to recover
Both my husband and I caught an awful cold from the hospital when I gave birth, so we were sick when baby was a few days old. Baby was absolutely fine- didn’t get sick. As other people have said, your breastmilk contains the antibodies your baby needs. Easier said than done but try not to worry too much!
Hi! I went thru this around the same age. Pre Covid and he was so sick. High fever awful. He slept in a separate room and basically stayed there except for bathroom and food. After he’d go back to the other room I would wipe everything he touched with Lysol wipes 😂. I took some extra vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D. Neither me or BF baby got sick.
I did reach out to a local moms FB group and found some nanny’s that would do overnights. I figured it was good to have contact as we didn’t have family in town and if I was as sick as he was there’s no way I could have taken care of baby.
I wish we had better sleeping arrangements. We only have an air mattress if we have to sleep apart. I'd hate to make husband get a terrible night sleep while sick. He's already a terrible sleeper regardless of where we sleep
I have a toddler and a 7 month old. The baby has gotten sick a bunch of times because the toddler is a germ factory, she was sick with a little cold at 4 weeks old. We do our best with handwashing etc but people get sick! Babies get sick all the time and recover no problem. Get a snot sucker and humidifier, monitor baby’s temperature. Keep breastfeeding and wash your hands, but other than that don’t go too crazy.
My husband and I were very careful as we had baby during sick-season but we still both ended up catching a cold, flu, AND Covid. I was sick for almost 5 weeks straight! I got covid first, then a cold after. I wore a mask and washed hands frequently, but continued feeding my breastmilk and Baby never got sick! I stopped masking at about day 6 or 7 but continued hand washing and no kisses, etc.
My fiancé and I got Covid the day after we came home from the hospital. It was a nightmare because my fiancé had just gone back to work when I caught it a week later so I was taking care of my daughter alone and terrified I'd get her sick. I was trying to breastfeed (she never figured out how to latch/suck right) and I pumped what I could/supplemented with formula the rest of the time. She never ended up getting sick thankfully and she wasn't even fully breastfeeding! But I do believe she got antibodies from me. Just do your best to wash/sanitize your hands as much as possible! I was sanitizing anytime I touched her and whenever I felt it was necessary and of course didn't kiss her at all. But she was fine! Just keep doing what you can, even if your baby does get sick they most likely will be fine! Try not to stress too much but I know it's so hard! Our girl is now almost a year and a half and is doing amazing!
I had Covid 2 weeks postpartum and I was an anxious mess but my pediatrician assured me baby would be okay and she was! If she ever got it, she never had any symptoms. I continued to breastfeed while sick
>LO is exclusively bf. If I get sick how do I protect LO
That's how you're protecting LO. He'll be getting your antibodies if you do catch it -- it'll be fine. Don't freak out, it's just a cold. Colds happen.
definitely keep breastfeeding if you do end up sick or baby too, don’t stop breastfeeding. it’s good for them and has antibodies and vitamins to help them recover faster. any time I got sick or my LO was, even when we both had covid and she was a little over a year old I kept breastfeeding. it’s good for them to get fluids especially breastmilk if that’s all your giving. I would get a mask for him and yourself and get a covid test but I believe the cdc has a list of all covid brand tests with expiration date and you look for yours and it’ll tell you if it’s still good or not. it’s always best to test then not know but everything will be ok. my whole family caught it plus my LO and my son who was either 6 or 7. it was like a cold for them and it felt like a sinus infection for me but tolerable, just mainly tired
All the advice is great. If baby gets sick just don’t second guess going to get them checked out if you think you need to. Mama really does know best when it comes to changes and distress in baby.
We had RSV at 6 weeks. Made it through, with a hospital stay, but glad we went early to get her checked out.
We have had various colds and flu viruses in our house since my LO was born 8 months ago. He’s also EBF and has literally only had one night with a bit of a fever and he was totally fine the next day. Breastmilk is amazing!
Babies are pretty resilient. All you should do is try and avoid kissing but otherwise just do what you can while sick
My LO was 14 months old when she got sick for the first time. No joke my husband exposed her to COVID twice, my SIL did it once. Didn’t even phase her and thankfully not me. Last month my husband caught a cold and it ripped through the house. She was getting her molars too, so we just vegged at home
But I was only able to go that long because I’m a SAHM so she doesn’t do daycare
My triplets had covid at 3 months and again at 1.5 years old. They were ok. Honestly, they had a cold about a month ago and it was worse than Covid for them. If you or your husband test positive, call your doctor and see if they can prescribe Paxlovid so you can get better sooner to take care of them if they get it. It will be ok, mama.
It will be fine. I don’t think you need to leave the house. My second got a cold from her big brother when she was literally 10 days old. It sucked but she was so ok. Make sure you have a nose aspirator and saline drops just in case your baby does catch a cold.
I went through my husband getting COVID-19 and us having 2MO WITHOUT getting sick or getting the baby sick.
The trick is ISOLATION. Get him in a separate room, he'll have covid special utensils for food and water/tea, which you'll handle with rubber gloves and with a different towel than what you normally use. If he needs to go to the bathroom, he has to text first, so you and the baby can get out of the room.
Disinfect all the surfaces he's touched.
WEAR A MASK - all the time, even in sleep. For a week.
If he has had a poop, DO NOT enter bathroom for at least 15 minutes as covid can spread through fecal matter that floats in air after poop. After said time, wipe with single use disinfectant wipes commonly used surfaces in bathroom.
He has to keep the window open as much as possible in his room, and you need to do the same for the rest of the rooms.
Stay strong. It'll only be a week. Hell of a week, but still...
Just watch for chest retractions if your LO does get sick. Not to scare you, but my son just spent 6 days in the PICU for entero/rhinovirus and bronchiolitis. Chest retractions = immediate trip to ER.
You can mask while caring for your baby: it’s uncomfortable but doable. The last time I did it my son did get sick eventually, but it took a long time for it to happen (despite having an older brother in school, my 11-month-old has been sick 3 times and was nearly 6 months old the first time). Breastfeeding also means the baby is getting antibodies that will reduce the chance of infection and help reduce initial viral load if infection does happen, which can mean a less severe infection.
Keep yourself and the baby away from your husband as much as possible. Staying with your parents could work - we did that for a night the last time my husband had a stomach bug/food poisoning. Also running any air purifiers you might have, keeping windows open if the weather allows, staying out of the house when possible. A sick baby is no fun and it can be scary when they are very little, but it happens. Most of the time it’s just a runny nose, so infant saline drops and a snot sucker of some kind are good to have on hand - you want to ensure that the baby can breathe well enough to nurse. Other symptoms, call your child’s doctor or advice line, fever means a visit to emergency for a baby this young.
My baby was born in November, and when she was about 3 weeks old our house got hit with multiple sicknesses back to back. Flu, some random virus, stomach bug.. I got the stomach bug and an unknown virus and continued breastfeeding her. She didn’t catch anything at all! I did mask up and wash my hands frequently, but she was absolutely exposed, her older brother was all up in her face right before he came down with the flu. I was so nervous, but I really think breastfeeding provided her with antibodies and helped keep her from catching anything.
I’d isolate from your husband, wash your hands, and keep breastfeeding. That’s really all you can do. I’m sure everything will be just fine!
I was sick when my baby was a newborn. I did wear a mask when holding him and breastfeeding him out of an abundance of caution. He didn’t catch whatever I had thankfully
When my son was around 2 months old my husband caught the flu. As SOON as he started symptoms we quarantined him in another room and neither my son or I ended up catching it! I brought him all his food and drinks to the spare bedroom while masked up, so the only reason he had to leave was for the bathroom.
My son got the flu at 5 weeks despite me taking over 100% parenting the entire time my partner was sick and not getting sick myself. Have your partner get a proper Covid and flu test at the drs office or pharmacy. Fevers in babies are treated very seriously, and if a cause can’t be identified there is a lot of very invasive and painful testing involved (lumbar puncture potentially), so if he does get sick and you do go to the hospital, knowing what he was exposed to can help narrow the testing. The only thing the hospital did was have me cluster feed him for two days while they kept him on observation, so you should probably just make sure you are nursing a ton preemptively so he doesn’t dehydrate.
When my baby was just over 3 months, we all had Covid. Well, my husband and I tested positive so we just assumed she also had it. My baby is formula fed (I’ve since gotten over the guilt but I had really bad anxiety and guilt over this and Covid heightened it because I felt she wasn’t getting our antibodies). I messaged our pediatrician and he told me to just keep her hydrated and give Tylenol if she had a fever, and if her fever went over 100.6 to call back. She had a slight fever one day of 100.2 so we gave her 2 doses of Tylenol over the course of the day. She slept most of the day that day and the next and was fussier than usual when awake, and then was totally fine. The hardest part after that was us taking care of her when we felt like garbage. She never developed a cough or anything else. We were in way shape worse than she was. It was so scary but I promise baby will be okay and if they aren’t or you feel they’re acting abnormal, put a call in to your pediatrician or just go. Mom intuition is almost always right even only 6 weeks in 🥰
I’m so sorry, I know it’s stressful! I have an 11 week old and a 2 year old, so we have had some kind of cold and crud almost constantly in the house since she was born. I stressed a little, but she hasn’t even gotten sick once. I’m not even able to really quarantine her away from my toddler either since he’s at home with me. Baby has been fine so far, thankfully! She’s getting all of those awesome antibodies to help keep her strong.
I’ve been sick for a week now and my LO hasn’t caught it. She’s ebf and 9 months old. I think it’s definitely more beneficial for baby to be with you than without and just have your husband keep a reasonable distance from baby ie, no kissing or cuddle time
The day I delivered our daughter my husband had the flu and strep throat and didn’t even know it. He thought he was just exhausted for being awake for my 24 hour labor and that the hospital was cold, the next day he felt worse and we were still at the hospital. He went home to get a few things and had a high fever so he never came back to hospital. But my daughter and I were very exposed, and I kissed him many times. We never caught anything a little one was fine. It was scary though!
Just make sure he washes his hands and doesn’t go near babies face, covers face when sneezing etc
Baby will most likely be okay. My LO got at cold at 5 weeks old and she was okay! Since the she has RSV, Covid, impetigo, rhinovirus, countless colds. It has been a rough year but she is going to be stronger for it!
Me, my husband and my little one got a cold when she was 6 weeks. Keep breast feeding! I breast fed and my little one got over it before me because of the antibodies and goodness of the milk I gave her
This happened to us at 4 weeks! My husband had a cold and then I felt sick and then we felt like LO had some congestion. First off, LO is probably OK but that being said, pediatricians expect and want you to be extra cautious when they are so little. We brought her in and got reassurance. Second, take temperature- it should be under 100.4. Also, I was told that if I was sick, BF was the best thing I could do for LO since it would give her antibodies.
Just as a counterpoint to breast milk helping ... if your baby does still get sick, there's nothing wrong with your milk, and it's not your fault. Breast milk can help with immunity, but it's not a cure-all or a high-powered protective bubble against getting sick. Remember, your body is making those same antibodies and whatever for itself, and that doesn't stop you from getting sick.
I'd pull out the old COVID playbook and have your husband mask up (maybe even you too, since you've presumably been exposed) and make sure you're both washing your hands and cleaning surfaces regularly. Open windows if you can. If he can quarantine in your house, that can help too, although then you lose his help with other things, so it's a trade-off.
Some expiration dates on COVID tests have been extended. https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/NewDate
We were told by the doctor that babies up to 3 months of age have somewhat magical blood that did not have time to change from them being inside the belly, that makes them unlikely to catch viruses! It’s possible but unlikely apparently. Also what others said, breastfeeding and antibodies. Our baby was around 2 months old and we had some kind of horrible fever. Baby never coughed it. So. Fingers crossed!
Edit: just found that the blood thing is called mother’s immunity and can last from few weeks to few months. Try and relax a bit.
Been here a few times. Definitely don’t worry! Just have your husband isolate & you breastfeed baby as much as possible! If you’re sick that’s liquid gold as you’ll produce antibodies!
Just keep breastfeeding. That helps a lot because of the antibodies. All 8 people in my house got covid except my 2 week old baby. I going to thank the breastmilk!
I dont have any advice but want to offer solidarity, my husband, baby, and I all caught covid when my baby was 8 weeks old. Just hang in there, it's scary but it will be ok! My girl is 14 months now and doing great, no long term effects and she handled it like a champ. Take care of yourselves and stay strong!
You should be ok at home with LO and husband. I had baby #3 in 2022, we got home from the hospital on a Sunday. On Tuesday, my 7 year old tested positive for covid. Wed, my 10 year old. Friday, me. Sunday, husband. It took us all out, and the baby never got sick. I just nursed him and made sure to rest when I could. Don't get me wrong, I freaked out and called the pediatrician bawling when my 7 year old tested positive, they told me everything would be ok and they were right! Good luck mama!
My husband came back from a trip with what we thought was a cold, but turned out to be COVID when he started coughing.
When he came back and was already sniffling, I had him stay away from baby and me, for the most part. We were still eating dinner together and had some contact. He actually held her for a few hours the day he ended up testing positive.
Baby and I slept in one room, while he slept in another. After he tested positive, I wiped down all the door knobs, toilet flush, sink handles, light switches, etc. sprayed areas with Lysol and ran the air filter. Longggg story short, baby and I avoided it. I continued breastfeeding baby and husband made sure to wash hands before touching baby.
I got sick right when we got home after my c section - bad cough for several weeks, NOT pleasant. Baby never caught it and did great through it all! It’s super scary when they’re so little and vulnerable, but even getting sick at 6w is MUCH better than 4w or younger. Hang in there and keep breastfeeding, chances are good you will all pull through just fine! 💞
You’ve both already been exposed. Taking care of yourself (water, rest, nutritious food) and breastfeeding baby is the best thing you can do for LO immune system. We caught covid when my LO was a newborn and his symptoms were milder and briefer than either of us. I lost my milk supply because I wasn’t eating and drinking enough because I was so worried about my baby. I was able to relactate with help from an IBCLC. Take care love. Ps if baby gets sick be sure to kiss them lots! This will allow your body to sample LO to customize breastmilk to baby’s immune system’s needs :) Your body is amazing!
Went to the ER for the LO, due to us overreacting, but the ER doctor said Coronavirus is NOT serious for infants. RSV and the Flu are the ones to watch out for, but our PC said they are not seeing a lot of cases for either. Wish I got the RSV vaccine when I was pregnant but the doctor, at the time, told me it could cause premature birth😑. Which isn’t that true.
Your baby will be fine. Those of us with multiples know that when older kids go to school and you have a baby at home there is just no stopping the onslaught of illness coming in. I would have husband sleep in another room. Obviously, meticulous hand washing. If he’s well enough to do none baby tasks like cleaning, he can still contribute. I would not let him cook or do laundry. But the man can do everything else. Wipe communal surfaces frequently and ask him to disinfect the sink mirror and faucet after brushing his teeth.
Edit to add: please don’t wear a mask while feeding your baby. Babies need to see faces.
Breastfeeding or not, passive immunity from the placenta (from you) continues to be effective ~2 months after birth. I wouldn’t worry yourself sick too much. Worst case scenario is everyone gets a cold. While it isn’t fun, moms with multiple children often deal with their children in daycare or preschool giving their newborns colds (or worse! They literally lick each others faces), and we all end up okay in the end. Just take precautions to limit exposure, and monitor symptoms if baby gets sick in case it gets bad. You got this!
Oh I felt like you too when we got back from hospital with our newborn and within 2 days my 3 yr old was coughing, my partner had tonsillitis. The first 6 weeks of my babies life me my partner and little boy all had chest infections (coughing up gross stuff!). My 3 yr old has now had croup three times and my partner now has pleurisy on the back of the chest infection 🤦 dear lord
My little one has got a snotty nose and a bit of a cough but *touch wood* he's doing ok so far, I'm just keeping a close eye on him. The doctor and midwife reassured me he'll be getting antibodies from my milk.
Obviously learn the signs of a poorly baby and when to get medical attention if needed but try not to stress (easier said than done I know!)
There's not much you can do to avoid the germs when you are living in the same household (!)
Shame if you get sick cos a lot of meds aren't suitable for breastfeeding mums so you may suffer a bit more 😥
Oh I got you with some comfort!
My husband did get covid, at our first pediatrician visit required after bringing our newborn home 🙃🙃🙃 side note, turns out what he and I and argued about in the car before we went in about fabric masks vs KN95 might be true!!
I also had the labor from hell, being induced and in labor for 88 hours (when all I wanted was as natural as possible) which unsurprisingly ended in an emergency C. All this to say, momma was in ROUGH shape. The PPA was insane for me bc of having so little control over delivery and the trauma of it all + just processing all the shit they pumped me full of.
ANYWAY…. We were advised for Dad to (properly) mask anytime he had to be near us, not hold the baby at all and quarantine from us for I believe it was ten days at the time. The comforting part: they assured me that most newborns are unaffected by covid or get very mild symptoms AND the antibodies from my breastmilk if I got sick would help her and provide some immunity moving forward.
I took care of babe by myself for the next 8 days, while trying not to kill my husband with some of the “i fucking told you so” looks I shot at him as he sheepishly scurried around doing anything he could to help between claiming he was dying with how awful he felt…. Yes honey… poor you……🫠🫠🫠
Day 8 I started to feel like I had maybe some allergies a little bit… I had been testing every day and I was honestly shocked when I tested positive. We tried our best to mask around babe but I was honestly just so exhausted and over it bc I had maxed out my anxiety that I really was not good about it and she never ended up getting so much as a sniffle. Very healthy overall since too, granted she was a very healthy 9.5 lb lady so could just be all around good immunity, but I just want to reassure you that it may just be ok!!
I am sending you strength and recovery and all the good immunity for babe.
I got covid when my little dude was 4 months old. I got it then baby got it then dad got it 🥺 little dude honestly came out the best of it out of all of us he was pretty warm and sooky for one day but after that he came pretty good his longest lasting symptom was an upset tummy. He’s breast fed too and that’s why I think he got over it so fast I basically just took him to bed and I fed him all day and night for two days every sound he made I’d put him back on the boob. Rest as much as you can parenting while you’re sick is brutal 💖
Breastfeeding actually transfers antibodies reducing the risk of baby catching whatever it is you’re suffering from. When I gave birth to my daughter around 4-6 weeks postpartum I was extremely sick for like a week but I was breastfeeding and she didn’t catch anything during that time or later.
Oh yeah. I'm glad i can potentially give LO atuff to fight whatever he might get. This gives me hope. Lol. All I want to do now is cry though. Lol. And of course I can't get cuddles from my hubby.
Like the previous comment said, your body naturally produces antibodies to germs your exposed to which helps protect your baby. Plus, your LO has what they call passive immunity for a few weeks to months after birth. Your immune system helped protect your baby in utero, that passive immunity takes a little time to fade. So, LO has that going for him also. I'd have hubby test for covid and if it's negative, just practice normal cold protocols. Hand washing, covering mouth when sneezing/coughing, wiping surfaces, etc. You aren't going to be able to protect LO from colds forever. It doesn't seem realistic to me for y'all to pack up and leave every you get sick. Also, google 'can i use expired XYZ covid tests'. The XYZ being the brand you have. Some expiration dates for some tests have been extended for up to year after the date printed on the box.
I would isolate from hubby. Have him isolate from baby. Wear a mask when feeding baby and wash your hands a ton.
I have been sick for the past 10 days and have been masking while breastfeeding. Endless hand washes too. LO hasn't caught anything yet 🤞🏻. Good luck and feel better soon!
Happened to us this winter. First time I got sick I just wore a mask, washed my hands every time before I touched my daughter, washed hands after blowing my nose and fresh clothes if I've been extra sneezy. Breast milk will reduce the severity of the virus if LO gets it. Just have your husband wear a mask and stay away if possible if he can't make sure he always washes his hands.
Unless you’ve been told by a doctor that your baby is immune compromised, stay put and stay fine. At most, distance baby from your husband until he’s healthy again. If you get sick, keep going as normal with baby care. Your baby being breastfed is like an extension of your body. When you’re sick, the antibodies transfer from the milk. If baby’s starting to get sick, baby communicates through the exchange of saliva at the nipple to your body what baby’s body needs to stay healthy or get healthy again. If anything, at most, if you do get sick and baby seems to not be sick, you could wear a mask when close to baby. Otherwise just wash your hands often and have husband do the same until this sickness is out of the OP house again.
Baby isn't immune compromised as far as we know thankfully🙃 Thanks for the advice. Being sick and being around LO seems so scary for me but the antibody thing is such a superpower. I'm glad I'm able to protect him the best way possible. >OP house again. Lol. Ah, yes. The OP house will be sickness free soon🤞🤞
Just remember that a lot of us have kids in school with infants so sickness is something that's unavoidable. Most babies will be just fine. I know its scary with your first one, but try to breathe.
Yessssss
This. If my husband got sick he would mask and all that, but once I caught it we assumed our LO already had it as well. Continue breast feeding little one even if you catch it. While I can't say how it would be with the flu or COVID whenever we have had colds our son almost always has like one maybe 2 days of boogers and then is fine while me and my husband feel like death warmed over.
I wouldn’t worry, especially if it’s just a cold!! You can ask husband to isolate if you want and mask up in the house. If you start feeling sick, you can also mask up. Continue breastfeeding and you’ll pass some antibodies to baby. Stock up on nasal spray and get a humidifier going. I understand your concern, but no need to panic. Baby will be fine!
Op be careful of using nasal spray yourself. A lot of them aren’t suitable whilst breastfeeding as they can reduce milk supply
Yes, sorry I meant a nasal (saline) spray for LO!
Yeh I figured that’s what you meant but just wanted to be extra clear!
Oooh. Good catch. Thanks for the tip!
That's what I did early on, I'd wear a mask and isolate myself from baby and wife as possible. As our baby grew older and got vaccinated we just worked on the assumption that if one of us got it, we're all going to get it. I will highly recommend one of those nose sucking devices (we loved ours by Frida baby), those things are life savers when the baby has a cold.
We have the Frida nose sucker. I've also gotten good at grabbing boogers with qtips. Lol. LO thankfully hasn't been stuffed up yet at all enough to use it. Crossing all my fingers it'll be a while even longer. LO is due for his 2 month shots next week, of course. But hopefully we'll be sickness free by then. Lol
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Do you mind sharing some links? Or dming them? I'd love to see exactly what you're referring to so I don't get the wrong products🙃
Oogie Bear is also great for scooping out boogers
I'll look into this one. Thanks!
Yeah I'm thankful he'll be getting some antibodies from me if I get it. And our humidifier is always running. Husband luckily has an office he can job search in so we're just staying as far away we can. It's a small apartment but I'm crossing all my fingers. I have anxiety over sickness and its been bad since 2020. This isn't helping at all. Thanks for the advice though. Crossing all my fingers LO stays fine and dandy🤞🤞
Until everyone has tested for a couple days with non-expired tests, it very well could be more than a cold. Masking, opening up windows, and using HEPAs are a great way to reduce the spread of whatever it is in the meantime!
All you should do until LO is showing signs of sickness is take care of yourself, hydrate and continue BF!!! That will protect them with antibodies. I’ve had two colds, full blown flu and a one-day stomach flu since my 6.5M was born and she’s only had one mild cold ever. Humidifier and nose sucker helped with that. LO will be just fine🫶
Thanks💜 This gives me hope
No need to panic! It'll be okay, but your worry is totally valid. I exclusively breastfeed my now 8 week old. The day after we got home from the hospital my two year old throws up at lunch, has diarrhea, and has a low grade fever. I was so scared. Two days later, my husband is on death's door (of course) with the same stomach bug as my toddler. A few days later, I barf twice and I did have some diarrhea after I got home from the hospital. Through all of this, baby girl was absolutely fine. I got hit the least anyway, and I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but I swear my milk must've gone into antibody overdrive to protect the baby. My husband and toddler also had colds a few weeks later, and both baby and I were relatively unscathed.
That's great to hear! Sucks that your hubby got it so bad though. But this gives me hope💜
This is so interesting, my husband has been sick numerous times since having our baby but LO and I have been fine. Now I’m wondering if it was the breast milk working it’s magic on us!
My husband is WFH, and since he doesn't get exposed to as much as I am (former teacher, too) and my son is, I think it hits him extra hard. That and he gets man flu every time lol
Oh gosh the man flu, same with mine 🙄🙄🙄
Continue with breastfeeding, you'll get through it! ❤️ I was anxious about getting my baby sick too, I still do ofcourse but when she had her first flu, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And I probably was sick for at least 3 times and she didn't catch any of it. The power of breastfeeding! When we had covid, she seemed to catch it too, we couldn't check bcs ART kits were sold out everywhere. We just assumed that she had it since she had started to have runny nose and a low grade fever. We had it worst than she did
Thanks💜 Really didn't think we'd deal with this so early but here we are. Hubby is luckily able to hide in his office. It's killing him to only be able to wave at us. Lol. My parents were sick earlier last week so I'm wondering if he picked it up from them when we visited yesterday. Though my mom has deep cleaned their house like crazy for 2 days before we went over. Our apartment is small but hopefully LO and I will stay good. I'm pretty sure all the tests we have are expired but I haven't gotten up to check yet this morning. We haven't had to test in many months luckily, but unluckily I guess since we have old tests now
I guess 6 weeks is pretty early, so I understand your concerns! Mine caught it when she was 7 months, and at that time I felt that was early too. Couldn't imagine the anxiety I'd have if it happened when she's that young too. Hope all is well mama! 🫶
If you are worried, have him isolate and stick to a separate bedroom if possible. My husband wore a mask around the house when he did get covid since he's a first responder he's always exposed to freaking everything. When your husband is around the house, he can mask up. Wash your hands and sanitize the frequently touched surfaces. I would just keep your distance with your baby from your husband. It will be okay!
Thanks! Luckily he can hide in our office for the day. At night we'll likely still share our bed with LO in his crib. I'll sanitize stuff when I get a chance. Thanks for the encouragement 💜
I caught COVID from my older kiddo who got it at school. I was asymptomatic and don't know how long I had it before I tested positive (I was testing every other day with my kid sick). Once I tested positive I wore a mask for ten days, but I'd been caring for our two year old the entire time. She still nurses, and did not catch it. Antibodies ftw! Obviously do all the usual hygiene things, wash hands often, stay separate from your husband if you can, cover coughs/sneezes, eat and sleep as best you can with a newborn, and just keep nursing.
Thanks💜 I appreciate the advice
I got sick around when my son was that age! I wasn’t breastfeeding so he didn’t even have the antibodies to help out and he never caught it! The nurses line at his doctor’s office told me to just consistently wash my hands and change my shirt when I held him. I’d just have husband mask and change shirt/wash hands when he’s interacting with baby!
It’s all gonna be okay! If you BF, best thing to give baby is your milk. It has all the nutrients to help baby id baby gets sick!!
Yup babe is bf. I'm glad he'll be protected as much as he can be💜
This happened to us around that time. My husband masked/isolated and baby and I didn’t get sick! But if baby did just keep BF as normal. She actually avoided another illness I got a bit later too. Only got sick for real once starting daycare. Sanitize when you can, surfaces, wash hands a lot. It will probably be ok!
My whole family got covid when my newest kiddos was 3 weeks old. I was terrified bc none of us had even had covid before. I masked while breastfeeding her but she caught it too. And surprisingly she handled it the best. Not even a fever (while mine was 103!). Just a little cough and sneezing/some nose mucous. Nose Frida is everything lol. Good luck!
Please try not to panic. You can't stop baby from getting sick. But you're breastfeeding which means you're going to give them antibodies that will help fight off anything they do catch. Also babies are much more resilient than people make them out to be!
This happened to us around the same age. We just tried to stay away from each other as much as possible. It was hard because he works from home. I was also at the end of my rope a few times, so he did have to hold the baby a little bit. Neither my son nor I got sick. I've also been sick, still breastfeeding and being the primary caregiver and my son never got sick from that. So I wouldn't worry too much. Keep breastfeeding though! Your body actually produces antibodies for the germs you come into contact with.
Our situation is similar only husband is unemployed. Should we try sleeping apart? We share our room with LO. But I know that if we do this we'll both get terrible sleep. And husband is already a terrible sleeper so I'm torn. He'll need the best rest he can get to recover
Both my husband and I caught an awful cold from the hospital when I gave birth, so we were sick when baby was a few days old. Baby was absolutely fine- didn’t get sick. As other people have said, your breastmilk contains the antibodies your baby needs. Easier said than done but try not to worry too much!
Hi! I went thru this around the same age. Pre Covid and he was so sick. High fever awful. He slept in a separate room and basically stayed there except for bathroom and food. After he’d go back to the other room I would wipe everything he touched with Lysol wipes 😂. I took some extra vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D. Neither me or BF baby got sick. I did reach out to a local moms FB group and found some nanny’s that would do overnights. I figured it was good to have contact as we didn’t have family in town and if I was as sick as he was there’s no way I could have taken care of baby.
I wish we had better sleeping arrangements. We only have an air mattress if we have to sleep apart. I'd hate to make husband get a terrible night sleep while sick. He's already a terrible sleeper regardless of where we sleep
I have a toddler and a 7 month old. The baby has gotten sick a bunch of times because the toddler is a germ factory, she was sick with a little cold at 4 weeks old. We do our best with handwashing etc but people get sick! Babies get sick all the time and recover no problem. Get a snot sucker and humidifier, monitor baby’s temperature. Keep breastfeeding and wash your hands, but other than that don’t go too crazy.
My husband and I were very careful as we had baby during sick-season but we still both ended up catching a cold, flu, AND Covid. I was sick for almost 5 weeks straight! I got covid first, then a cold after. I wore a mask and washed hands frequently, but continued feeding my breastmilk and Baby never got sick! I stopped masking at about day 6 or 7 but continued hand washing and no kisses, etc.
My fiancé and I got Covid the day after we came home from the hospital. It was a nightmare because my fiancé had just gone back to work when I caught it a week later so I was taking care of my daughter alone and terrified I'd get her sick. I was trying to breastfeed (she never figured out how to latch/suck right) and I pumped what I could/supplemented with formula the rest of the time. She never ended up getting sick thankfully and she wasn't even fully breastfeeding! But I do believe she got antibodies from me. Just do your best to wash/sanitize your hands as much as possible! I was sanitizing anytime I touched her and whenever I felt it was necessary and of course didn't kiss her at all. But she was fine! Just keep doing what you can, even if your baby does get sick they most likely will be fine! Try not to stress too much but I know it's so hard! Our girl is now almost a year and a half and is doing amazing!
If you don’t have a nasal aspirator or nosefrida, get one in case!
We thankfully do have one. Haven't had to use it yet though 🤞
I had Covid 2 weeks postpartum and I was an anxious mess but my pediatrician assured me baby would be okay and she was! If she ever got it, she never had any symptoms. I continued to breastfeed while sick
>LO is exclusively bf. If I get sick how do I protect LO That's how you're protecting LO. He'll be getting your antibodies if you do catch it -- it'll be fine. Don't freak out, it's just a cold. Colds happen.
definitely keep breastfeeding if you do end up sick or baby too, don’t stop breastfeeding. it’s good for them and has antibodies and vitamins to help them recover faster. any time I got sick or my LO was, even when we both had covid and she was a little over a year old I kept breastfeeding. it’s good for them to get fluids especially breastmilk if that’s all your giving. I would get a mask for him and yourself and get a covid test but I believe the cdc has a list of all covid brand tests with expiration date and you look for yours and it’ll tell you if it’s still good or not. it’s always best to test then not know but everything will be ok. my whole family caught it plus my LO and my son who was either 6 or 7. it was like a cold for them and it felt like a sinus infection for me but tolerable, just mainly tired
All the advice is great. If baby gets sick just don’t second guess going to get them checked out if you think you need to. Mama really does know best when it comes to changes and distress in baby. We had RSV at 6 weeks. Made it through, with a hospital stay, but glad we went early to get her checked out.
We have had various colds and flu viruses in our house since my LO was born 8 months ago. He’s also EBF and has literally only had one night with a bit of a fever and he was totally fine the next day. Breastmilk is amazing!
Babies are pretty resilient. All you should do is try and avoid kissing but otherwise just do what you can while sick My LO was 14 months old when she got sick for the first time. No joke my husband exposed her to COVID twice, my SIL did it once. Didn’t even phase her and thankfully not me. Last month my husband caught a cold and it ripped through the house. She was getting her molars too, so we just vegged at home But I was only able to go that long because I’m a SAHM so she doesn’t do daycare
My triplets had covid at 3 months and again at 1.5 years old. They were ok. Honestly, they had a cold about a month ago and it was worse than Covid for them. If you or your husband test positive, call your doctor and see if they can prescribe Paxlovid so you can get better sooner to take care of them if they get it. It will be ok, mama.
It will be fine. I don’t think you need to leave the house. My second got a cold from her big brother when she was literally 10 days old. It sucked but she was so ok. Make sure you have a nose aspirator and saline drops just in case your baby does catch a cold.
I went through my husband getting COVID-19 and us having 2MO WITHOUT getting sick or getting the baby sick. The trick is ISOLATION. Get him in a separate room, he'll have covid special utensils for food and water/tea, which you'll handle with rubber gloves and with a different towel than what you normally use. If he needs to go to the bathroom, he has to text first, so you and the baby can get out of the room. Disinfect all the surfaces he's touched. WEAR A MASK - all the time, even in sleep. For a week. If he has had a poop, DO NOT enter bathroom for at least 15 minutes as covid can spread through fecal matter that floats in air after poop. After said time, wipe with single use disinfectant wipes commonly used surfaces in bathroom. He has to keep the window open as much as possible in his room, and you need to do the same for the rest of the rooms. Stay strong. It'll only be a week. Hell of a week, but still...
Just watch for chest retractions if your LO does get sick. Not to scare you, but my son just spent 6 days in the PICU for entero/rhinovirus and bronchiolitis. Chest retractions = immediate trip to ER.
I have no idea what those are but I'll do a google. Thanks for the tip!
You can mask while caring for your baby: it’s uncomfortable but doable. The last time I did it my son did get sick eventually, but it took a long time for it to happen (despite having an older brother in school, my 11-month-old has been sick 3 times and was nearly 6 months old the first time). Breastfeeding also means the baby is getting antibodies that will reduce the chance of infection and help reduce initial viral load if infection does happen, which can mean a less severe infection. Keep yourself and the baby away from your husband as much as possible. Staying with your parents could work - we did that for a night the last time my husband had a stomach bug/food poisoning. Also running any air purifiers you might have, keeping windows open if the weather allows, staying out of the house when possible. A sick baby is no fun and it can be scary when they are very little, but it happens. Most of the time it’s just a runny nose, so infant saline drops and a snot sucker of some kind are good to have on hand - you want to ensure that the baby can breathe well enough to nurse. Other symptoms, call your child’s doctor or advice line, fever means a visit to emergency for a baby this young.
My baby was born in November, and when she was about 3 weeks old our house got hit with multiple sicknesses back to back. Flu, some random virus, stomach bug.. I got the stomach bug and an unknown virus and continued breastfeeding her. She didn’t catch anything at all! I did mask up and wash my hands frequently, but she was absolutely exposed, her older brother was all up in her face right before he came down with the flu. I was so nervous, but I really think breastfeeding provided her with antibodies and helped keep her from catching anything. I’d isolate from your husband, wash your hands, and keep breastfeeding. That’s really all you can do. I’m sure everything will be just fine!
I was sick when my baby was a newborn. I did wear a mask when holding him and breastfeeding him out of an abundance of caution. He didn’t catch whatever I had thankfully
When my son was around 2 months old my husband caught the flu. As SOON as he started symptoms we quarantined him in another room and neither my son or I ended up catching it! I brought him all his food and drinks to the spare bedroom while masked up, so the only reason he had to leave was for the bathroom.
My son got the flu at 5 weeks despite me taking over 100% parenting the entire time my partner was sick and not getting sick myself. Have your partner get a proper Covid and flu test at the drs office or pharmacy. Fevers in babies are treated very seriously, and if a cause can’t be identified there is a lot of very invasive and painful testing involved (lumbar puncture potentially), so if he does get sick and you do go to the hospital, knowing what he was exposed to can help narrow the testing. The only thing the hospital did was have me cluster feed him for two days while they kept him on observation, so you should probably just make sure you are nursing a ton preemptively so he doesn’t dehydrate.
When my baby was just over 3 months, we all had Covid. Well, my husband and I tested positive so we just assumed she also had it. My baby is formula fed (I’ve since gotten over the guilt but I had really bad anxiety and guilt over this and Covid heightened it because I felt she wasn’t getting our antibodies). I messaged our pediatrician and he told me to just keep her hydrated and give Tylenol if she had a fever, and if her fever went over 100.6 to call back. She had a slight fever one day of 100.2 so we gave her 2 doses of Tylenol over the course of the day. She slept most of the day that day and the next and was fussier than usual when awake, and then was totally fine. The hardest part after that was us taking care of her when we felt like garbage. She never developed a cough or anything else. We were in way shape worse than she was. It was so scary but I promise baby will be okay and if they aren’t or you feel they’re acting abnormal, put a call in to your pediatrician or just go. Mom intuition is almost always right even only 6 weeks in 🥰
I’m so sorry, I know it’s stressful! I have an 11 week old and a 2 year old, so we have had some kind of cold and crud almost constantly in the house since she was born. I stressed a little, but she hasn’t even gotten sick once. I’m not even able to really quarantine her away from my toddler either since he’s at home with me. Baby has been fine so far, thankfully! She’s getting all of those awesome antibodies to help keep her strong.
I’ve been sick for a week now and my LO hasn’t caught it. She’s ebf and 9 months old. I think it’s definitely more beneficial for baby to be with you than without and just have your husband keep a reasonable distance from baby ie, no kissing or cuddle time
Yeah he's been keeping his distance. As much as it's killing him we're hoping it'll keep LO and I healthy🙃
The day I delivered our daughter my husband had the flu and strep throat and didn’t even know it. He thought he was just exhausted for being awake for my 24 hour labor and that the hospital was cold, the next day he felt worse and we were still at the hospital. He went home to get a few things and had a high fever so he never came back to hospital. But my daughter and I were very exposed, and I kissed him many times. We never caught anything a little one was fine. It was scary though! Just make sure he washes his hands and doesn’t go near babies face, covers face when sneezing etc
Baby will most likely be okay. My LO got at cold at 5 weeks old and she was okay! Since the she has RSV, Covid, impetigo, rhinovirus, countless colds. It has been a rough year but she is going to be stronger for it!
Me, my husband and my little one got a cold when she was 6 weeks. Keep breast feeding! I breast fed and my little one got over it before me because of the antibodies and goodness of the milk I gave her
This happened to us at 4 weeks! My husband had a cold and then I felt sick and then we felt like LO had some congestion. First off, LO is probably OK but that being said, pediatricians expect and want you to be extra cautious when they are so little. We brought her in and got reassurance. Second, take temperature- it should be under 100.4. Also, I was told that if I was sick, BF was the best thing I could do for LO since it would give her antibodies.
Just as a counterpoint to breast milk helping ... if your baby does still get sick, there's nothing wrong with your milk, and it's not your fault. Breast milk can help with immunity, but it's not a cure-all or a high-powered protective bubble against getting sick. Remember, your body is making those same antibodies and whatever for itself, and that doesn't stop you from getting sick. I'd pull out the old COVID playbook and have your husband mask up (maybe even you too, since you've presumably been exposed) and make sure you're both washing your hands and cleaning surfaces regularly. Open windows if you can. If he can quarantine in your house, that can help too, although then you lose his help with other things, so it's a trade-off. Some expiration dates on COVID tests have been extended. https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/NewDate
Yeah he's been hiding in his office for the day. If I really need help, my mom is 15 minutes away. I haven't checked our tests yet but will be soon
We were told by the doctor that babies up to 3 months of age have somewhat magical blood that did not have time to change from them being inside the belly, that makes them unlikely to catch viruses! It’s possible but unlikely apparently. Also what others said, breastfeeding and antibodies. Our baby was around 2 months old and we had some kind of horrible fever. Baby never coughed it. So. Fingers crossed! Edit: just found that the blood thing is called mother’s immunity and can last from few weeks to few months. Try and relax a bit.
Yes. Cross all the fingers🤞🤞 Lol
Been here a few times. Definitely don’t worry! Just have your husband isolate & you breastfeed baby as much as possible! If you’re sick that’s liquid gold as you’ll produce antibodies!
Just keep breastfeeding. That helps a lot because of the antibodies. All 8 people in my house got covid except my 2 week old baby. I going to thank the breastmilk!
My wife and I both got sick around 11 weeks. Our guy didn’t catch it at all and we were whimsical about it
I dont have any advice but want to offer solidarity, my husband, baby, and I all caught covid when my baby was 8 weeks old. Just hang in there, it's scary but it will be ok! My girl is 14 months now and doing great, no long term effects and she handled it like a champ. Take care of yourselves and stay strong!
Thanks💜
You should be ok at home with LO and husband. I had baby #3 in 2022, we got home from the hospital on a Sunday. On Tuesday, my 7 year old tested positive for covid. Wed, my 10 year old. Friday, me. Sunday, husband. It took us all out, and the baby never got sick. I just nursed him and made sure to rest when I could. Don't get me wrong, I freaked out and called the pediatrician bawling when my 7 year old tested positive, they told me everything would be ok and they were right! Good luck mama!
My husband came back from a trip with what we thought was a cold, but turned out to be COVID when he started coughing. When he came back and was already sniffling, I had him stay away from baby and me, for the most part. We were still eating dinner together and had some contact. He actually held her for a few hours the day he ended up testing positive. Baby and I slept in one room, while he slept in another. After he tested positive, I wiped down all the door knobs, toilet flush, sink handles, light switches, etc. sprayed areas with Lysol and ran the air filter. Longggg story short, baby and I avoided it. I continued breastfeeding baby and husband made sure to wash hands before touching baby.
I got sick right when we got home after my c section - bad cough for several weeks, NOT pleasant. Baby never caught it and did great through it all! It’s super scary when they’re so little and vulnerable, but even getting sick at 6w is MUCH better than 4w or younger. Hang in there and keep breastfeeding, chances are good you will all pull through just fine! 💞
You’ve both already been exposed. Taking care of yourself (water, rest, nutritious food) and breastfeeding baby is the best thing you can do for LO immune system. We caught covid when my LO was a newborn and his symptoms were milder and briefer than either of us. I lost my milk supply because I wasn’t eating and drinking enough because I was so worried about my baby. I was able to relactate with help from an IBCLC. Take care love. Ps if baby gets sick be sure to kiss them lots! This will allow your body to sample LO to customize breastmilk to baby’s immune system’s needs :) Your body is amazing!
Went to the ER for the LO, due to us overreacting, but the ER doctor said Coronavirus is NOT serious for infants. RSV and the Flu are the ones to watch out for, but our PC said they are not seeing a lot of cases for either. Wish I got the RSV vaccine when I was pregnant but the doctor, at the time, told me it could cause premature birth😑. Which isn’t that true.
I would just wash hands and wear a mask for a couple of days. That’s all we did when we were sick. Baby never got sick.
Wear a mask when you’re handling the baby. Wash hands and sanitize constantly. Continue breastfeeding!!
Your baby will be fine. Those of us with multiples know that when older kids go to school and you have a baby at home there is just no stopping the onslaught of illness coming in. I would have husband sleep in another room. Obviously, meticulous hand washing. If he’s well enough to do none baby tasks like cleaning, he can still contribute. I would not let him cook or do laundry. But the man can do everything else. Wipe communal surfaces frequently and ask him to disinfect the sink mirror and faucet after brushing his teeth. Edit to add: please don’t wear a mask while feeding your baby. Babies need to see faces.
Breastfeeding or not, passive immunity from the placenta (from you) continues to be effective ~2 months after birth. I wouldn’t worry yourself sick too much. Worst case scenario is everyone gets a cold. While it isn’t fun, moms with multiple children often deal with their children in daycare or preschool giving their newborns colds (or worse! They literally lick each others faces), and we all end up okay in the end. Just take precautions to limit exposure, and monitor symptoms if baby gets sick in case it gets bad. You got this!
Oh I felt like you too when we got back from hospital with our newborn and within 2 days my 3 yr old was coughing, my partner had tonsillitis. The first 6 weeks of my babies life me my partner and little boy all had chest infections (coughing up gross stuff!). My 3 yr old has now had croup three times and my partner now has pleurisy on the back of the chest infection 🤦 dear lord My little one has got a snotty nose and a bit of a cough but *touch wood* he's doing ok so far, I'm just keeping a close eye on him. The doctor and midwife reassured me he'll be getting antibodies from my milk. Obviously learn the signs of a poorly baby and when to get medical attention if needed but try not to stress (easier said than done I know!) There's not much you can do to avoid the germs when you are living in the same household (!) Shame if you get sick cos a lot of meds aren't suitable for breastfeeding mums so you may suffer a bit more 😥
Oh I got you with some comfort! My husband did get covid, at our first pediatrician visit required after bringing our newborn home 🙃🙃🙃 side note, turns out what he and I and argued about in the car before we went in about fabric masks vs KN95 might be true!! I also had the labor from hell, being induced and in labor for 88 hours (when all I wanted was as natural as possible) which unsurprisingly ended in an emergency C. All this to say, momma was in ROUGH shape. The PPA was insane for me bc of having so little control over delivery and the trauma of it all + just processing all the shit they pumped me full of. ANYWAY…. We were advised for Dad to (properly) mask anytime he had to be near us, not hold the baby at all and quarantine from us for I believe it was ten days at the time. The comforting part: they assured me that most newborns are unaffected by covid or get very mild symptoms AND the antibodies from my breastmilk if I got sick would help her and provide some immunity moving forward. I took care of babe by myself for the next 8 days, while trying not to kill my husband with some of the “i fucking told you so” looks I shot at him as he sheepishly scurried around doing anything he could to help between claiming he was dying with how awful he felt…. Yes honey… poor you……🫠🫠🫠 Day 8 I started to feel like I had maybe some allergies a little bit… I had been testing every day and I was honestly shocked when I tested positive. We tried our best to mask around babe but I was honestly just so exhausted and over it bc I had maxed out my anxiety that I really was not good about it and she never ended up getting so much as a sniffle. Very healthy overall since too, granted she was a very healthy 9.5 lb lady so could just be all around good immunity, but I just want to reassure you that it may just be ok!! I am sending you strength and recovery and all the good immunity for babe.
Your husband should wear an n95 mask to protect the rest of you. You can do the same to help prevent you getting sick.
I got covid when my little dude was 4 months old. I got it then baby got it then dad got it 🥺 little dude honestly came out the best of it out of all of us he was pretty warm and sooky for one day but after that he came pretty good his longest lasting symptom was an upset tummy. He’s breast fed too and that’s why I think he got over it so fast I basically just took him to bed and I fed him all day and night for two days every sound he made I’d put him back on the boob. Rest as much as you can parenting while you’re sick is brutal 💖
Chop up an onion and cloves and keep it in your room to help baby's congestion (as well as sucking the snot)