Breastfeeding while having pneumonia

Tom · Guest

My wife has symptoms of walking pneumonia and she is breastfeeding our 9.5 month old baby. Is the baby at risk of catching pneumonia from the breast milk, or by beeing in close contact with my wife?

MeganW · Newbie Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 71

Hi there. Good to hear that your wife is still breatfeeding your baby at 9.5 months. They say that breastmilk is the best source of nutrients for the first 2 years but most mothers give it up after just 6 months.
As for your wife breastfeeding while having pneumonia, by the time the symptoms are showing up, there is already a really good chance that she has already passed on the virus to the baby, if she is going to at all. That being said, since breat milk is full of antibodies that help babies fight off infections and virus's, the baby is not likely to get full fledged pneumonia, but is more likely to get a common cold as a result.
Pneumonia really wears the person who has it out...and so does breast feeding. Make sure that you are helping your wife out more than usual (if that is possible Smile

while she is sick and if she can, pump the breast milk and then you can get up in the night with the baby if need be...just until she is feeling better.
Good luck and great job with sticking to the breast!

Breastfeeding while having pneumonia

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