Temporary interruption in breastfeeding
Conditions that represent a permanent contraindication to breastfeeding are rare; significantly more common are situations when contraindications are temporary and the mother can successfully breastfeed once she gets well, if it is an acute disease, or after completing the necessary treatment which is a contraindication to breastfeeding. Much more common are "relative contraindications", which could more accurately be described as barriers and challenges to breastfeeding. Parents often receive contradictory and confusing, or even misleading information and advice to stop breastfeeding when interruption is actually not necessary, or breastfeeding must only be interrupted for a short time.
Mother's acute diseases and fever
In almost all situations when you get sick while breastfeeding, you can safely continue to breastfeed. Continuing breastfeeding during illness carries a number of benefits both for you and for your child. During an infection, your body makes antibodies that pass into milk and help protect the child. Abrupt interruption of breastfeeding can cause breast engorgement and fever, and the child may become agitated. While the mother is ill, breastfeeding is a simpler way of feeding; there is no formula preparation, bottle and nipple sterilization, no need to get up to feed the child.
Interrupting breastfeeding if the nursing woman's body temperature is 38 °C or higher is not rare. This harms the breastfeeding process, while it has not been established that the incidence of infections in children increases. It is especially harmful to stop breastfeeding if the cause of fever is a clogged milk duct; in this situation, breastfeeding is actually the treatment - you can never empty your breast as thoroughly as your baby can. Fever in a nursing mother can sometimes be caused by a clogged milk duct, so interrupting breastfeeding only aggravates the problem, because no one can empty the breast as well as the child.
Newborn jaundice
If your baby has newborn jaundice, you do not need to interrupt breastfeeding. It is only in rare cases of severe hyperbilirubinemia that there may be a need for temporary short-term interruption in breastfeeding.
Mother's hospitalization
If you need to have a surgical procedure while breastfeeding, or to go to hospital for a diagnostic procedure or treatment, this may interfere with breastfeeding. In consultation with the doctor, postpone all procedures that can be postponed without consequences, until you finish breastfeeding. If a delay is not possible, let the doctor know that you are breastfeeding, the child's age, whether he/she is exclusively breastfed or gets supplemental feeding as well, whether other foods have already been introduced. During hospitalization, you should regularly empty your breasts; seek help from the staff and, if possible, ask for pumping accessories. Another way is to have your household members bring clean pumping accessories and carry your breastmilk to the baby. Follow the recommendations for safe collection, storage and transport of breastmilk! If you need medications, your doctor will, whenever possible, choose those with which you can safely continue breastfeeding. The administration of medications that are not recommended during breastfeeding is a temporary breastfeeding contraindication. During this time, you will continue to empty your breasts regularly, but you will not give your breastmilk to the baby. He/she will be fed formula until your treatment is completed.
In all other situations when you are uncertain whether you can safely breastfeed your child, consult a doctor — gynecologist, pediatrician, relevant specialist in case of a specific disease or condition, and pharmacist. It is not rare for parents to get contradictory and confusing, or even misleading information and advice to interrupt breastfeeding when interruption is not actually indicated, or breastfeeding only needs to be interrupted for a short time. The use of medications while breastfeeding is one of the most common reasons for unwanted and unjustified interruption of lactation.
If, due to illness or medications, you needed to stop breastfeeding for a short time, you will need patience and perseverance after recovery in order to restore lactation and re-introduce the baby to the breast. Any interruption of lactation poses a risk of permanent interruption of breastfeeding, with all the associated health risks of depriving the child of breastmilk.
