Hi ladies!
I am almost 38 weeks pregnant with baby #3. Everything has been going well with this pregnancy, but I feel like I may be coming down with the cold that has plagued my family for the past few weeks. My husband and daughter were hit the hardest with coughing, congestion, and wheezing. They are both on the mend. My son just started to get a runny nose yesterday. I have had a sore throat, headache, and a little bit of congestion since last night.
My question to you is: If I go into labor while I have a cold, do I need to take any extra precautions when I'm handling my newborn baby? Did any of you go into labor while sick with a cold or flu? I certainly don't want to pass a cold onto a newborn baby, but I'm not sure how I could definitively avoid spreading germs, even if I wear a mask and constantly wash my hands. Hopefully, this baby will cook a little longer and everyone will be healthy by the time he is born. Just thought I'd ask if anyone else has been in the same situation. Thanks in advance!
Thanks ladies! I do plan on breastfeeding, but I still want to take any other precautions necessary to start off right. I am one of the least germaphobic people I know, but I don't like the thought of having to deal with a sick newborn. My daughter is a winter baby, and she caught her first cold when she was two weeks old. I've known several moms who exclusively breastfed, and their newborns still ended up with RSV or were hospitalized for other illnesses within days of their birth. The good news is that my cold is already going away, and I'm not in labor yet.
Even if you were super duper protective there are millions of other people at the hospital that could send along germs. No one could single you out after baby is born for the exact set of germs that were spread. Just try to relax. Babies have all of their own little amazing antibodies to things or not. It is cold season and so many people have had children with all sorts of things going on.
I may be wrong, but I think you would be safe if you have the cold while still carrying your baby. Your baby is sharing some of your same immunities through the placenta. Plus, if you nurse when the baby is born, that will give him/her extra protection. For your sake, I hope you are in full strength mode and feeling healthy when the baby decides to come. Congrats!
Even something as simple as a cold can translate into something dangerous for an infant. I wouldn't trust that my "immunity" transfer through the placenta and breastmilk would be sufficient to keep my newborn safe.
I'm also 38 weeks along, and am in California. Here, we've had an outbreak of whooping cough this year that has been particularly dangerous for infants. They are offering immunizations for mothers and fathers immediately post-partum to prevent any possible exposure to the babies. In that particular case, symptoms seem like a bad cold/cough to adults, and parents and caregivers are unknowingly the primary source of transmission to their babies.
Having said that, even with just a basic cold, I would talk to your baby's pediatrician right after delivery & get her recommendations on how to prevent infection. Likely, they'll recommend some basics like: frequent hand washing, don't cough or sneeze on your infant (which seems obvious, but you might have to remind your daughter), and being really careful about handling anything that goes into your baby's mouth (bottles, pacifiers, your breast, etc.) and making sure those things aren't exposed to your germs. It'll be important for all of your family members to take the same precautions. If your cold is really bad, maybe your ped will recommend a mask for when you're breastfeeding, when you're in such close proximity that you'd risk sneezing/couging and transmitting.
Note: I don't mean to sound paranoid - do what makes sense based on how sick you are, just like you would to prevent passing the flu around your house. Wash your hands, don't kiss your baby on the lips, don't blow your nose & then breastfeed without washing your hands. Practice good hygiene and make sure the other people in your household do too. If you've got a horrible cough or respiratory infection, take additional precautions.
I hope you all get & stay healthy & that you have a great delivery! :-)
as long as you nurse your baby it will be fine. within hours of exposure to a pathogen your breastmilk is making antibodies. so every time you nurse your newborn its like a nice dose of pathogen killers that they are ingesting. so that is all you need to do! there is more power on your chest than any pharmacy, doctor or hospital! good luck and feel better!
If you nurse, he will be completely fine as there are known antiboties in breast milk that help keep baby healthy!
What Laura said, breastmilk immunity only protects so much, and a simple cold can be dangerous for a newborn as they have very weak immune systems. Wear the mask, handwash, let others who are not sick do the bulk of the touching and care for the infant until you feel well.
I had a terrible cold when I had my first child and she didn't catch it. I just was extra careful about washing my hands of course. I'm sure baby will be fine. Congratulations!
I was extremely sick with an upper respiratory infection/cold/cough etc. Sick as a dog for my O. and only birth experience! LOL AND my husband was out of state on a golf trip at the time. I was 2 weeks early thanks to coughing so much and so hard that my water broke. (Never imagined that option!)
BUT......Everything was fine.
Also, I did NOT nurse my baby and he was just fine. They've got all kinds of immunity at birth!
The only really annoying part was that once I had to be lying down, it was really hard to breath and they kept putting the oxygen mask on and telling me to breathe.
I walked laps around the halls for most of my labor because I felt better and could breathe better standing up.
I wish I had taken some nose drops or nasal spray in my bag because, even though they "ordered" some--it never made it to me in time.
Good luck!
I had a terrible cough when I gave birth and let me tell you, coughing really hurts after birth because it jolts everything around. Be prepared. My baby didn't get anything and her daddy and sister had colds too. Just wash your hands a lot.
I had a cold most of my first pregnancy (mild) and don't remember any issues. If you're breastfeeding your baby will probably do better than you anyway. I had a really horrible cold/cough toward the end of my second pregnancy and my water broke 3 weeks early (we keep joking that it was from the coughing, I have no idea) and I ended up with bronchitis about a week after my second son was born. He was fine. I did not do anything special to prep for either, nursed normally, and just tried to get rest and stay hydrated. I can't imagine anyone suggesting you wear a mask, but basic hygiene is always a good idea.
I had 2 winter babies and both were fine the first winter and were each over 6 months before getting their first cold. Your immunities will protect the baby at first and if you breast feed that will continue as long as the baby is getting breastmilk (even just 1 feeding a day).
However, take care of yourself so you aren't sick during labor (if you can help it). I was sick during labor with my first and it was miserable--I couldn't talk my throat was so sore.
I did. I had a terrible cold on a Friday and Sunday morning I gave birth. My throat hurt so bad I even took throat drops.
My baby had a cold for the first month of his life. I don't think it had anything to do with me, though, my 2 year old is a little germ factory.
Just make sure you drink a lot of water. I
YES!! I had a cold when my son was born, the hospital told me not to worry about the germs, and he was fine, he never had a runny nose or anything. I think breastfeeding helped his immune system too. Unfortunately the hard part was the actual labor, it was tough to push when I couldn't breath through my nose. But, don't worry about the germs, your baby should be good. I did however make any visitors with colds wear a mask since it was not the same germs.
Good Luck!!!! And Congratulations!
