What’s Happening: COVID19 and Breastfeeding
Welcome to my “News and Events” Blog! As a doula and childbirth educator, an amazing part of my job is to not only provide my clients with the information needed for them to make informed decisions but to take them straight to the source of that information! I am incredibly passionate about my own continued education and spend a lot of time attending webinars, classes, and reading up on the latest health recommendations for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum persons. Nearly a year into this pandemic, scientists are learning more and more about the best ways to stay healthy. Today, I want to talk about the latest CDC and WHO recommendations for breastfeeding and COVID19.
There is a lot of misinformation around the safety of breastfeeding. People worry about breastfeeding after consuming specific foods or drinks, and of course, when sick. Now with the global pandemic, parents that feed their babies with breastmilk worry about what to do if they become ill. People worry that they will get the baby sick by being close to them or that they will pass the sickness through their breastmilk. If you are one of these people, or caring for someone who feels this way, I have great news!
According to the CDC, “Current evidence suggests that breast milk isn’t likely to spread the virus to babies,” a statement that is also supported by the World Health Organization. Both organizations admit that the evidence isn’t 100% definitive but to be honest that’s true of most science. In even more support of breastfeeding, a new study has found a significant amount of SARS antibodies in 100% of the breastmilk that they tested of women who had recovered from COVID.
The CDC recommends that if you are positive for COVID, you wash your hands before feeding and wear a mask. As a doula, I cannot directly contradict recommendations given by the CDC. However, I would like to point out that babies need to see their caregiver’s face for many reasons; bonding, socialization, and communication development, to name a few. Especially right after birth. Should you develop COVID-19 while breastfeeding, I would talk to your care provider about their recommendations on mask wearing.
WHO recommends that “mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to initiate or continue to breastfeed. Mothers should be counselled that the benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission. Mother and infant should be enabled to remain together while rooming-in throughout the day and night and to practice skin-to-skin contact, including kangaroo mother care, especially immediately after birth and during establishment of breastfeeding, whether they or their infants have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.” I added the bolding.
While the World Health Organization does NOT recommend separating newborns from their mothers, regardless of COVID-19, that doesn’t stop it from happening. The CDC has tips for continuing breastfeeding despite being separated from your newborn should it occur.
Frequent Pumping, feeding or pumping every 2-3 hours, or 8-10 times in 24hours
Consulting a lactation consultant if you find yourself not feeling well enough to pump for feed frequently, and
Keeping good hygiene while breastfeeding by washing your hands
If you fear that your baby will be separated from you in the hospital, Evidence Based Birth has created an amazing form for you to fill out and bring to the hospital stating that you do NOT consent to separation. I would recommend making a few copies, three at minimum, just like you would a birth plan.
If you decide to pump while positive for COVID-19, the CDC recommends not sharing a breast pump. I would be lying if I said I didn’t giggle a little when I read that one. I’m not sure that anyone would recommend sharing a breast pump, sick or not. They also recommend that you wear a mask while pumping, cleaning your hands before touching the pump or bottles, cleaning all of your equipment properly (I giggled here again), and to consider having a healthy caregiver feed the baby.
I’m not going to lie, I was less than impressed with the CDC recommendations. While they support breastfeeding, they don’t support the practices that support breastfeeding, which isn’t particularly helpful. WHO, on the other hand, argues, “The benefits of breastfeeding and nurturing mother-infant interaction to prevent infection and promote health and development are especially important when health and other community services are themselves disrupted or limited.” In other words, breastfeeding is incredibly important, especially during a pandemic, and should be supported not hindered. I have to say, I agree with WHO.
As always,
Thank you for reading and God Bless!
