Can I drink ginger soup when I have a cold during the lactation period?

The breastfeeding period is the key period for the baby to absorb various nutrients from the mother. Generally, mothers pay great attention to their diet and physical condition, for fear of affecting the baby. However, many mothers catch a cold during breastfeeding. Everyone knows that it is best not to take medicine when you are sick during breastfeeding. Colds are generally caused by viruses. If you take medicines containing antibiotics, it will affect the baby. So, can you drink ginger soup if you have a cold during breastfeeding?

Can I drink ginger soup if I catch a cold during breastfeeding? If you catch a cold during pregnancy, mothers should rest and drink plenty of water, because most colds are caused by viruses, so don’t take antibiotics right away. You can take some antiviral medicines, such as Isatis root in our traditional Chinese medicine, which is a very good medicine for treating colds. Usually, if you rest, drink water and eat some isatis root, you will get better naturally in about 3 to 4 days. But if, for example, your throat hurts severely and you have tonsillitis or other symptoms of infection, you still need to go to the hospital for treatment. If you have a fever, you should also receive antipyretic treatment if the fever is over 38 degrees.

Dietary principles for colds during breastfeeding For the safety of the baby, breastfeeding mothers are advised to pay attention to the following five rules when taking medication: (1) Do not take medication at will. Some medications are safe for the baby, but some medications can cause adverse or even very serious reactions, such as pathological jaundice, cyanosis, deafness, liver and kidney damage, or vomiting. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers must use medications with caution. The wise thing to do is to tell your doctor that you are breastfeeding when you need to take medication, and not to take medication at will. (2) Breastfeeding should not be interrupted at will. Except for a few drugs that are prohibited during breastfeeding, the amount of other drugs secreted in breast milk rarely exceeds 1% to 2% of the mother's dosage. This dose will not harm the baby's body. Breastfeeding should not be interrupted for safe drugs. (3) Adjust breastfeeding time after taking medication. When taking medication, in order to reduce the amount of medication absorbed by the baby, the mother can take the medication immediately after breastfeeding and delay the next breastfeeding time as much as possible, at least 4 hours, so that more medication can be excreted from the mother's body and the drug concentration in the breast milk is minimized.

(4) It is not advisable to take birth control pills. Birth control pills contain testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen derivatives. These substances enter the mother's body and will inhibit the production of prolactin, causing the amount of milk secretion to decrease, and the secreted breast milk will not be enough for the baby. Moreover, the active ingredients in contraceptive drugs will enter the baby's body through breast milk, causing the breasts of male babies to become larger and the vaginal epithelium of female babies to proliferate. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should not use contraceptive drugs. (5) Do not abuse Chinese medicine. Some Chinese medicines can nourish yin and blood, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis for mothers after childbirth. They can strengthen the body, promote uterine contraction and prevent puerperal infection. However, some Chinese medicines will enter the breast milk and make the breast milk turn yellow, or have the effect of weaning, such as rhubarb, fried malt, Xiaoyao powder, mint, etc. For breastfeeding mothers, if you have any questions about medication use, you may wish to discuss it with your obstetrician, gynecologist, pediatrician or pharmacist to ensure the safety of your baby. Some drugs are safe for babies, but some drugs may cause adverse or even very serious reactions, such as pathological jaundice, cyanosis, deafness, liver and kidney damage or vomiting. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers must use drugs with caution.

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