Home remedies for dry cough during breastfeeding

Q: Can I use Vicks while breastfeeding?

Dont use Vicks Vaporub, either, because it contains camphor. There have been reports of camphor causing serious effects in babies, and the skin-to-skin contact while nursing may expose your baby to the cream or fumes.

Every mother would agree, that once your baby is born, your priorities change, including your own health. Many of the mothers fear of falling sick as it would hamper their child inadvertently.

Table of Contents Show

What helps a dry cough while breastfeeding?
Which cough syrup is safe during breastfeeding?
Can I use Vicks while breastfeeding?

So the first thing that comes to the mind while breastfeeding, is what will a certain medicine hamper my child while breastfeeding simultaneously?

Winter has started knocking our doors and so has the season for a sore throat, dry skin, and dandruff! But out of these, sore throat is something that not only makes one weak and irritable, but a severe case of this coupled with fever makes breastfeeding mums scared to deal with it and treat it.

Symptoms

With the change of weather, the dryness increases along with itchy throat, or inflamed tonsils. The dust around increases during winters that cause more respiratory issues.

Sometimes it is limited to only dry cough, while sometimes one experiences a sore throat with mucosa and may or may not be coupled with a chest congestion as well. You may also want to check with your doctor if the cause of a sore throat is any kind of allergy.

Guidelines for Safe Medications

Treat only the symptom that you have, avoid a medicine that has a combination, when one can do the job.
Short-acting drugs are better than the longer ones. Use the ones that have impact till 6 hours max.
Use nasal spray wherever possible instead of consuming medicines.
Take medicines right AFTER you nurse, and only as much as needed.
Consult a doctor always before taking any type of medicine to confirm the dosages.
Sore throat sprays or lozenges are generally considered safe, as are cough drops. Avoid eating excessive amounts of cough drops containing menthol. Large amounts of menthol can reduce milk supply.

Home Remedies

Sometimes it is best to try and treat a sore throat and cold and cough with home remedies and precaution is always better than cure. As soon as the weather starts to change, take precautions which is better than cure.

Everyone has a different body type, the more you understand your body and how it reacts to a certain food item, and changes in weather, the more you can save yourself from all the pain.

Precautions:

Keep drinking lukewarm water through the day
Gargle twice a day with warm salt water
Drink one cup of warm turmeric milk before sleeping at night
Cover your neck while traveling, in AC or sleeping under a fan
Plug in your ears with cotton balls while traveling in a two wheeler
Don't ignore your symptoms till they get severe
Have food items that are rich in Vitamin C
Eating raw garlic is also a magical way to strengthen your immunity

Treatments:

Gargle with apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons mixed in a glass of warm water). Repeat it for 3 times a day.
To take care of congestions, use a handful of ajwain seeds and heat it on a pan. Use a towel to cover your head and take in the steam. Works wonders!
In the morning take 1 tablespoon of ginger juice, a pinch of turmeric, and honey. This will soothe your throat.
If you have the tendency to cough more as soon as you lie down, use 1 ball of Ayurvedic kanthil and it will give you instant relief and let you sleep in peace.

A common concern is that the sedating antihistamines might lower milk supply but if you feel that your supply has decreased, it could simply be a byproduct of decreased nursing frequency or dehydration due to your illness.

If you feel that a medication is the cause of a sudden drop in milk supply, then stop taking (or decrease) the medication. If the medicine is indeed the cause, then supply should increase again soon after you stop taking it.

Also Read: How can you tell if your child's sore throat might already be a bacterial infection?

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What helps a dry cough while breastfeeding?

For a dry cough, a cough suppressant such as pholcodine or dextromethorphan is considered safe while breastfeeding. A dry, irritating cough is usually associated with a postnasal drip.

Which cough syrup is safe during breastfeeding?

Since triprolidine and pseudoephedrine are also considered compatible with breastfeeding by the AAP, these 2 drugs should be the first-line choices. Codeine is considered compatible with breastfeeding by the AAP, and would be an acceptable choice for short-term use as a cough suppressant.

Can I use Vicks while breastfeeding?

Don't use Vicks Vaporub, either, because it contains camphor. There have been reports of camphor causing serious effects in babies, and the skin-to-skin contact while nursing may expose your baby to the cream or fumes.