Elevated body temperature is a surprise for a nursing mother. No matter how a woman tries to protect herself, in the postpartum period the female body is very vulnerable. There are many reasons for this condition.
It is important for a young mother to decide on further feeding of the child, because the baby needs food every 2-3 hours. The first step is to find out the true cause of this condition.
What temperature is considered normal for a nursing mother?
A woman who monitors her body temperature during pregnancy may notice that after childbirth, it changes: the thermometer begins to show 1–1.5°C higher. This is physiological and is associated with the arrival of milk, so mommy should not be scared and take action. Jumps in body temperature occur even during feeding: usually before feeding, the readings on the thermometer are higher than after feeding or pumping.
Breast milk is a substance with pyrogenic (temperature-raising) properties. The more it accumulates in the thoracic ducts, the higher the temperature will be. And if the thoracic ducts are damaged or infected, the temperature rises to 39°C.
To find out the exact temperature of a nursing woman, the measurement should be taken no earlier than half an hour after feeding. The norm is 37–37.1 degrees. During feeding, the normal value increases to 37.4°C.
In the first month after childbirth, women experience breast pain, and sometimes the pain is accompanied by low-grade fever. If there are no seals, do not worry - during this period the chest canals expand, which causes pain.
How to measure temperature correctly
Active production of mother's milk always affects body temperature, so measuring it under the muscle cavity is not recommended. Even if the mother is unwell in the maternity hospital, indicators are measured in the mouth or groin area. But the most reliable result can be obtained in the bend of the elbow. A normal temperature is considered to be between 36.6 and 37.4 degrees. Numbers above this indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the body of a nursing woman.
An increase in temperature during colds does not affect breast milk in any way and you should not stop feeding because of this
What does elevated temperature indicate during lactation?
Elevated temperature during feeding may have the following characteristics:
- Physiological.
- Pathological.
The physiological process is associated with the production of milk by the mammary glands.
Doctors consider a temperature above 37.6°C to be pathological, which lasts for a long time and is accompanied by other symptoms of illness.
The most common sign of fever immediately after the birth of a baby is complications during childbirth:
- suture dehiscence after cesarean section or episiotomy;
- endometritis;
- postpartum thrombophlebitis;
- stagnation of milk (lactostasis) in the mammary glands.
The postpartum period is considered critical, because a woman goes through a difficult journey, which is fraught with a lot of complications. Open birth canals, ruptures, hormonal shock - this is a list of not all dangerous conditions. Any of them allows the infection to easily penetrate the mother’s body, so the temperature of a nursing woman is one of the important markers of her health status.
Childbirth often begins a series of various inflammations: endometritis, mastitis. This list also includes postpartum thrombophlebitis
- inflammation of the venous wall, as a result of which blood clots form inside the vessel. This is a very serious postpartum complication, the marker of which is temperature and corresponding symptoms.
Some time after birth, the cause of fever can be:
- mastitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- colds. Find out what a nursing mother should do if she has a cold.
Fever often accompanies a cough, runny nose, and sore throat. Colds are the most common cause of high fever.
This is followed by stagnation of milk in the breast (lactostasis). Lactostasis differs from mastitis in the absence of swelling and hyperemia of the mammary gland. Once the outflow is restored, fever and pain disappear without treatment. Lactostasis is a common phenomenon and without treatment can lead to a more serious complication – mastitis. In this case, the temperature rises greatly (up to 38°C and above) and there is no relief from expressing milk.
The main symptom of mastitis is the presence of a painful lump in the breast and redness of the skin over it, which is accompanied by an increase in temperature to 38 °C. If you do a blood test, the ESR will be increased and the leukocytes will be increased. There is severe intoxication with malaise and headache. Without treatment, purulent mastitis develops.
Calculation of milk quantity
Feeding breast milk through a bottle requires precise determination of the portion that the baby needs. This is necessary to ensure that the child does not overeat or go hungry.
The serving size depends on the baby’s age and weight.
You can calculate the exact amount of milk for a child using the following formula - baby’s weight in grams: 6:8 = ml/per 1 feeding. Detailed calculation algorithm:
- Let's take the approximate weight of a child - 3.5 kg. This is 3500 g.
- Let's divide it by 6. This figure is the daily volume of milk consumed - 3500:6 = 583.3 ml.
- Let's divide the last number by 8 - the average number of feedings per day. It turns out 583.3:8 = 73 ml. This is the volume of 1 serving.
Some feeding facts to help you understand how much bottle milk you need:
- Boys weighing 5-6 kg drink about 830 ml per day. This is more than girls, who need about 775 ml.
- On average, a child sucks 30-135 ml from one breast.
- The baby drinks 55-235 ml during 1 breastfeeding.
Up to 6 months, the serving size will change insignificantly - from 100 to 200 ml.
Average daily intake depending on the child’s weight:
- 2.5 kg – 390 ml;
- 3 – 470;
- 3,5 – 550;
- 4 – 625;
- 4,5 – 705;
- 5 – 780;
- 5,5 – 860;
- 6 – 940.
Temperature during breastfeeding: to reduce or not?
When the temperature rises, a nursing woman may be concerned about the following questions:
- Is it possible to continue feeding;
- Is the quality of milk deteriorating?
- Are pathogens that get into milk dangerous?
Previously, fever against the background of ARVI served as a reason to stop lactation. It has now been proven that there is no need to stop feeding, because with milk the baby receives antibodies that protect the child. However, mothers need to take a number of precautions:
- wear a mask;
- to wash hands;
- ventilate the room;
- Lubricate the child’s nose with any safe ointment to mechanically delay viruses.
The temperature during ARVI should be lowered if it is above 39 °C - this makes feeding difficult.
Should know
,
that increased temperature does not affect the quality of milk
.
During purulent processes, various pathogenic bacteria enter the blood. In this case, lactation must be stopped, despite the temperature numbers. You also cannot do without a course of antibiotics. Their intake limits lactation.
With lactostasis, feeding is not stopped. On the contrary, it will help to cope with it: by placing the baby on the sore breast, we improve the flow of milk. As a result, the temperature will decrease on its own without the use of drugs.
How to reduce the temperature of a nursing mother?
When deciding to lower the temperature, you need to consider the following factors:
- Temperature level and condition;
- A disease that causes fever.
Reducing the temperature is not a treatment, since we are only fighting the symptom. Reducing the temperature with the help of medications does not mean recovery at all, which is why it is much more important to know the cause of the fever.
If the cause of fever is ARVI with a temperature above 39 °C, it is recommended to gradually reduce the temperature. If the genesis is unclear, it is dangerous to do this; you need to see a doctor and get tested. With proper treatment, the temperature will decrease on its own.
You can start to bring down the temperature by drinking plenty of natural warm juices from raspberries, viburnum, honey and lemon. Rubbing with a vinegar solution or applying cool compresses to the forehead will also help.
Of the medications, nursing mothers are allowed two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. Read more about Paracetomol during breastfeeding for fever.
Panadol and Tylenol, familiar to many, are also Paracetamol. When taking them, it is important not to exceed single and daily doses, as this can negatively affect hematopoiesis and liver function.
Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in the more familiar drugs Nurofen, Advil, Brufen.
It is extremely important to follow the dosage. The dose of Paracetamol should not exceed 2 grams (0.5 g 4 times a day). The course is short – 2-3 days. If the fever persists, then the cause of the fever is not a cold. In this case, you need to consult a doctor.
Lyubov Maslikhova, general practitioner, especially for
Is it possible to breastfeed a baby with fever?
The ability of viruses and bacteria to penetrate milk is not a reason to refuse breastfeeding. Even before the first symptoms of the disease appear, the mother’s body produces protective antibodies aimed at fighting the infection. These immunoglobulins pass into breast milk and are passed on to the baby. Thus, the child’s body is prepared in advance to fight the microbe.
Indications for weaning from hepatitis B at fever are serious diseases, the treatment of which requires the use of antibacterial drugs. Feeding is also stopped if painkillers with narcotics or chemotherapy are prescribed.
Contraindications
- Severe complications of kidney and genitourinary system diseases.
- Blood poisoning.
- Tuberculosis.
- Purulent mastitis.
- Acute infections - sore throat, sinusitis, pneumonia, dysentery, typhoid, cholera.
In the acute course of the pathology, decay products of harmful microbes are formed, which penetrate into the milk. Toxins reach the child, the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, and the structure of the plasma changes. The baby is experiencing poisoning. In such situations, it is recommended to express so as not to suppress lactation.
Feeding continues
- For acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, influenza.
- Blocked milk ducts (mastitis without pus).
- When infected with staphylococcus.
- In cases of exacerbation of chronic pathologies (taking safe medications).
Feeding should be stopped only in emergency situations, when the likelihood of harm from the composition exceeds the benefit of breast milk. Even with antibiotic therapy, medications compatible with hepatitis B are prescribed - cephalosporins and penicillins (Ceftriaxone, Amoxicillin).
Bottle care
The baby’s health largely depends on the proper preparation of the feeding container:
- Wash the bottle and nipple before and after each use. Use a brush for this. Change it every 2 months. Detergents - only approved for infants.
- Disinfect the container. Use a sterilizer or boil bottles and teats over low heat for 3 minutes.
- Cover the pacifier with a protective cap to keep it clean.
Storing breast milk
The shelf life of expressed milk depends on the storage method:
- 10 hours – a tightly closed container of milk is at room temperature.
- 24 hours - the container is stored in the refrigerator closer to the back wall.
- A week or more - the product is in a common freezer for up to 3 months, in a separate freezer for up to 1 year.
Reliable and convenient storage containers can be plastic, glass or plastic:
- containers or jars;
- freezer bags;
- glasses or bottles.
Rules for preparing milk for storage and use:
- Choose a container with a volume corresponding to 1 meal - 50-200 ml.
- Indicate the date of pumping on the container.
- Store only fresh milk, expressed by hand or with a breast pump.
- Refrigerate product before freezing.
- Before a long walk, put the bottle in a special thermos.
- Place the frozen milk in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then pour it into a bottle and heat it in a special device or in a water bath.
Bottle selection rules
A container for feeding a baby breast milk must meet certain requirements:
- Bottle volume. It depends on age. For a baby up to 6 months, 125-150 ml is suitable, for an older child - 300-350 ml.
- Form. Choose a bottle that is narrow in the middle. It is more comfortable to hold and there is less risk of slipping.
- Material. Glass or plastic is the parent’s personal choice. Milk is perfectly stored in containers made of any material.
- Nipple - it is better to choose a silicone one, with a shape that follows the female breast. You need to have 2-3 pacifiers on hand. The size of the holes should not be too large or small - the baby needs to make an effort to suck, as if from a breast.
- Quantity - for feeding with expressed milk you will need 3 bottles - 2 main and 1 spare.
- Accessories. It is convenient when the bottle is equipped with a removable handle, a clear measuring scale and anti-colic holes at the bottom of the container. They release air bubbles when drinking milk - the baby will not have a stomach ache.
