Having a cold when you are pregnant is miserable. This list of safe cold remedies and recipes will make you feel better!
Colds are just a fact of life, but when you are breastfeeding, they become a bigger deal because you can’t reach for just anything to ease your symptoms.
Will the medicine you take deplete your milk supply? Will it affect the baby? Will you have to pump and dump your breastmilk because you took a cold medication?
When there is a little one looking to you for their every need, the common cold becomes a lot more stressful. And for those of us terrified of losing our milk supply, the question of what cold remedies are safe while breastfeeding can feel like a matter of life and death.
How to Treat a Cold When You are Breastfeeding
Sleep – lay in bed and nurse baby. Avoid exerting yourself and spend your time relaxing as much as possible. A rested body has a stronger immune system.
Take a bath with Bath Oil (try this Bath Oil Recipe!) Remember to always dilute your EO’s in a carrier oil and avoid adding them to the bath directly.
Drink water – lots of water! Add lemon and honey for added benefits.
Nettle Tea – (good for milk supply too) – Something important to think about when you have a cold and have the possibility of getting dehydrated.
Sinus rinses with a Neti Pot – 2 times a day as soon as you feel sinus issues coming on.
Vitamin C – You can get extra vitamin C from foods or from a supplement like Emergen-C or a tablet.
Diffuse Germ Fighter Essential Oil – I prefer Plant Therapy’s Germ Fighter or Young Living’s Thieves. However, neither of these is considered safe to diffuse near babies, so be aware of that. Plant Therapy offers a Kid Safe® alternative called Germ Destroyer, but it does not smell like Germ Fighter or Thieves and does not have as strong of medicinal properties.
Tylenol for headaches & sore throat – Tylenol is considered safe for nursing moms and so I wanted to include it here. But as with any medication, use in moderation. All medication pass through breastmilk to some degree, plus none of need to tax our livers filtering out a lot of extra stuff while trying to fight a cold.
Kyolic Garlic – I learned about kyolic garlic from my La Leche League leader years ago. It’s been a go-to remedy ever since! The brand below has lots of different kinds, including one specifically for immune support.
Elderberry Syrup – This is a remedy you can make yourself! (however, many people prefer to simply buy an extract already made for them.
Sip Ginger tea – Buy tea bags or simply steep slices of ginger root in hot water for about 1/2 an hour.
Drink real chicken broth – the stuff you make yourself. Here’s my favorite recipe!
Cinnamon & Honey Mix – 1 tsp cinnamon stirred into 1 Tbsp of honey. Double whammy of goodness!
Gargle with salt water – If you have a sore throat, this age old remedy is wonderful! Make sure you use warm water.
Sambucol Elderberry Syrup – This is also sold in tablet form.
Decrease dairy products – Dairy produces excess mucus in our bodies. Not something you want during a cold.
Simply Saline Nasal Spray – This can quickly clear out plugged up nasal passages without any harmful medications.
Peppermint tea & honey – The peppermint can help open you up and the honey is antibacterial and soothing.
Run a Humidifier – Use a cool mist humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in.
Throat Coat Tea from Traditional Medicinals – this stuff works so well for a sore throat!
For more ideas, you can check out the information on KellyMom.com – a website dedicated to sharing scientifically sound breastfeeding advice.
Safe for Breastfeeding Cold Remedy Recipes
Now how about some super simple cold remedy recipes. You don’t have to have a lot of brain power or energy to make these!
Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey Sipper
16oz water
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
Stir together and sip all day.
Garlic Foot Rub
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
Chop up garlic and soak in olive oil for at least 1/2 hour.
Then apply to the bottoms of your feet and cover with thick socks you don’t mind getting messy. (keep socks on hand just for this purpose!)
Natural Flu Shot Drink:
Juice of 6 lemons
1 clove garlic
2 tsp ginger powder
2 Tbsp honey
3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
Blend thoroughly. Store in glass jar. Drink 1 cup at a time, as needed.
GOOT:
3T olive oil
3T coconut oil
2-3 crushed or chopped cloves of garlic
Simmer together VERY LIGHTLY for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic, let the oil cool and begin the rub downs!
You should also check out my homemade cough syrup recipe (this stuff works wonders!), and if you feel your cold moving into your chest, try my mustard plaster (but remember to remove it entirely before nursing your little one!)
homeschoolfarmmama says
Vicks Vaporub applied to nose, chest on soles of feet! For all your little ones you can use the infant kind that has lavender and isn’t so strong that it burns their chests like the regular Vicks.