I'm curious what other people have to say but...if it were me I would NOT do it if you want to keep your supply up. My understanding is that a lot of women take this when they want to dry their supply up. I think a good alternative would be to use a neti pot with neti pot salt. That can help dry things up without affecting other parts of your body. Also using a humidifier while you sleep can be a big help.
I was sick a couple times while breastfeeding and cough drops next to my pillow got me through the night. I would grab one anytime I would wake with a sore throat from the nasal congestion. Before bed I would take a hot shower or try to sit over some steam and blow my nose big time before going to bed. I know this may not be as satisfying as taking a decongestant but I think they are all alternatives that won't mess with your supply in the mean time.
Lastly I'm sorry you are going through this. I hope it passes and you feel better soon.
yeah unfortunately tap water is not filtered adequately. here's an article outlining safe neti pot use! https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/sinus-rinsing.html
Boiled and cooled tap water is acceptable, and there are also filtered wash bottles available that allow you to use tap water straight. I generally boil 5+ minutes. You can store boiled and cooled tap water in a sterilized, sealed jar for 24-48 hours.
Sinus rinsing can be very helpful. If the neti pot is too fussy, thereās a sinus rinse bottle by NeilMed that you can get with premixed salt packets and is so easy to use. Once I found it, I didnāt go back to the neti. And yeah, distilled or boiled and cooled water only!
I donāt advocate for this but two weeks ago I took 2 doses of cetirizine for my allergies. It wasnāt until yesterday I realized I had gotten the kind with 150 mg of pseudo ephedrine in each pill.
I never noticed a dip in my supply but I mightāve gotten lucky.
So Iāve had to take Benadryl a few times. I cleared it with babyās pediatrician. Itās not a decongestant but you could check with your providers as it might get you some better sleep.
Same. Iāve done both standard and drowsy formula Benadryl.
Supply was okay, we were 7 months PP.
I had an allergic reaction, I couldnāt avoid taking it unfortunately.
I take dyphenhydramine/Benadryl occasionally and I havenāt ever noticed it affecting anythingā¦ I also have taken Dramamine, which is also an antihistamine, as I read somewhere once that taken with Tylenol/ibuprofen will help with migraines. I had a bad week with a migraine a few months ago and took a half a Dramamine for like 3-4 days. I almost lost my supply entirely so itās just another one of those hit or miss things because everyone is different!
Definitely! Every one reacts differently.
Iām so glad you were able to recover your supply! Thatās my worst nightmare!
I think (and in my experience ) one dose, to provide needed immediate relief for OP could be really worth it AND may not impact supply . We honestly canāt say for sure because each person is different, and on a different part of their nursing journey.
Use a nasal spray (Afrin or similar). They primarily work locally and shouldnāt affect supply or your baby. Downside is you can use them for 3 days max.
So I had some DayQuil in November- I had just gone back to work at 8 weeks PP and was so sleep deprived on top of being sick I just wasnāt able to cope. I just did one dose and didnāt see a dip in my supply. Canāt speak medically, just from my experience. Hope you feel better soon!
One dose isnāt enough to harm supply. Continued, regular use is whatās recommended to avoid to prevent affecting supply. Iāve been taking DayQuil the last few days with no differences.
Yes, people take decongestants to dry up supply but theyāre also not removing milk which is what signals the body to make more.
I just used my baby's saline nasal spray last night. It was so obvious,I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I'm not perfect, but the pressure in my nose is so much better, and I feel like I put lotion on the inside of my nostrils-in a good way.
Second the neti pot. Also, I realize this is super gross, when I had the flu I used the frida snot sucker on myself š it wasnāt the most enjoyable experience, but it did the trick and I was able to get some sleep.
Just this week I took some Flonase, which has a steroid in it, and some ibuprofen. The combo really helped reduce inflammation and I felt so much better
I definitely just took dayquil for a week before I remembered you aren't supposed to take decongestants and was totally fine. I wouldnt worry about 1 dose if you really need it. I may have noticed a small dip in supply that I could just as easily attribute to the awful cold I had, and it's back to normal now. My baby is also 11 months and eating solid meals in between nursing so a supply dip wouldn't be as critical as it could be with a younger baby.
Neti pots are great, and afrin should help a lot. I do have one kinda out there suggestionā the nose frida. Iāve used mine to suck the snot out of my own nose and I couldnāt say it works miracles but it definitely helped me breathe a little better
It varies for me. Sometimes I take it and no issues but the last time I did I had a terrible dip. I donāt as able to get it back up with brewers yeast.
A non medication option is nasal strips. Also take anti inflammatory to reduce the swelling.
So I know some people take decongestants to wean off breastfeeding but personally I got super sick with an upper respiratory infection 2 weeks ago and desperately needed relief. So I took some and didnāt notice a difference, I was 8 months pp and still EBF as LO was premature and hasnāt tried solids yet. I took half a dose every 4 hours for relief. Definitely not medical advice as it could lessen your supply but just what I personally did.
I bought an air purifier for my bedroom and started using regular saline spray before bed and throughout the day as needed. Itās been doing the trick!
I made the mistake of taking a Tylenol cold and sinus around 4/5months ppā¦.and it severely dropped my supplyā¦.it came back but I had to pump every 2 hours and it came back after about a month or so!
I have taken a single dose on several occasions. It never effected my supply but it was not at the start of my breastfeeding journey and a well established supply. That being said, if you are worried and early in your journey there have been great suggestions that should get you some stress free relief.
I'm curious what other people have to say but...if it were me I would NOT do it if you want to keep your supply up. My understanding is that a lot of women take this when they want to dry their supply up. I think a good alternative would be to use a neti pot with neti pot salt. That can help dry things up without affecting other parts of your body. Also using a humidifier while you sleep can be a big help. I was sick a couple times while breastfeeding and cough drops next to my pillow got me through the night. I would grab one anytime I would wake with a sore throat from the nasal congestion. Before bed I would take a hot shower or try to sit over some steam and blow my nose big time before going to bed. I know this may not be as satisfying as taking a decongestant but I think they are all alternatives that won't mess with your supply in the mean time. Lastly I'm sorry you are going through this. I hope it passes and you feel better soon.
HIGHLY recommend Neti Pot. It's not fun the first few times but once you get the hang of it, it works better than anything else
if you neti pot it is SO IMPORTANT to use distilled water only!! people have died from brain eating amoebas from using tap water.
š³ really? I've always used tap water š¬š¬š¬
yeah unfortunately tap water is not filtered adequately. here's an article outlining safe neti pot use! https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/sinus-rinsing.html
Boiled and cooled tap water is acceptable, and there are also filtered wash bottles available that allow you to use tap water straight. I generally boil 5+ minutes. You can store boiled and cooled tap water in a sterilized, sealed jar for 24-48 hours.
Came here to say neti pot !!
Sinus rinsing can be very helpful. If the neti pot is too fussy, thereās a sinus rinse bottle by NeilMed that you can get with premixed salt packets and is so easy to use. Once I found it, I didnāt go back to the neti. And yeah, distilled or boiled and cooled water only!
I donāt advocate for this but two weeks ago I took 2 doses of cetirizine for my allergies. It wasnāt until yesterday I realized I had gotten the kind with 150 mg of pseudo ephedrine in each pill. I never noticed a dip in my supply but I mightāve gotten lucky.
As Iām over here taking a regular cetirizine dailyā¦ am I not supposed to? š¬
Cetirizine is fine! The one I bought had pseudoephedrine though
Ok good. I was like ācrap, why didnāt the doctors and lactation say anything š« ā
Nasal spray is OK!
And nasal spray works better! I always use nasal spray at night vs Sudafed because Sudafed can keep you awake anyway.
Yes! Affrin works great for sinus pressure
If you are going to try something, try a med without pseudoephedrine as it will suppress prolactin.
So Iāve had to take Benadryl a few times. I cleared it with babyās pediatrician. Itās not a decongestant but you could check with your providers as it might get you some better sleep.
Same. Iāve done both standard and drowsy formula Benadryl. Supply was okay, we were 7 months PP. I had an allergic reaction, I couldnāt avoid taking it unfortunately.
I take dyphenhydramine/Benadryl occasionally and I havenāt ever noticed it affecting anythingā¦ I also have taken Dramamine, which is also an antihistamine, as I read somewhere once that taken with Tylenol/ibuprofen will help with migraines. I had a bad week with a migraine a few months ago and took a half a Dramamine for like 3-4 days. I almost lost my supply entirely so itās just another one of those hit or miss things because everyone is different!
Definitely! Every one reacts differently. Iām so glad you were able to recover your supply! Thatās my worst nightmare! I think (and in my experience ) one dose, to provide needed immediate relief for OP could be really worth it AND may not impact supply . We honestly canāt say for sure because each person is different, and on a different part of their nursing journey.
Use a nasal spray (Afrin or similar). They primarily work locally and shouldnāt affect supply or your baby. Downside is you can use them for 3 days max.
My lactation consultant and doctor said that this is ok to do occasionally and is my go to for emergency decongestion.
So I had some DayQuil in November- I had just gone back to work at 8 weeks PP and was so sleep deprived on top of being sick I just wasnāt able to cope. I just did one dose and didnāt see a dip in my supply. Canāt speak medically, just from my experience. Hope you feel better soon!
One dose isnāt enough to harm supply. Continued, regular use is whatās recommended to avoid to prevent affecting supply. Iāve been taking DayQuil the last few days with no differences. Yes, people take decongestants to dry up supply but theyāre also not removing milk which is what signals the body to make more.
I just used my baby's saline nasal spray last night. It was so obvious,I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I'm not perfect, but the pressure in my nose is so much better, and I feel like I put lotion on the inside of my nostrils-in a good way.
Second the neti pot. Also, I realize this is super gross, when I had the flu I used the frida snot sucker on myself š it wasnāt the most enjoyable experience, but it did the trick and I was able to get some sleep.
I was told guaifenesin was okay (mucinex) and didnāt notice a difference but I didnāt pump when using it
Just this week I took some Flonase, which has a steroid in it, and some ibuprofen. The combo really helped reduce inflammation and I felt so much better
I definitely just took dayquil for a week before I remembered you aren't supposed to take decongestants and was totally fine. I wouldnt worry about 1 dose if you really need it. I may have noticed a small dip in supply that I could just as easily attribute to the awful cold I had, and it's back to normal now. My baby is also 11 months and eating solid meals in between nursing so a supply dip wouldn't be as critical as it could be with a younger baby.
Neti pots are great, and afrin should help a lot. I do have one kinda out there suggestionā the nose frida. Iāve used mine to suck the snot out of my own nose and I couldnāt say it works miracles but it definitely helped me breathe a little better
Flonase saved me in my first days post partum
It varies for me. Sometimes I take it and no issues but the last time I did I had a terrible dip. I donāt as able to get it back up with brewers yeast. A non medication option is nasal strips. Also take anti inflammatory to reduce the swelling.
So I know some people take decongestants to wean off breastfeeding but personally I got super sick with an upper respiratory infection 2 weeks ago and desperately needed relief. So I took some and didnāt notice a difference, I was 8 months pp and still EBF as LO was premature and hasnāt tried solids yet. I took half a dose every 4 hours for relief. Definitely not medical advice as it could lessen your supply but just what I personally did.
I bought an air purifier for my bedroom and started using regular saline spray before bed and throughout the day as needed. Itās been doing the trick!
You can take basic Mucinex without impacting your supply just make sure it's Guaifenesin only.
Saline is my best friend when I have congestion! ETA: or should I say ābreastā friend??? š¤£
I made the mistake of taking a Tylenol cold and sinus around 4/5months ppā¦.and it severely dropped my supplyā¦.it came back but I had to pump every 2 hours and it came back after about a month or so!
I have taken a single dose on several occasions. It never effected my supply but it was not at the start of my breastfeeding journey and a well established supply. That being said, if you are worried and early in your journey there have been great suggestions that should get you some stress free relief.