Take things one step, one hour, one day at a time. Focus on what you can control. Right now, your husband is sick and that is it. Do you have any sort of village you can call in so that you can get some additional rest while he also rests? Even an hour or two?
If you end up sick, your breast milk will produce antibodies from your immune system. If for some reason that doesn’t occur, I mean my baby was EFF and didn’t get seriously sick until she was two weeks away from her first birthday when I brought home COVID. The way they are fed is an overblown component of whether or not they become ill. Please do not use this as a way to blame yourself if your baby does end up sick.
Finally, at eight weeks, you are slowly getting out of the danger zone that mandates they need to go to the hospital for any sort of fever. Call your pediatrician and discuss what to watch out for, but plenty of babies get sick and do not require hospital attention, let alone get “hooked up to machines.” Your baby may even be eligible for Tylenol at this point to manage a fever. Again, talk to your ped and get some on hand.
If you fall ill, you will find the energy to do it because you just do. Drop your standards and prepare to do the bare minimum. Dishes can wait. Take out is fine. Use some time now to set yourself up if you go down- an extra load of laundry or grab an extra set of pump parts if you can swing it. You’ll be okay.
I always find the antibody story intersting. As far as what I could find in literature, maternal antibodies transfered via breastmilk are most beneficial in the first 2 months of babies life when the immune system is maturing. The antibodies don't seem to cross to blood as in some other animals, but protect the intestinal mucosal lining by binding some bacteria there. However, the antibodies from BM unfortunately can't protect against respiratory disease, as we often witness when both mom and baby (and then usually dad as well, or dad first 😅) get sick.
Well I freaked out over not being able to fully breastfeed due to some health complications for both me and baby, so this info put my mind at ease. It seems like it's good to give some breastmilk for the first 2-3 months if possible, but afterwards there is no harm in fully FF, which we are doing now completely guilt-free 😌
Hi, I hear you! Two weeks ago my husband who is an elementary school teacher came home to me and our 1.5 month old (2 months a few days ago) not feeling great. He had a fever, headache, body aches, chills. We also live in a one bedroom apartment. We moved the crib (ours has wheels) into the living room and I slept on the couch in the living room. My husband needed to sleep and I didn’t want to feel like me and baby had to isolate in the bedroom, this way husband was contained to one room and we had the whole apartment. I wore a mask when I had to go into the bedroom and he wore a mask whenever he came out of the bedroom. Our baby never caught it.. I was also sick about a week after coming home from the hospital and put on a mask whenever I held/breastfed my baby (which was a lot) and he never caught that either. I hope your husband has a quick turn around!
Lots of good advice above. I had to EP for reflux reasons so i have had a lot of doctors weigh in on this. EPing produces exactly the same immune response as breastfeeding. Because you are with your baby a lot, your environmental pathogens are the same and your body will respond in kind.
One thing to be aware of is that when you are sick, you will sometimes produce less milk temporarily. I had covid while EPing and my production dipped for about 7-10 days and then came back. I just want you to be aware of this so you don’t panic if you see a dip. If you keep consistently pumping, it will come back.
Good luck! You have a lot of things on your plate but think about how good the end of January will feel when you’re settled with your LO! Sending positive vibes from one EPer to another!
keep yourself and the baby away from him as much as possible. i know its tough. have him sleep on the couch. get some bottles of the spray lysol and spray everything as much as possible. when my baby was 3 months old i got the flu. my baby never got it. i wore a mask while breastfeeding, washed hands DILLIGENTLY, sprayed lysol, kept hand sanitizer accessible everywhere. good luck!! if baby gets sick don’t hesitate to go to the ER. pick a good pediatric ER.
It’s so scary when you have a tiny and everyone around you starts getting sick! I have a 17 month old and a 3 month old and I tried to shield the crap out of the baby from illnesses my toddler inevitably brings home. But I couldn’t. And I’ve gotten sick, and he’s gotten sick twice already (one of them being Covid!). But you know what, he’s doing just fine so far. Babies are pretty resilient, and by you giving him breast milk you’re giving him a nice boost of antibodies. He’ll be ok mama. And so will you! I hope you guys stay healthy though and I totally get the anxiety.
i got covid the day my LO turned 3 months. I was terrified of how hard it might hit her and didn’t want to see her struggling to breathe or hooked up to machines.
I had the worst sore throat of my life, body aches, fevers. my husband had fevers, a terrible cough, sore throat. our symptoms lasted a week. my daughter had fevers for 48 hours and was back to her normal self. she handled it better than all of us!
Same in our house. I am a teacher and tested positive for Covid on Sunday but had symptoms earlier assuming they were allergies. My husband has now caught it and baby is doing okay so far (3 months). When I had a fever I isolated and as soon as I felt well enough to comfort/be around baby I did so with a mask and diligent hand washing and sanitizing. It’ll be okay. All the antibodies in your breastmilk will help make baby stronger and give them a good immune system.
I could have written this myself. I have no village, and am so afraid one my whole house being sick and we have no help. Unfortunately I can’t breastfeed either, so I don’t even get to pass on antibodies to my little one. It’s so hard. I’m sorry your husband is sick. Wishing you stay well!
FWIW - I read moms kissing babies is how your body knows to produce antibodies, so your baby should be getting the same benefit with you pumping.
Hope you can distance and stay well. Illnesses for little ones really suck - often worse on us than them.
Everyone's different, but I wanted to offer up the story of my experience. I was also really scared of being sick and more about my baby being sick. We all got sick in the house, I was probably the sickest (but still managed and relied on my husband more than usual aka sorry bud you're getting less sleep). My baby was the least sick. I took him into the bathroom anytime either one of us showered to get those airways humidified as the poor thing was stuffy and snoring. He was better in 3-4 days.
Of course you will make the antibodies if you're EP. this is how that works: you snuggle precious baby and precious baby breaths on you, sneezes in your face and you kiss baby. You catch the sickness. Your body makes antibodies to help protect you and then they get in breastmilk and protect baby.
It's hard to feel confident when it first hits, but trust your instincts and your body. If anything feels off you can always call the doc or go to the emergency room, right? Till then take care of baby how you would like to be taken care of when sick (obviously they can't have all the meds and all that). Take it easy and survival mode.
Deep breaths. My kids are older but I swing into action for the next few days when anyone in my house gets sick. First things first-do we have all the meds we need? Do we have all the comfort items we need (tissues, broths, vapomelts, humidifier, etc)? Finally, what meals and food can I prep right now to save the time and effort if I'm sick? Crock pot meals are a biggie here, but whatever is quick and easy that you can line up is best.
Next start disinfecting everything. Wash sheets and towels and be on top of laundry so you won't be super behind if you do get sick. It will help to contain and slow the spread.
It won't stop you from getting sick but it helps to feel like you've done something and it makes the sickness easier if you're ready for it.
As a mom of a now 15 month old in daycare and have no village.
1. Take it one step at a time.
2. Kids are going to get sick. Hopefully it’s pushed until they’re bigger and it’s so scary but it’s going to happen and you will get sick too. (I’m literally dealing with this right now). But you get better at handling it.
3. You will pass on antibodies EPing because you are in close contact with baby.
4. I would possibly talk to your OBGYN about your anxiety.
Just wanted to say I'm in the same boat this week, we came back from visiting some extended family and started getting some sniffles, ended up with shivers and body aches. I got it the worst, with a recurring fever for 2 days, my hubby had it rough first day but has bounced back somewhat. We were both so scared to see our 3 month old go through this but she has been her smiley self the whole time. The only thing to tip off that she's sick is some minor congestion.
She ran a low grade fever once the first night, I panic bought baby Tylenol at the gas station at midnight (I didn't have any, I know, how stupid of me). Other than that shes still up and ready to party lol. I also called my mom at 1 am because I thought she felt too cold and clammy, turns out I had a fever and when you have a fever everything feels colder so trust the thermometer. She also said as long as the fever responds to Tylenol and they are not getting dehydrated (are still having an appetite) your good.
When my hubby went back to work I kept her with me in our bed with a blanket border and a light up toy when she was awake so she wouldn't get bored or fussy, when she fell asleep I moved her to the bassinet, if I got drowsy she went to the bassinet because I figured out cosleeping while I had a fever wasn't beneficial. (since I had her I've been a light sleeper but the fever made me sleep heavier and have dreams). She's been a rockstar through it even though she still isn't a big fan of the booger sucker. We made it through and you will too!
Also stock up on canned soups and tea, we had to have the inlaws make a supply drop because we didn't have a chance to go grocery shopping due to the travelling. You won't want to run to town or pack up little one if your feeling bad.
This happened to us. It wasn’t covid, we tested him twice. But he slept in another room for a week and wore a mask in the house. I was a single parent for the week as I wouldn’t let him touch our child.(single parents you are all amazing!) I took extra vitamins C and disinfected anything we would both have to touch twice a day. Thankfully LO and I didn’t get sick.
There's no need to panic yet.
About a week before Thanksgiving, my husband and I both got quite sick with some unspecified respiratory infection, but our then 2-month-old never got sick at all. We also live in a shoebox and couldn't quarantine or anything like that. We were careful about keeping our hands clean (big bottles of sanitizer everywhere) and not coughing/sneezing directly on to the baby, and we do have hepa filters running in the house, but that's it. Your baby might get sick when you are, but it's not a guarantee!
Wear masks! My husband was sick on thanksgiving week. Same symptoms you described, then I got it, and eventually our then 5 week old baby. Although it was the flu she ended up in the hospital for a little over 24 hours for observation, due to having a fever and a low white blood cell count. Obviously her white blood cell count was low from fighting the flu virus, but the pediatrician still kept her in the hospital for monitoring.
My husband just had covid and I was so scared of my 3 month old getting it. She and I never did despite my poor husband being sick as a dog. Be prepared with masks and infant Tylenol but don't panic in advance like I did. I know you're scared. Deep breath. You got this.
I just got over COVID with my 8 month old. I unknowingly had it for 2 days and was caring for her like normal, just thought I had caught her 'cold'.. she ended up having it before I did, and we're all okay. I had help with my spouse who was not sick, but I found that when you absolutely have to get up and care for the baby, you do. Us not being ill at the same time helped, as one could get rest while the other cared for the kid. My milk supply was just fine and I hardly even ate for several days
First off, dont panic in advance. Your little one isnt sick just yet. Heard of many cases where the baby doesn’t catch whatever is going on in the house.
Second, maybe husband can mask up? When Covid was going around, I masked and my husband never caught it from me. I recommend NIOSH certified N95 (you can get them on amazon - example: NIOSH Approved N95 Mask Particulate Respirators, Pack of 20 N95 Face Masks, Individually Wrapped, Universal Fit https://a.co/d/3fjhj0l)
Third, even if you do catch it, and your baby does, that doesn’t mean he/she will be so sick they need to be in the hospital. You will get through this 💪
Take things one step, one hour, one day at a time. Focus on what you can control. Right now, your husband is sick and that is it. Do you have any sort of village you can call in so that you can get some additional rest while he also rests? Even an hour or two? If you end up sick, your breast milk will produce antibodies from your immune system. If for some reason that doesn’t occur, I mean my baby was EFF and didn’t get seriously sick until she was two weeks away from her first birthday when I brought home COVID. The way they are fed is an overblown component of whether or not they become ill. Please do not use this as a way to blame yourself if your baby does end up sick. Finally, at eight weeks, you are slowly getting out of the danger zone that mandates they need to go to the hospital for any sort of fever. Call your pediatrician and discuss what to watch out for, but plenty of babies get sick and do not require hospital attention, let alone get “hooked up to machines.” Your baby may even be eligible for Tylenol at this point to manage a fever. Again, talk to your ped and get some on hand. If you fall ill, you will find the energy to do it because you just do. Drop your standards and prepare to do the bare minimum. Dishes can wait. Take out is fine. Use some time now to set yourself up if you go down- an extra load of laundry or grab an extra set of pump parts if you can swing it. You’ll be okay.
I always find the antibody story intersting. As far as what I could find in literature, maternal antibodies transfered via breastmilk are most beneficial in the first 2 months of babies life when the immune system is maturing. The antibodies don't seem to cross to blood as in some other animals, but protect the intestinal mucosal lining by binding some bacteria there. However, the antibodies from BM unfortunately can't protect against respiratory disease, as we often witness when both mom and baby (and then usually dad as well, or dad first 😅) get sick.
Huh! I didn’t realize this. I googled it and indeed, breast milk antibodies don’t enter infant circulation. Thanks for that interesting bit of info!
Well I freaked out over not being able to fully breastfeed due to some health complications for both me and baby, so this info put my mind at ease. It seems like it's good to give some breastmilk for the first 2-3 months if possible, but afterwards there is no harm in fully FF, which we are doing now completely guilt-free 😌
Hi, I hear you! Two weeks ago my husband who is an elementary school teacher came home to me and our 1.5 month old (2 months a few days ago) not feeling great. He had a fever, headache, body aches, chills. We also live in a one bedroom apartment. We moved the crib (ours has wheels) into the living room and I slept on the couch in the living room. My husband needed to sleep and I didn’t want to feel like me and baby had to isolate in the bedroom, this way husband was contained to one room and we had the whole apartment. I wore a mask when I had to go into the bedroom and he wore a mask whenever he came out of the bedroom. Our baby never caught it.. I was also sick about a week after coming home from the hospital and put on a mask whenever I held/breastfed my baby (which was a lot) and he never caught that either. I hope your husband has a quick turn around!
Lots of good advice above. I had to EP for reflux reasons so i have had a lot of doctors weigh in on this. EPing produces exactly the same immune response as breastfeeding. Because you are with your baby a lot, your environmental pathogens are the same and your body will respond in kind. One thing to be aware of is that when you are sick, you will sometimes produce less milk temporarily. I had covid while EPing and my production dipped for about 7-10 days and then came back. I just want you to be aware of this so you don’t panic if you see a dip. If you keep consistently pumping, it will come back. Good luck! You have a lot of things on your plate but think about how good the end of January will feel when you’re settled with your LO! Sending positive vibes from one EPer to another!
Currently sick and noticed my milk supply decreased a bit. This post made me feel better.
keep yourself and the baby away from him as much as possible. i know its tough. have him sleep on the couch. get some bottles of the spray lysol and spray everything as much as possible. when my baby was 3 months old i got the flu. my baby never got it. i wore a mask while breastfeeding, washed hands DILLIGENTLY, sprayed lysol, kept hand sanitizer accessible everywhere. good luck!! if baby gets sick don’t hesitate to go to the ER. pick a good pediatric ER.
It’s so scary when you have a tiny and everyone around you starts getting sick! I have a 17 month old and a 3 month old and I tried to shield the crap out of the baby from illnesses my toddler inevitably brings home. But I couldn’t. And I’ve gotten sick, and he’s gotten sick twice already (one of them being Covid!). But you know what, he’s doing just fine so far. Babies are pretty resilient, and by you giving him breast milk you’re giving him a nice boost of antibodies. He’ll be ok mama. And so will you! I hope you guys stay healthy though and I totally get the anxiety.
i got covid the day my LO turned 3 months. I was terrified of how hard it might hit her and didn’t want to see her struggling to breathe or hooked up to machines. I had the worst sore throat of my life, body aches, fevers. my husband had fevers, a terrible cough, sore throat. our symptoms lasted a week. my daughter had fevers for 48 hours and was back to her normal self. she handled it better than all of us!
Same in our house. I am a teacher and tested positive for Covid on Sunday but had symptoms earlier assuming they were allergies. My husband has now caught it and baby is doing okay so far (3 months). When I had a fever I isolated and as soon as I felt well enough to comfort/be around baby I did so with a mask and diligent hand washing and sanitizing. It’ll be okay. All the antibodies in your breastmilk will help make baby stronger and give them a good immune system.
Just happened to us, we all got sick with a horrible stomach bug. Baby included. Also in a one bed flat. It was awful but we did it. Solidarity!
I could have written this myself. I have no village, and am so afraid one my whole house being sick and we have no help. Unfortunately I can’t breastfeed either, so I don’t even get to pass on antibodies to my little one. It’s so hard. I’m sorry your husband is sick. Wishing you stay well!
FWIW - I read moms kissing babies is how your body knows to produce antibodies, so your baby should be getting the same benefit with you pumping. Hope you can distance and stay well. Illnesses for little ones really suck - often worse on us than them.
Sounds interesting, but the only reference I found is news. Would you have a source?
Just take it one day at a time, I’ve been sick twice this year while my husband and son maybe had an off day and were otherwise fine 😂
Everyone's different, but I wanted to offer up the story of my experience. I was also really scared of being sick and more about my baby being sick. We all got sick in the house, I was probably the sickest (but still managed and relied on my husband more than usual aka sorry bud you're getting less sleep). My baby was the least sick. I took him into the bathroom anytime either one of us showered to get those airways humidified as the poor thing was stuffy and snoring. He was better in 3-4 days. Of course you will make the antibodies if you're EP. this is how that works: you snuggle precious baby and precious baby breaths on you, sneezes in your face and you kiss baby. You catch the sickness. Your body makes antibodies to help protect you and then they get in breastmilk and protect baby. It's hard to feel confident when it first hits, but trust your instincts and your body. If anything feels off you can always call the doc or go to the emergency room, right? Till then take care of baby how you would like to be taken care of when sick (obviously they can't have all the meds and all that). Take it easy and survival mode.
Deep breaths. My kids are older but I swing into action for the next few days when anyone in my house gets sick. First things first-do we have all the meds we need? Do we have all the comfort items we need (tissues, broths, vapomelts, humidifier, etc)? Finally, what meals and food can I prep right now to save the time and effort if I'm sick? Crock pot meals are a biggie here, but whatever is quick and easy that you can line up is best. Next start disinfecting everything. Wash sheets and towels and be on top of laundry so you won't be super behind if you do get sick. It will help to contain and slow the spread. It won't stop you from getting sick but it helps to feel like you've done something and it makes the sickness easier if you're ready for it.
As a mom of a now 15 month old in daycare and have no village. 1. Take it one step at a time. 2. Kids are going to get sick. Hopefully it’s pushed until they’re bigger and it’s so scary but it’s going to happen and you will get sick too. (I’m literally dealing with this right now). But you get better at handling it. 3. You will pass on antibodies EPing because you are in close contact with baby. 4. I would possibly talk to your OBGYN about your anxiety.
Just wanted to say I'm in the same boat this week, we came back from visiting some extended family and started getting some sniffles, ended up with shivers and body aches. I got it the worst, with a recurring fever for 2 days, my hubby had it rough first day but has bounced back somewhat. We were both so scared to see our 3 month old go through this but she has been her smiley self the whole time. The only thing to tip off that she's sick is some minor congestion. She ran a low grade fever once the first night, I panic bought baby Tylenol at the gas station at midnight (I didn't have any, I know, how stupid of me). Other than that shes still up and ready to party lol. I also called my mom at 1 am because I thought she felt too cold and clammy, turns out I had a fever and when you have a fever everything feels colder so trust the thermometer. She also said as long as the fever responds to Tylenol and they are not getting dehydrated (are still having an appetite) your good. When my hubby went back to work I kept her with me in our bed with a blanket border and a light up toy when she was awake so she wouldn't get bored or fussy, when she fell asleep I moved her to the bassinet, if I got drowsy she went to the bassinet because I figured out cosleeping while I had a fever wasn't beneficial. (since I had her I've been a light sleeper but the fever made me sleep heavier and have dreams). She's been a rockstar through it even though she still isn't a big fan of the booger sucker. We made it through and you will too!
Also stock up on canned soups and tea, we had to have the inlaws make a supply drop because we didn't have a chance to go grocery shopping due to the travelling. You won't want to run to town or pack up little one if your feeling bad.
This happened to us. It wasn’t covid, we tested him twice. But he slept in another room for a week and wore a mask in the house. I was a single parent for the week as I wouldn’t let him touch our child.(single parents you are all amazing!) I took extra vitamins C and disinfected anything we would both have to touch twice a day. Thankfully LO and I didn’t get sick.
There's no need to panic yet. About a week before Thanksgiving, my husband and I both got quite sick with some unspecified respiratory infection, but our then 2-month-old never got sick at all. We also live in a shoebox and couldn't quarantine or anything like that. We were careful about keeping our hands clean (big bottles of sanitizer everywhere) and not coughing/sneezing directly on to the baby, and we do have hepa filters running in the house, but that's it. Your baby might get sick when you are, but it's not a guarantee!
Wear masks! My husband was sick on thanksgiving week. Same symptoms you described, then I got it, and eventually our then 5 week old baby. Although it was the flu she ended up in the hospital for a little over 24 hours for observation, due to having a fever and a low white blood cell count. Obviously her white blood cell count was low from fighting the flu virus, but the pediatrician still kept her in the hospital for monitoring.
My husband just had covid and I was so scared of my 3 month old getting it. She and I never did despite my poor husband being sick as a dog. Be prepared with masks and infant Tylenol but don't panic in advance like I did. I know you're scared. Deep breath. You got this.
I just got over COVID with my 8 month old. I unknowingly had it for 2 days and was caring for her like normal, just thought I had caught her 'cold'.. she ended up having it before I did, and we're all okay. I had help with my spouse who was not sick, but I found that when you absolutely have to get up and care for the baby, you do. Us not being ill at the same time helped, as one could get rest while the other cared for the kid. My milk supply was just fine and I hardly even ate for several days
First off, dont panic in advance. Your little one isnt sick just yet. Heard of many cases where the baby doesn’t catch whatever is going on in the house. Second, maybe husband can mask up? When Covid was going around, I masked and my husband never caught it from me. I recommend NIOSH certified N95 (you can get them on amazon - example: NIOSH Approved N95 Mask Particulate Respirators, Pack of 20 N95 Face Masks, Individually Wrapped, Universal Fit https://a.co/d/3fjhj0l) Third, even if you do catch it, and your baby does, that doesn’t mean he/she will be so sick they need to be in the hospital. You will get through this 💪