When a woman becomes a mother, she inherits a slew of emotions that can be overwhelming. However, throughout this beautiful journey, the mother’s most anticipated feelings are “worrying” and “the need to protect her child.” Before the pandemic caused by the spread of the Corona Virus, a mother’s concern about breastfeeding was limited to the question: “how?” Even though the answer could be found in many books or from a doctor, she is troubled by a new question: “Would I be able to breastfeed my child if I was/am infected with the virus?” or “Is my milk infected because I was/am corona positive?”
This question’s answer is still unknown. Even though the vaccine is new to the market and still undergoing extensive research, they do not have specific data for nursing mothers. Because the developers are unaware of the risk to babies due to clinical trials, they have yet to test on a pregnant woman to avoid affecting breast milk.
They only calculated safety data from breastfeeding healthcare personnel and essential workers who received the vaccine under emergency use authorization. “The primary advantage of getting the vaccine is that the breastfeeding woman may gain protection from either getting COVID-19 or getting the vaccine, or having a less severe disease if they do get COVID-19, allowing them to continue caring for their infant,” Dr. Lee explained.
The decision to get vaccinated will and should be made by the breastfeeding parents after carefully weighing and differentiating the benefits and risks. Based on information and evidence from other vaccines, it is believed that antibodies produced by the coronavirus vaccination in the mother’s body will pass through the breast milk and may protect the baby. Doctors believe that the vaccine could potentially save the lives of a mother or her baby because the coronavirus can be life-threatening in severe cases.
When it comes to our child’s health, we tend to overthink or are unable to conclude; in that case, the parent should contact the nearest vaccination center to inquire and clarify your questions. However, it is also recommended that you consult with your healthcare provider about the risks of receiving the vaccination while breastfeeding. If a person has underlying health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or lung disease, it is recommended that they be more inclined to get vaccinated. People are sometimes willing to be vaccinated if they have a high-risk job. However, the most important factor is how breastfeeding women react to similar types of vaccinations.
Because there is no dead or alive COVID-19 virus injected into the body via the vaccine, it may be safe for breastfeeding mothers to get vaccinated, knowing that neither the mother nor the child will be harmed. As a result, mothers should consider getting vaccinated even if they are breastfeeding, but it is also recommended that they consult with their health care providers.