Breastfeeding During COVID-19

As mentioned in a previous post, I recently had a bout with COVID 19. During this period I did breastfeed and I did find that my youngest (under a year) was the least affected by any symptoms. Canada has not yet published any specific guidelines around breastfeeding while positive with COVID 19. However, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) among others recommend that breast is still best. 

Are there any guidelines around breastfeeding during COVID-19 in Canada?

At this time, there are no Canadian guidelines published on COVID-19 and breastfeeding. Below are some resources, shared by Enfamil Canada in their recent newsletter to parents, that can help to inform your breastfeeding decision.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidance on breastfeeding and COVID 19 (https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/maternal-or-infant-illnesses/covid-19-and-breastfeeding.html)

• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/key-topics/covid-19)

• The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (United Kingdom) (https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/)

• Dietitians of Canada (https://www.dietitians.ca/News/2020/Advice-for-the-general-public-about-COVID-19)

Guidance on breastfeeding and COVID-19 may change as knowledge evolves.  Whether and how to start or continue breastfeeding should be determined by the mother in coordination with her family and healthcare providers. 

 Are you a breastfeeding or soon to be breastfeeding mom? What are your thoughts on breastfeeding during this time?

Pretty Sure I Had Corona...

Disclaimer: I have never tested for the Corona virus and this is not an invitation for anyone to track me down to get tested. Lol but seriously. This is strictly based on my observation of what happened to others who were tested and comparing it to what I experienced. What follows is what I used to recover from what I suspect may have been a strain of the Corona virus. This is also not medical advice. If you do have Corona virus consult with a Doctor. Make of it what you will. 

Photo from wired.com

My Corona Story...
My family and I recently returned to Canada from a visit to the Caribbean. We were there for almost a month on vacation. N.B: My whole lifestyle is naturally self -isolating, these days, as I am a stay at home mom of two littles and it’s currently Winter. Back to my story...

For the headache...
About a week or so after being home, I started having headaches which is odd for me and to the point that I had to take a Tylenol pain killer. The following day or so,  I woke up with a big lump in my throat. That was shortly followed by getting cold chills at night, when everybody else was feeling normal. As a mom of two littles, I have a general policy to attack a sore throat immediately! I pretty much take medication instead of waiting for it to escalate, so that’s what I did, although in my mind this was just a cold/flu. The only difference is that this was unlike any cold/flu I’ve ever felt before. So I went into attack mode as I started experiencing a number of other symptoms. Here’s what I took for what...

For the sore throat...
The first thing I took was the NeoCitran Flu Tea - Drowsy as that’s what we had in the house. When I went through that box, I also got a box of NeoCitran Cold and Sinus - Drowsy which worked better for me. I just drank that hot tea every 4hrs or so and it helped relieve my sore throat. At night I always felt much worse...

For the night time congestion...
At night the congestion really hit. It was almost as if as soon as the sun went down the bacteria came out to play. For the congestion, I ran a warm mist humidifier on one side of the room and on the other side of the room a cool mist humidifier/essential oil diffuser was busy misting peppermint and then tea tree essential oil.

To provide extra relief to my lungs, I started rubbing my chest and back area with Vicks. As the days progressed the Vicks by itself became ineffective, so I added Tiger Balm on top. Tiger Balm  essentially does the same things Vicks does so this was a very strong and effective combo. That stuff stings but it works!

Road to Recovery...
I continued using all of these things every day/night consistently until I started to recover. Oh before I forget...I drank lots of  Orange Juice, Apple Juice and Water. Drinking lots of fluids (especially warm or Vitamin C packed) or even just room temperature water, helps to loosen the mucous. Very soon I was able to cough up the thickest mucous I had ever seen (I know tmi) and pretty soon I only had mild laryngitis and a mild cough.

After coughing/hacking up mucous I had a lingering dry cough. I took Buckley’s cough syrup and that got rid of the cough gradually until one day I woke up free of all symptoms. 🙏 My voice is back and I can say I’ve completely recovered from what I believe was COVID 19!

"Act swiftly and aggressively, the very minute you feel a headache or sore throat..."

The Takeaway...
To anyone going through this, or if anyone close to you, is please pass on these tips. The key message here is to act swiftly and aggressively, the very minute you feel a headache or sore throat please do not let it linger and please do self quarantine. Also, if you have any underlying health issues please call your Family Doc for guidance before taking any over the counter remedies. Stay safe till next time. xoxo

Comment below if you think I really had Corona or just a Flu? 🥴

Child Travel Checklist: Part 1

Here’s a handy checklist to take the guesswork out of safe travel with your little one and have a great vacay! 🗺⛱

[ ] Check your country's travel advisory website for destination specific advisories. For Canada, visit travel.gc.ca, for the US visit travel.state.gov and for the UK visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. These travel sites also contain lots of useful information about safe travel and other guidelines.

[ ] Register your child and other family members online on your country's travel website or in person at your country's consulate in the destination country. This registration allows you to get help and updates in the event of emergency evacuations due to natural disasters or civil unrest.

[ ] Consider buying travel insurance or at the very least book your flight with a credit card that offers travel protection. Check with your credit card provider if you are unsure of all the perks. There are probably more perks associted with your credit card than you know.

[ ] Get your child fully immunized. Especially if you are travelling to distant and exotic places, be sure your child has all the necessary immunizations and that you discuss travel plans with your child's physician.

[ ] Research the closest hospitals and clinics in the area you will be vacationing and have numbers on hand just in case.

[ ] Pack your child’s medictation such as puffers, epi pens and baby Tylenol in a mini first aid kit or health and safety pouch; also include your child's immunization card.

[ ] Inform Emergency contacts of your travel plans and at the very least make sure all the emergency contact information is correct and updated when making your ticket reservations.

For ideas on what to pack for your child check out Child Travel Checklist: Part 2 and be sure to leave your child travel tips in the comments below!