Sorry for my gap in usual posting. Since John got sick, then I succumbed to it, I've been in survival mode. No house cleaning, no real cooking. I haven't left the house in seven days except maybe to go to the mailbox once or twice. John is going stir crazy, but I haven't even had the stamina to walk him around the block. As of last night, Chris has fallen victim to the virus. Aunt Erica caught it too on the day she returned home. In a self-pitying, un-Christian moment, I will make note that Chris and Erica may take cold medications so they can get through the days and do their work, but Mama cannot take anything because she is nursing, nor can she just stop taking care of the baby just because she's sick. So Mama is pretty grumpy these days. Thank you, St. Paul, for providing this dying-to-self opportunity.
No need to apologize for the gap (although I will admit to missing your daily posts). I don't think there's a person who visits this blog who doesn't understand the challenges of not feeling well and caring for a small child.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better really soon!
i take cold medicine (decongestant and tylenol, maybe an antihistamine or some guaifenisen) if i really need to when i'm nursing or preg. haven't seen any real research indicating harm to the baby. what have you found in your research?
ReplyDeleteechinacea/goldenseal, apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano and vitamin c are always ok and they work really well.
hot tea with honey and lemon... there's lots to take to help! don't give up!
Hang in there Katherine. I'll be praying for you!!
ReplyDeleteOh, that's terrible, Katherine! Just be good to yourself and take it easy.
ReplyDeleteSarah: Pseudoephedrine is what is most problematic and it is the most common decongestant ingredient. In fact, when I reviewed OTC decongestants a couple of days ago, I couldn't find one with any other main ingredient! (I didn't find any meds with phenylephrine. ???) Pseudoephedrine dries up milk and, as such, is used as a treatment for milk overproduction. I recall it has been found to be capable of drying up milk supply by something like 25% overnight!
ReplyDeleteSee here: http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html
Both pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are generally considered to be safe for the breastfed baby, but pseudoephedrine may reduce milk supply.
Pseudoephedrine & milk supply: Thomas Hale Ph. D., a renowned breastfeeding pharmacologist (Breastfeeding Pharmacology), notes that "breastfeeding mothers with poor or marginal milk production should be exceedingly cautious in using pseudoephedrine" and that "it is apparent that mothers in late-stage lactation may be more sensitive to pseudoephedrine and have greater loss in milk production" (Medications and Mother's Milk, 2006 edition).
Dr. Hale is referring to this study: Aljazaf K, et. al. Pseudoephedrine: effects on milk production in women and estimation of infant exposure via breastmilk. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2003 Jul;56(1):18-24.
If you do take pseudoephedrine and notice a drop in milk supply (many moms do not, but research shows that it can decrease milk supply by as much as 24%), simply stop the medication and take measures to increase milk supply - the problem should resolve fairly quickly.
Be very cautious about taking pseudoephedrine on a regular basis, as it has the potential to permanently decrease your milk supply. Regular use of pseudoephedrine (120 mg/day) has occasionally been used to decrease milk production in moms with overproduction, where the usual methods to regulate milk production were not working.
Many meds have been reformulated so they no longer contain pseudoephedrine -- they're using phenylephrine instead. Per Hale, "Because of pseudoephedrine's effect on milk production, many have concerns that phenylephrine may suppress milk production as well. There is no evidence that this occurs at all."
Pseudoephedrine dries up milk and, as such, is used as a treatment for milk overproduction.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, thanks for the info. That is great to know. I have never heard that before... all the OBs I know have said it is safe while nursing/pg (which I guess it is but depends what you mean by "safe.") Considering I have trouble keeping milk anyway... it is good to know.
I usually use decongestant as a last resort as it basically makes me feel like I took valium and speed at the same time. :-) Very aware but totally mellow about it all. Ha ha.
Do you know anything about the herbal teas that are supposed to provide a similar decongesting effect?
All said, the organic unpasteurised, unfiltered ACV worked for me like magic with my sinus infection. It is NASTY esp the 2nd or third dose, and I kinda felt weird in my stomach for a bit, but it worked to banish the congestion. Let me know if you try it and how it does for you.
Feel better. I hate being sick. MOMS DON'T GET SICK DAYS!!! UGH! Maybe that is why God usually gives us such strangely high tolerance for illness and pain. :-)
Sarah: I don't know anything about herbal teas said to be decongestant. I do know that herbal properties are very real, so they shouldn't be considered harmless. Just like there are teas that can increase milk supply, I've got to think there are ones with the opposite effect.
ReplyDeleteIn my misery, I did resort to trying apple cider vinegar. It was soooooo nasty. I'm such a wimp that it took me 15 minutes to drink two ounces of it. I didn't have the courage to try any more doses and got better anyway. Maybe if I'd remained miserable, I'd have tried it again.
2 oz is a lot at one time... i usually do 1 oz at a time or if I can't stand it, just a tablespoon... but maybe that dose did help you faster!
ReplyDeleteI just noticed on the gypsy cold tea that we have, it says not to use while pg/nursing... interesting!
glad you are not miserable any more. :-)
Sarah: Ha ha! Someone told me to take 2-4 oz, so I thought I was being a wimp by taking only two! Chris drank all four ounces!
ReplyDeleteFYI, as far as I know, pseudoephedrine is fine while pregnant, it's just not fine while nursing.