Which antipyretic agents may I take?

In general, it is recommended that breastfeeding mothers reduce their fever first and foremost with non-drug measures, as these have the fewest side effects for themselves and their child. However, if a woman feels the need to reduce her high fever with medication, she should choose an agent that not only lowers the temperature but is also anti-inflammatory, as she is most likely suffering from high fever due to an infection. Ibuprofen is most likely to be recommended.

However, nursing mothers should keep to the exact dosage and not exceed the recommended daily dose. In addition, the drug should not be taken longer than absolutely necessary. For further information see: If you are allergic to ibuprofen or the temperature cannot be lowered sufficiently with ibuprofen, paracetamol can be used as an alternative.

However, paracetamol is rather the second choice, whereby the same application conditions apply as for ibuprofen. If the fever cannot be lowered by the drugs mentioned, other active substances should not be taken on your own. In this case, the cause of the fever should be found out during a medical examination and the therapy should be adjusted as needed.

Paracetamol is in itself a painkiller. It can also be used to reduce fever. The usual administration form is tablets with a dose of 1000mg per tablet. A daily dose of 4g (4000mg = 4 tablets per day) should not be exceeded, otherwise it can lead to liver damage. For breastfeeding mothers it is recommended to take 500mg in case of fever and possibly again at six-hour intervals to keep the excess of the active substance in breast milk as low as possible.

Breastfeeding for chest pain

Mastitis puerperalis” is a common clinical picture in nursing women and occurs preferably in the second week after birth. The affected woman often first notices a reddening and swelling of the affected breast, with the symptoms being supplemented by pain during breastfeeding. In the further course of the disease, fever is often added.

In this disease it is particularly important that there is no secretion accumulation in the affected breast. For the breastfeeding mother, this means that the milk from the affected breast must be pumped out and discarded consistently and regularly. However, she may continue to breastfeed her baby on the unaffected breast.

The reason for rejecting breast milk on the affected breast is the possible high germ content. Bacteria on the skin are responsible for the inflammation of the mammary gland, which infects the glandular tissue through small microtraumas of the skin on the breast. During breastfeeding, the pathogens are flushed out of the milk duct system. If the child were to drink this milk, it would be exposed to a high pathogen load. Once the symptoms on the breast have subsided, the mother may continue to breastfeed with this breast.