As a pregnant mom, recent news reports of birth defects related to Zika virus may have you worried. Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that is can cause mild illness in some people. But for pregnant women, the virus poses significant risks for their developing baby. Zika has been linked to microcephaly (a birth defect where baby’s head is smaller than expected) and other brain problems in babies exposed while in utero.

The Zika virus has been found in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, a number of Pacific island countries, and several countries in Africa. In the US, Zika has been found in Florida. Experts believe it will continue to spread over the coming years.

There is no antiviral medication to treat a Zika infection, nor a vaccination to prevent it. The best way to protect yourself and your baby is to avoid exposure, if possible. If you are already pregnant, health authorities recommend you postpone any non-essential travel to areas of the world where Zika is widespread. If you must travel or if you live in one of these areas, protect yourself from possible exposure by using insect repellent and mosquito nets and wearing clothing that covers as much of your body as possible (hat, long sleeves, long pants, socks, shoes).

Because there is no known time in pregnancy when an infection poses a higher or lower risk, travel to Zika prone areas is discouraged even if you are not yet pregnant but may possibly become so. If you’re actively trying to conceive, and you have had a Zika infection, wait at least 8 weeks to get pregnancy. If your partner has had a confirmed case of Zika, wait at least 6 months before trying to conceive. If either of you may potentially have been exposed to Zika but you’re not sure and you haven’t been tested, it’s best to wait at least 8 weeks from when you may have been exposed.

Partners who have traveled to Zika prone areas are also at risk of exposing a pregnant mom and her unborn baby to the illness as it can be spread through sexual contact. If your partner has been exposed to Zika, use a barrier contraceptive (condom) or avoid sexual contact altogether. Zika can persist in semen for weeks or even months after his illness. So continued protection may be necessary.

Experts recommend that any pregnant woman with a potential exposure to Zika be tested, even if she has no signs or symptoms of the disease. This typically involves a blood test to confirm whether or not you have the illness. If you do have Zika, your healthcare provider will monitor your pregnancy more closely, likely with regular ultrasound scans to assess baby’s development.

Written By Michelle, writer, editor, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, and mom of 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

You wake feeling a little nauseous. As the day goes on, you feel fatigued. You’re pretty sure you’ve got a fever, but haven’t been able to stop and take your temperature. By the afternoon, it’s the inevitable truth – you’re sick. Now what?

While we’d like to imagine equality in our own families, the truth for most moms is that they do the disproportionate share of childcare and housework. So when mom gets sick, the whole family unravels a little.

But when you’re sick, you need to take care of yourself, and make some temporary changes until you’re feeling better.

• Rest! Fatigue makes mothering next to impossible. If you have a baby or toddler who is still napping, sleep when they sleep. If your baby is young enough, you may get away with spending the entire day in bed napping and nursing. If he or she is home, let your partner care for the children while you rest. Your body needs to heal, and sleep is one of the best ways to do so.

• Try home remedies: Saline nose drops, chicken soup, a humidifier … try whatever you have on hand that doesn’t take too much work.

• Stay hydrated and eat what you can: Dehydration and hunger make fatigue even worse. Sip broths or electrolyte replenishing drinks (especially if you’ve been vomiting) and nibble on bland foods (remember the BRAT diet for illness: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast).

• Use caution with medications if you’re breastfeeding: Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the type of illness, you may want to take over the counter medications, or your doctor may prescribe medications to treat your illness. Check with a lactation consultant or your baby’s doctor to make sure any drugs you take (including herbs) are safe for a breastfeeding baby. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, you’ll want to know if a medication is going to make you sleepy – which could really impact your childcare abilities.

• Ask for help: Don’t be afraid to call for reinforcements. If your partner can take the day off from work, great. Or ask family or friends to substitute for you for a day.

• Do the bare minimum to get through the day: Spend the day on the couch, and let the kids play or watch TV nearby. Gate them into the same room if you need to.

• Let it go: Whether it’s the housekeeping, the amount of time your children are spending in front of a screen, or the complete lack of nutritional balance in their meals, let it all go for a day until you’re feeling better.

If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you may wonder if it’s acceptable to nurse your baby when you’re sick. If you’re up to it, then by all means keep breastfeeding. Your body started making antibodies to the illness likely before you even realized you were sick. And these immunities are passed to your baby through breastmilk. Sometimes the nursing baby is the only one in the family who doesn’t get sick! Sometimes when a mom is very ill, her milk supply drops. With frequent nursing after you’re feeling better, your milk supply should rebound.

Cover your cough, no kissing your baby, and be sure to wash your hands often to avoid spreading germs to your children or your partner.

What tips do you have for getting through an illness when you’re trying to care for others?

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

New parents sometimes don’t want to be seen as overprotective by calling the baby’s doctor at the least little change in baby’s behavior. How are you to know when you should get professional help, and when your baby isn’t really in need of medical attention?

While every healthcare provider is different, here are some general rules about when to call the doctor and what you might do at home:

• Any fall by a baby, especially if he hit his head and even if he’s acting normal. Sometimes changes may take a while to show up, but you want to catch any problems before they cause too much damage to baby’s growing brain.
• Excessive crying after eliminating all common causes. Keep this relative to how much your individual baby typically fusses. Try diaper changes, feeding, burping, changing clothes, checking to be sure toes and fingers aren’t caught in strings or hair (you’d be surprised how often this happens!), etc. If your baby is inconsolable and will not sleep, call the doctor.
• Excessive drowsiness, especially if baby can’t be roused for feedings. Babies may occasionally miss a feeding, but if your baby misses more than one, he may be ill.
• Fever greater than 101°F (38°C), especially if baby is younger than 2 months. Some healthcare providers will recommend over-the-counter fever reducers, but some will want to check baby first.
• Projective vomiting. This is more forceful and copious than normal spit-up. If it’s happening repeatedly, your baby will need to be kept hydrated. If you’re breastfeeding, keep trying to nurse.
• Diarrhea or blood / mucous in baby’s stools. If your baby has more than 10 watery stools in one day, this is considered diarrhea. Keep your baby hydrated and seek medical attention.
• Cough or severe runny nose, especially if accompanied by a fever or if baby is tugging on his ears, too. You might use a nasal aspirator, saline drops or a humidifier to keep your baby comfortable, but you want to rule out infection.
• Discharge from the eyes. Some newborns have blocked tear ducts, which is typically harmless. But older babies with sudden eye irritation should be checked for infection
• If your baby has difficulty breathing or has been exposed to any toxic substance, call your local emergency providers immediately.

The list above is of course not complete, there may be many other instances where it is best to call your doctor. The number one rule is to trust your instincts. If you think your baby needs to be seen by a healthcare provider, be persistent until you have your needs met. You know your baby best – in health and in illness!

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

If you’re feeling unwell, you may be worried about whether it’s safe to continue breastfeeding your baby. Many mamas worry that perhaps they shouldn’t feed their baby when they’re ill. However, in reality, there are very few instances in which illness may require you to stop breastfeeding your child (e.g. HIV, active tuberculosis, HTLV-1, HTLV-2).

Assuming you aren’t suffering from any of these conditions, you should be fine to continue breastfeeding your baby for the duration of the illness.

Will breastfeeding make my baby sick?

If you’re suffering from a cold or flu illness, you may worry about whether your breast milk will contain the virus. It won’t, so don’t worry. Not only that, because your milk contains the antibodies your body is busy producing to fight the infection, your baby will actually get this extra boost of immunity to protect her from the illness.

Do I need to take any precautions?

If you are prescribed medication to treat the illness, make sure you tell the doctor that you’re breastfeeding. Your doctor will need to check that the medication he or she prescribes is suitable for breastfeeding mothers. Most medication is suitable for breastfeeding mothers, but it’s always worth checking just in case.

If you have a sickness and diarrhoea bug, you need to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. It’s easy to become dehydrated, especially when you’re breastfeeding, so make sure you keep your fluid levels up.

To minimize the risk of your baby getting ill, take the usual precautions. Wash your hands often, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and try not to kiss your baby near the mouth.

If you’re feeling rubbish, it’s important to take care of yourself and allow yourself time to rest. If you’re really unwell, you might need somebody else to stay home and help with the baby. That will give you the opportunity to get some sleep between feeds, and put someone else in charge of diaper changes for a little while. If your partner is unable to take the day off work, ask a family member or friend to pop round for a few hours and help out.

Remember to keep breastfeeding on demand, a drastic reductions in the number of feeds each day could begin to affect your supply.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.