Yes, Continue Breastfeeding While You Have a Cough
You should absolutely continue breastfeeding your baby while you have a cough—most maternal infections are compatible with breastfeeding, and breast milk provides protective antibodies that help protect your infant from the very illness you have. 1
Why Breastfeeding Should Continue
Breast milk actively protects your baby by providing antibodies and immune factors that reduce the risk of respiratory infections, which are significantly less common in breastfed children. 1
There is no evidence of viral transmission through breast milk for most respiratory infections, and the protective benefits far outweigh any theoretical risks. 1, 2
Stopping breastfeeding now would deprive your infant of both nutritional and immunologic benefits at precisely the time when these protections are most needed. 3
Practical Precautions While Breastfeeding
Hand hygiene and respiratory precautions are your key protective measures:
Wash your hands thoroughly before every feeding to prevent transmission through direct contact. 1, 2
Wear a surgical mask while breastfeeding to minimize droplet exposure from coughing directly onto your baby. 2
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing at all times around your infant, not just during feeding. 1
If You're Taking Medications
Most cough and cold medications are compatible with breastfeeding when taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration. 4
Take medications immediately after breastfeeding to minimize the amount present in milk during the next feeding. 4
Pseudoephedrine, triprolidine, and codeine (for short-term cough suppression) are considered compatible with breastfeeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 4
Avoid combination products with multiple ingredients when possible—use single-ingredient medications only for symptoms you actually have. 4
When to Consider Expressed Milk
If you are too ill to breastfeed directly, you can pump and have someone else feed your expressed breast milk to your baby. 2, 5
Continue pumping to maintain your milk supply even if temporarily unable to nurse directly. 3
Common Pitfall to Avoid
Do not stop breastfeeding out of fear of "giving the baby your illness"—by the time you develop symptoms, your baby has already been exposed, and your breast milk now contains specific antibodies against that pathogen that will help protect your infant. 3, 6 The delay between exposure and symptom onset means stopping breastfeeding at this point only removes protection without reducing exposure risk. 3