When a Nursing Mother is Ill and Needs to Take Medications

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When a mother becomes ill, she should not interrupt breastfeeding for fear that she may make her baby sick. Breast milk passes immunity to the baby in many circumstances. Frequent hand washing will also decrease the risk of contagiousness.

If you are nursing while ill, it is generally best to avoid most medications. If you wish to take medicine, the following medicines may be taken safely (at the recommended dose) without risk to your baby:

For fever : Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen

For colds : Sudafed; nasal sprays (eg. Afrin, Neosynephrin); Benadryl (Other antihistamines may be given, but there may be a slight decrease in mother's milk supply)

For pain : Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, codeine, Demerol, Naprosyn

For infection : Antibiotics do not usually produce adverse effects in breast-fed infants.

You may take : Penicillins (eg. Amoxicillin), Ceclor, Cefzil, Lorabid, Suprax, Duricef, Keflex, Augmentin

For weight reduction:

After your child reaches one month of age, you may take products with Aspartame(Nutrasweet) or saccharin. Mothers who carry the gene for phenylketonuria should consult us before taking Aspartame.

If you are taking a medicine which is not listed here, call and speak with our phone nurse.

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Date Updated: Oct 27 2024 19:37 Version 0.1

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Customzed from Breastfeeding Article v0.1 7/7/2025

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Measles update

February 12, 2026
There have been cases of measles in NC, with exposures in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Wake County. We can give the MMR dose early to families who want it. This applies to infants 6-12 months who have not gotten a dose yet or kids under 4-5 years who have not gotten their second MMR dose. At this time, the NC DHHS and health departments are not recommending this unless traveling or living in an area with sustained transmission. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective (97%) at preventing measles infections. At CHCAC, children receive their first dose at 12 months of age and a second dose at 4 years of age, ensuring they are fully protected as soon as possible, in accordance with the most up-to-date AAP recommendations. Some infants aged 6 months to 11 months who travel internationally or in high-prevalence areas may need a dose to protect them; however, they still require the 1-year and 4-year-old doses as well. If you are ever concerned about a possible exposure to measles, please CALL before entering our office. DO NOT ENTER the office. NC DHHS keeps a list of areas with measles exposures here . This is a highly contagious illness, and special precautions must be taken to prevent spread. The virus can be present in the air for 2 hours after an infected person is in the room, and 90% of susceptible patients can be infected. As always, if you have questions, we are here to help make sense of it all!