Breastfeeding and GBS
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If your baby has been affected by GBS or you are known to carry the bacteria,
you may be concerned about whether you should breastfeed. Since some mothers are
mistakenly told not to nurse because they carry GBS, we have asked breastfeeding
experts to clarify the issue.Below are several common breastfeeding questions asked by GBS positive mothers. Special thanks to Certified Lactation consultants Elizabeth Flight and Diane Asbill and doctors Larry Givner and Jack Newman for their input.
Is it safe for me to breastfeed my baby if I carry GBS? Will GBS get into my milk?
Breast milk is the best food for all human babies, including GBS babies. Although you may carry GBS in your genital area, this does not affect your breast milk in any way. If you are fighting a postpartum GBS infection, you will pass disease-fighting antibodies against GBS to your baby.
GBS occasionally causes an infection of the breast tissue called mastitis, but this rare. Having GBS mastitis does not mean that GBS is in the breast milk, so it should not affect your baby. The only way GBS can get into the breast milk is if you are septic (fighting a GBS blood infection), and septic women are usually much too sick to nurse their babies.
Finally, even if GBS were found in the breast milk, it is extremely unlikely that GBS bacteria would survive the stomach acids in your baby's digestive system. Therefore, it is safe and beneficial for GBS Mom's to nurse their babies.
Will antibiotics I am given pass through my breast milk and harm my baby?
While some drugs are not recommended for nursing mothers, most antibiotics used to treat GBS are safe. Be sure to discuss your intention to breast feed with you doctor before he prescribes ANY medications. Some mention was made that an exception should be made for gentamicin. However, gentamicin in the mother's milk should, in no way be a problem for a baby. In the first place, the amount of gent in the milk is extremely small. Secondly, and more importantly, gent is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, whatever the baby gets in the milk will not get into his blood. However, regardless of the specific drug, babies’ blood levels should be monitored for any applicable drugs.
My baby is being treated in intensive care and he is too weak to nurse. Can I still give him the benefits of breast milk?
Breast milk is easier to digest than formula and may contain antibodies which can help the baby get stronger. A baby who is well enough to drink from a bottle is well enough to breastfeed. Indeed, often babies who are too weak to drink from a bottle are able to breastfeed. Thus, if the baby is truly too sick to nurse, then he should not be getting bottles which can interfere with breastfeeding. Cup feeding is a much better alternative to the breast than the bottle. Let the staff know that you would like to pump your milk for the baby. Ask them to help you find a certified Lactation Consultant, who can help you get set up with a breast pump while the baby is ill. Later, she can provide valuable suggestions for succeeding at breastfeeding when the baby is stronger.
Thrush (i.e., Nipple Yeast Infections)
Another area of concern was the issue of thrush, or yeast infection, in either mother or baby due to the use of antibiotics. Please talk with a lactation consultant or your healthcare provider if you know you will be receiving antibiotics at delivery. You can discuss plans to help avoid getting thrush, understand the symptoms, and be prepared to address if you do become symptomatic.
For more information on breastfeeding, contact:
La Leche League provides education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed.
ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association) supports family-centered maternity care and those who believe in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in birth.
- Breast Pump FAQ
(with manufacturer references)
Another Breast Pump FAQ
Breastfeeding after
a Cesarean Section
You can also see if the International
Cesarean Awareness Network has a local chapter.
Reference Books:
Breastfeeding. A Guide for the Medical
Profession. Lawrence, Ruth Anderson, MD. 4th edition, University of Rochester,
Rochester, NY 1995.
You Can Breastfeed... Even in Special Situations. Brewster, D.P. Rodale Press,
Emmaus, PA, 1979.
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