Decongestant medications function to dry up nasal secretions that your body produces as a result of cold or allergies. In addition to medical decongestants, supplements and home remedies also function to reduce congestion in your nose. While most decongestants are generally regarded as safe for breastfeeding mothers, check with your doctor before taking any supplement, over-the-counter or prescription medication.
Features
Medical nasal decongestants are available over the counter and in prescription form. Select from pills or nasal sprays, depending on how long and how quickly you need the medication to work. Some nasal sprays for treating congestion contain just saline solution, while others contain a medication. Most decongestant medications contain either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine as active ingredients; some medications contain multiple active ingredients. The effects of these medications usually last 4 to 6 hours.
Considerations
Along with drying up your nasal secretions, decongestants containing pseudoephedrine can cause a decrease in your milk supply. Many decongestants are combined with other ingredients to reduce a multitude of cold and allergy symptoms; the KellyMom website advises that breastfeeding mothers avoid combination medications and choose a single-function decongestant. A short-term medication that lasts for 4 to 6 hours is preferable to a longer-acting medication, as your body will process the medication faster, reducing your baby's exposure to the medication through your milk. Taking the medication after nursing your baby also helps reduce the amount of drug your baby is exposed to. Chronic use of pseudoephedrine is considered possibly hazardous to the breastfed infant, Dr. Thomas Hale warns in his book "Medications and Mothers' Milk."
Home Remedies
Home remedies reduce congestion without many of the unwanted side effects of medications that sometimes interfere with milk supply and breastfeeding. Holding a towel around your head like a hood and breathing in steam from a bowl of steaming water loosens and thins your nasal mucus; another option is to run a hot shower or bath and stay in the steamy bathroom. Nursing your baby in the steamy bathroom decreases any congestion in her nose, too. Drinking plenty of clear, non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic fluids also helps thin your mucus and reduce congestion. Sprinkling cayenne pepper on your food thins your nasal secretions; add ¼ tsp. to a glass of water for the added benefit of extra fluids.
Supplements
Before taking any supplements to treat congestion, check with your physician and your baby's pediatrician to make sure these ingredients are safe for breastfeeding. According to KellyMom, taking extra vitamin C reduces congestion and is safe while breastfeeding. Echinacea taken in capsule form also functions as a decongestant. Raw garlic reduces congestion, although garlic tablets are easier to ingest. Garlic often causes your breast milk to take on a slightly garlicky flavor, which does not bother most babies. Drinking fenugreek tea reduces head congestion --- and, as a bonus, acts as a galactogogue to increase your milk supply.
References
- KellyMom.com: Cold Remedy
- "Medications and Mothers' Milk"; Thomas W. Hale, Ph.D.; 2006
