Caring for your sore throat with natural remedies at home often provides as much relief as medications, without unwanted side effects for breastfeeding mothers. In addition, many at-home sore throat remedies provide additional benefits such as nutrition and needed fluids that breastfeeding mothers need when they do not feel well. Safe home remedies for breastfeeding mothers with severe sore throats include gargling, tea and fluids and humidifying the home's air.
Tea
Prepare a strong black tea to soothe your sore throat by using two tea bags and steeping for one to two minutes longer than usual. Fenugreek tea is another option for breastfeeding mothers, and as a bonus, fenugreek is known to boost your milk production. Some breastfeeding mothers enjoy Mother's Milk Tea, which contains fenugreek, blessed thistle, anise and other herbs that promote lactation and soothe your throat. Add honey to sweeten your tea, with the added benefit of soothing raw throats and dry coughs.
Fluids
In addition to tea, other warm drinks help soothe your sore throat and provide needed fluids for your nutrition while breastfeeding. The KellyMom website, run by a board-certified lactation consultant, suggests a drink of hot lemonade with honey stirred in, because the honey coats your throat and the citric acid of the lemons provides vitamin C. Warm apple cider is another nutritious option to help relieve your sore throat. Try warm water with ¼ tsp. of powdered cayenne pepper to help reduce soreness resulting from postnasal drip. Warm vegetable, chicken or beef broth is another nutritious option for nursing mothers to soothe sore throats, suggests the Mayo Clinic website.
Humidity
Spending time in a humid room soothes raw, sore throats. Nurse your baby in a bathtub filled with warm water or in the bathroom just after you take a shower. The steam helps loosen mucus and reduces irritation to your throat. Running a cool-water humidifier while you sleep at night also helps moisten your throat and reduce irritation resulting from dry air. As an added benefit, the humidity also loosens any mucus in your baby's nose, making it easier for her to breathe while she nurses.
Gargle
A variety of gargles that you can make at home help to reduce sore throats. Mix 1 tsp. of salt into an 8 oz. glass of warm water, gargling the solution and then spitting it out. Repeat this several times every day until your throat feels better. Another option is to mix ½ to 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar with warm water and gargle. Brew a mug of chamomile tea to gargle, and drink what remains of the cup after you gargle a mouthful.
