Breastfeeding and the Coronavirus: What We Know Right Now

With the changes in the spread of the Coronavirus, there are many unknowns when it comes to breastfeeding, but we are watching developments with a keen eye.

At Wumblekin, we believe in providing our customers with information that is backed by science.

At this point, very little information is available on the effects of newborns and the virus and if it can be transmitted through breastmilk.   

However, we are relying on information that is available from the interim guidance from the CDC, as well as the New England Journal of Medicine. Our best advice? Be very flexible with your birth plan right now. 

Fed is Best

It is important to remember that a fed baby is the most important goal for them to thrive. If you decide to use formula as a precaution, then know that what you are doing is best for your baby, making sure they are fed.

One of our Certified Nurse-Midwives shares her experience with bottle feeding

"I had an emergent cesarean section, and my son was in the NICU for 24 hours. Because of this, he received a bottle as his first feed, and he and I never quite got the latch thing down well. It was painful for me; he cried constantly, I cried. When I switched to bottle feeding, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt that I was doing something wrong. After I learned to forgive myself, life was so much more pleasant when he could feed easily, and I was not walking around the house with saline pads on my nipples and crying during feedings, pumping, and cleaning bottles in between feedings. He is now 17, has a 4.0GPA, and is smarter than my husband, and I combined - I think he did just fine with formula".

- Maryanne Scherer, CNM