Everything Nursing Moms Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccine and Breastfeeding

As the world now sees progress with putting COVID-19 vaccines on the map, questions continue to circulate about its safety. Now, pregnant and breastfeeding women raise their concerns about the pros and cons of the COVID-19 vaccine, and how it may affect their children's health and safety.

In the United States, much like in most parts of the world, healthcare workers are the country's priority in COVID-19 vaccine delivery. Recently, however, the circle of eligibility for vaccination has been expanding.

People worldwide are very optimistic that the pandemic is coming to an end, especially since the COVID-19 vaccine recipient list is continuing to grow. However, experts still face the questions and claims those skeptical about the vaccine's efficacy. These people include pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

As we all know, breastfeeding women have been largely exempted from COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. And this being a fact has been an argument against its safety for the group.

If you are currently breastfeeding, consider the following to help you learn the pros and cons of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

READ: Coronavirus Pandemic: Breastfeeding Guidelines, Precautionary Measures, and Reminders

COVID-19 Vaccine and Breastfeeding: Answering the Concerns of Nursing Moms

Verify the effect of the vaccine. 

Verifying the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential. It should be noted that the vaccine is yet to be approved for children. To be sure, it would be best to ask your doctor if you are eligible for the vaccine. 

Health experts around the world have agreed that a breastfeeding woman can get vaccinated. Although the evidence is minimal at this time, it still appears that mothers may be able to pass the antibodies on to your infant.

If the mother happens to receive a vaccine while breastfeeding, the mother's immune system produces antibodies that protect them from COVID-19. There is a chance that the mother's antibodies could be passed on to the baby.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: Can I Continue Breastfeeding After Getting the Disease?

Why are breastfeeding mothers excluded in clinical trials?

It is not uncommon for pregnant and breastfeeding women not to be included in clinical trials for vaccines. This is because scientists aren't fully aware of any dangers it may bring to babies.

Are there benefits for breastfeeding mothers when vaccinated?

Experts eye lots of potential benefits for nursing mothers who are looking into getting the COVID-19 vaccine. One of these would be to protect breastfeeding mothers from getting COVID-19. There is also a chance that the vaccine can make the disease less serious if the mother gets infected with COVID-19, allowing them to continue caring for their children.

While the COVID-19 vaccine may display some advantages for pregnant and breastfeeding women, there are still some unanswered questions, which is understandable for mothers out there. Therefore, when making a decision, it is recommended to get as much information as possible while relying on the latest and most updated ones while doing so.

READ MORE: Can Coronavirus Affect Breastfeeding? Experts Weigh In