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Due to weakened immunity, constant stress, lack of sleep, postpartum depression and a number of other reasons, pneumonia can also begin in a patient during lactation.

Main antecedent factors:

• In the case when a young mother was cold, got her feet wet, or caught a cold due to hypothermia.
• Weakened immunity
• The occurrence of a viral infection.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Entry into the body of pathogens such as staphylococci, pneumocystis, Klebsiella and other bacterial microorganisms.

As for pathogens, the main bacteria are considered to be pneumococcus, staphylococcus, Klebsiella, in the presence of the immunodeficiency virus Pneumocystis and a number of other variants of bacteria.

Due to the characteristics of the postpartum period, as a rule, the most common of the listed reasons is a failure of the immune system. Due to a change in daily routine, worries about the baby and accumulated fatigue, a young mother may suddenly become ill with pneumonia. Sometimes all it takes is sitting by the air conditioner and catching a cold, talking to a sick person, or not recovering from bronchitis.

Symptoms

• Apathetic state, increased sweating, refusal to eat due to poor appetite.
• Body temperature rises sharply. It can reach 40 degrees.
• Constant headache, feeling worse at night.
• The occurrence of attacks of fever in the acute form of the disease.
• A non-productive cough that can be painful even in sleep. At first there is no sputum discharge, then it becomes more moist.
• Feeling of discomfort in the muscles of the limbs.
• When breathing, the patient and others hear wheezing, gurgling, and whistling.
• Shortness of breath when walking, often respiratory failure.
• Abdominal pain, gastrointestinal disorders

Diagnosis of pneumonia in a nursing mother

Diagnostics is carried out in the following order:

• First, the doctor examines the patient.
• He clarifies the condition of the larynx, listens to how the patient breathes, and asks about other symptoms of the disease.
• In the first minutes, it is important for the doctor to understand how serious the problem is in order to know how to eliminate it.
• The doctor takes into account the medical history, so he asks about the diseases that the patient has had. This is sometimes fundamental for further treatment tactics.
• Orders a general blood test. The blood is examined for biochemistry.
• Analysis of secretion from the bronchi.
• Performs fiberoptic bronchoscopy if necessary.
• If the disease is severe, a sputum culture is taken.

Complications

The consequences of the disease can be very different: from the development of chronic and irreversible pathologies to death.

The patient must understand that pneumonia is not a common runny nose. The disease will not go away on its own. It needs to be treated, and for this purpose comprehensive measures should be taken.

Another mistake many people make is self-medication. Apart from an experienced specialist, no one can correctly prescribe a treatment regimen; the doctor will determine the therapy based on the test results.

Development of acute pleurisy.

One of the areas of the lung begins to fester.

Acute respiratory failure, in which attacks of suffocation are observed.

This also includes bronchial obstruction with similar symptoms.

An inflammatory process in the brain that affects the physical and mental activity of the patient.

Development of extreme exhaustion, aggravated by acute anemia.

The penetration of toxins into all organs and tissues, which serves to cause a state of shock.

Treatment

What can you do

During treatment, you should stop feeding so that the medications taken during therapy do not harm the child. To prevent milk from disappearing, you should express during the period of refusal to feed, then the lactation function will continue.

What does a doctor do

The doctor, examining the patient, determines the treatment regimen, taking into account that the patient is breastfeeding. But if the disease is severe, the doctor warns that the medications he prescribes are not compatible with breastfeeding, and breastfeeding must be stopped during treatment. The specialist may prescribe the following medications:

• Medicines that help remove mucus and enhance the expectoration process. It is necessary to avoid the accumulation of sputum and its collection in the respiratory organs.
• Various types of inhalations are prescribed. A list of certain medications is also provided by the doctor. Here the doctor takes into account the lactation period and warns the nursing mother whether it is possible to breastfeed during this period or whether she should refrain from breastfeeding.
• Antibiotics. The chemicals contained in these medications can adversely affect the condition of the baby. Therefore, during the period of taking antibiotics, the specialist urges you to stop feeding.
• In the most severe cases, surgery is indicated, for which special preparation is required.
• For fever, rectal suppositories with an antipyretic effect are prescribed.
• They can be connected to an artificial respiration apparatus in case of severe pathological processes in the lungs.

Prevention

To prevent such a serious disease, you need to be careful about your health. After childbirth, a young mother is more susceptible to various diseases than ever before. Her body is under stress after such a shock as childbirth. A nursing mother needs to think not only about the baby’s health, but also about her own. After all, a baby needs a healthy, strong mother. You should take a close look at your daily routine and some household responsibilities, without hesitation to shift them onto the shoulders of your loved ones, if possible. Because fatigue can accumulate in the body and, as a result, a serious malfunction of the body can occur, which can lead to pneumonia and other pathologies.

• In addition, you need to take vitamins.
• Nutrition should be complete and high in calories.
• You should also be careful about hypothermia.
• During unfavorable epidemiological conditions, you should wear a mask.
• Treat colds in a timely manner and do not let health problems take their course.

Olya, this is what I found in the archive.
If mom gets sick... Lactation consultant of the Moscow public group
breastfeeding support "Mothers for Breastfeeding" and
Center for Perinatal Education and Breastfeeding Support "Rozhana"
Kazakova Liliya Valentinovna If the mother has a disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms (for example, mastitis, otitis media, tonsillitis, pneumonia) and treatment with antibacterial drugs is indicated, antibiotics that are compatible with breastfeeding are selected. There are such antibiotics and there are quite a lot of them (for example, penicillin antibiotics, many first and second generation cephalosporins, many macrolides). Antibiotics that affect bone growth or hematopoiesis (for example, tetracycline, fluoroquinolone derivatives, chloramphenicol) are strictly contraindicated during breastfeeding. Almost always you can find a suitable substitute for them.

The main problem that can be encountered during or after a course of antibacterial therapy is a violation of the intestinal microbiocenosis, the so-called dysbiosis. This problem in many cases does not require special treatment, because... Breast milk contains factors that promote the growth of normal microflora and suppress pathogenic ones. A temporary disruption of the intestinal microbiocenosis is less dangerous for a breastfed child than switching to artificial feeding. There are special medications to “save” the intestinal microflora during and after taking antibacterial drugs; they can be taken by both a nursing mother and an infant.

In cases of non-communicable diseases, one should always look for drugs of choice that are compatible with breastfeeding; in most cases they are found. We must not forget about the possibility of using homeopathy and herbal treatment.

There are general WHO recommendations for prescribing drug therapy for a nursing mother: "...Drug therapy for nursing mothers should be avoided whenever possible. If medications are indicated, then those that will have the least negative impact on the baby should first be selected. A nursing woman should take medications preferably during or immediately after feeding to avoid the period of maximum concentration in the blood (and milk). If there is an urgent need for a medicine that is harmful to the breast-fed baby, feeding should be temporarily interrupted while lactation is maintained."

For a mother with mature lactation, it is enough to express her breasts 6-7 times a day to maintain sufficient milk production. After mother and baby return to breastfeeding, a bored baby will quickly restore the amount he needs. Temporary excommunication is possible for 2-3 weeks, and in exceptional cases for 1 month.

How can a mother find out whether the prescribed medicine is compatible with breastfeeding or not?

Of course, you need to tell your doctor that you are feeding your baby. Unfortunately, there are situations when doctors insist on stopping feeding in any case, even prescribing, for example, the quite possible ampicillin. There are large reference books of drugs that describe the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of drugs and most often talk about the possibility or impossibility of breastfeeding when using this medicine. If not every doctor has these reference books, then the head of the department definitely has them. They are also available in every pharmacy. Before purchasing a medicine, ask for such a reference book or annotation for the drug. You are required to provide them.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue, the causes of which can be completely different microorganisms - viruses, bacteria, protozoa. Most often, the disease occurs during periods of weakened immunity: with chronic diseases, in old age and childhood, and also after childbirth. How dangerous is pneumonia for a nursing mother? How to suspect an illness and get cured quickly and safely for yourself and your baby?

Read in this article

What is the danger of pneumonia for a young mother?

The lungs are one of the most important organs in the human body; they are responsible for gas exchange. It is here that red blood cells give off carbon dioxide and in return receive oxygen, which they distribute to all tissues.

Inflammation of the lungs leads to respiratory failure of varying severity, which affects the general well-being of a woman and can even lead to death.

In most cases, with adequate treatment, pneumonia goes away without a trace. Certain types (for example, with influenza) can lead to a serious condition with hospitalization in intensive care and artificial ventilation.

Incorrect treatment, non-compliance with regimens and recommendations, or late seeking medical help can lead to the following complications in a nursing mother:

• Generalization of infection. In women at this time, immunity is significantly reduced, regardless of whether there were complications during childbirth or not. Therefore, pneumonia occurs more often and progresses faster.
• Development of acute respiratory and heart failure, pulmonary edema. Delayed medical care can even lead to death in these situations.
• Formation of an abscess - a cavity filled with pus.
• The development of pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition.
• The occurrence of pleurisy is an inflammation of the membrane that covers the chest and lungs.
• Exhaustion of the body can lead to a significant decrease in breast milk production.
• A sick mother is a source of pathogenic microbes for her baby and all family members.

Causes of pneumonia in a woman in labor

Pneumonia develops against the background of immunodeficiency states.

The postpartum period, especially if surgery or blood transfusion has been performed, even if the woman is generally feeling normal, is one of the most dangerous periods in terms of the risk of developing pneumonia.

The likelihood of pneumonia increases sharply if a young mother has the following concomitant diseases:

• diabetes;
• HIV AIDS;
• drug, alcohol and nicotine addiction;
• chronic and lung;
• recent surgical interventions on the abdominal organs;
• in case of forced long-term horizontal position (for example, with divergence of the symphysis pubis, with fractures, etc.).

Pneumonia can be caused by various microorganisms, which determines the clinical picture and treatment tactics. The following microbes most often cause pneumonia:

• pneumococci,
• staphylo- and streptococci,
• coli,
• mycoplasma and chlamydia,
• viruses (influenza, CMV and others),
• candida and others.

Microbes enter the lungs with inhaled air - through the bronchogenic route. At the same time, initially they settle and begin to actively multiply in the bronchi, causing all the signs of bronchitis. With good immunity and the absence of concomitant diseases, the disease ends at this stage. Otherwise, the inflammation affects the alveoli and other parts of the lungs, and pneumonia occurs.

Much less commonly, pneumonia in a woman after childbirth can be caused by lymphogenous or hematogenous transmission of microbes. As a rule, this is observed in sepsis and other similar severe conditions.

Symptoms of pneumonia after childbirth by form

Symptoms of pneumonia after childbirth will depend on the form of pathology.

Typical

Characterized by the following features:

• rise in body temperature to 38 - 40 degrees;
• at the same time, pain appears in the chest, intensifying with breathing;
• cough with purulent sputum;
• When auscultated, wheezing is clearly identified and, without a doubt, pneumonia is confirmed during diagnostic procedures.

Atypical

It is characterized by the fact that all signs are blurred. Symptoms of intoxication come first: weakness, lethargy, pain in muscles and joints, malaise. Therefore, this type of pneumonia is often mistaken for a common cold. The following is also typical:

• the temperature may be low-grade;
• cough is dry or with a scant amount of viscous white/clear sputum;
• During diagnostic examination, signs of inflammation are questionable.

Krupoznaya

It has the most vivid picture and unfavorable course. The following is typical:

• always acute onset, often after severe hypothermia;
• the high temperature rises sharply to 40 - 41 degrees;
• a cough appears with thick, rusty-colored sputum;
• pain in the chest, as a large area of ​​the lung or two at once is often captured;
• clear symptoms of the disease during examination.

Secondary

It differs from all other types in that it occurs against the background of some kind of disease - HIV, heart failure, with prolonged forced horizontal position of the body, etc. The clinical picture is similar to typical pneumonia.

Watch the video about pneumonia:

Diagnosis of pneumonia after childbirth

Diagnosis of pneumonia is based on the woman’s complaints, as well as the results of a visual examination and listening with a phonendoscope. To clarify the prevalence of the process and select the most optimal treatment regimens, the following additional examinations may be prescribed:

• X-ray of the chest organs.
• Collecting sputum and testing it for various pathogens using the PCR method or culture. This can also help determine the sensitivity of microbes to antibiotics, which will help prescribe the most rational treatment in the future.
• CT, MRI, and lung biopsy are performed in cases that are difficult to diagnose and for pneumonia that does not respond to standard treatment.
• General clinical blood tests, urine tests, biochemistry, determination of specific antibodies.
• Paracentesis is a puncture of the pleural cavity, which is performed, for example, when there is an accumulation of inflammatory exudate in it.

In most cases, radiography and sputum culture are sufficient. This can be done on an outpatient basis - in a clinic.

Treatment of pneumonia after childbirth

Many postpartum women who maintain lactation worry that they will have to stop breastfeeding during treatment. But today this is completely unnecessary. The evidence for this is as follows:

• There are drugs that pass into breast milk in minimal quantities, so they can be taken by women during lactation without much concern.
• A sick mother is a source of infection for her baby. If she continues breastfeeding, ready-made antibodies will be supplied to the baby. So he either will not get sick at all, or will suffer a mild infection, such as ARVI or bronchitis.

To treat pneumonia, the main thing is to choose the appropriate drug to destroy the microbes that cause inflammation in the lungs. In 95% of cases an antibacterial drug is needed. Ideally, it will be selected based on the sensitivity of sputum or pleural fluid culture. The most commonly used are penicillins (Ampicillin, Amclavi and others), macrolides (Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, etc.), tetracyclines (Doxycycline and the like).

To speed up recovery, antibiotics alone are not enough; a combination with other drugs is necessary. It is effective to use nebulizers for this - special devices for inhaling medications. ABOUT The main groups of funds are as follows:

• Antitussives and sputum thinners. These are Bromhexine, ACC, Ambroxol, as well as medicinal plants - licorice root and others.
• Anti-inflammatory, which are especially necessary when the temperature rises above 38 degrees. Usually these are NSAIDs, for example, during lactation you can take Ibuprofen.
• Drugs that dilate the bronchi. They are necessary for spasmodic cough, as well as if a woman has bronchiectasis, bronchial asthma and other diseases. This group includes Berodual, Salbutamol and others.
• In some cases, immunostimulating agents, antivirals and some others are useful, based on the suspected causative agent of the disease.

Only a doctor can prescribe the most effective treatment regimens. Self-medication in such situations can lead to the development of serious complications.

On average, recovery takes from a week to two. In some cases, pneumonia drags on for a month or more; as a rule, this happens in the presence of concomitant diseases, a severe immunodeficiency state (for example, HIV), as well as in the development of complications.

Even if the disease can be cured in 7 - 10 days, asthenic syndrome - weakness, lethargy, apathy - can be observed for a long time. At this time, it is useful to take various strengthening procedures.

It is effective to supplement the main treatment with physiotherapy - warming up, magnetotherapy and other types.

Prevention of pneumonia in a woman in labor

Pneumonia is an infectious disease, so it can be prevented to some extent. Even during pregnancy, girls should pay attention to preventive measures, since as pregnancy increases, the likelihood of getting sick increases. The main recommendations are as follows:

• It is necessary to avoid places where people and small children gather, as this is where pathogenic viruses or bacteria are most likely to be found. And if there are ARVI patients in the family, it is better to avoid close contact with them.
• The premises should be regularly ventilated and the air conditioners in the room should be properly maintained.
• It is important to maintain a compensated state for all chronic diseases.
• You should give up bad habits.
• It is useful to enrich your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.
• In some cases, vaccination should be carried out against both pneumococcus and viral diseases (influenza and others). This will dramatically reduce the likelihood of the disease occurring.

If you have pneumonia during pregnancy, how does childbirth go after?

Pneumonia is also common during pregnancy. This is facilitated by a reduced level of immunity, as well as a reduced volume of the lungs, which are crushed by the growing uterus (after 30 weeks).

Pneumonia in early pregnancy can lead to disruption of embryo development and even complete death.

Inflammation of the lungs at a later date can trigger the onset of labor, even much earlier than the due date.

It is optimal to carry out childbirth after the woman has recovered. If this cannot be achieved, in the acute or subacute period of pneumonia, a natural birth is preferable to a cesarean section. In the latter case, problems may arise with both pain relief and subsequent wound healing. When performing a cesarean section during pneumonia, spinal anesthesia is more often used than tracheal intubation.

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are accompanied by, therefore, the likelihood of various infectious diseases, including pneumonia, increases. Treatment should be carried out by a doctor on an outpatient or inpatient basis. In most cases, there is no need to stop breastfeeding.