HYDERABAD: I am a paediatrician in a government hospital and mother to a five-month-old boy. My COVID-19 story began on June 28 when I started feeling excess fatigue. The next day, I developed high grade fever with body pains. After two days of fever not responding to medications, I also began to lose my sense of smell, and then this alarmed me and got myself tested for COVID-19. In the meanwhile my little one also started getting fever and cold.
On July 1, when I got myself tested , I was diagnosed to be positive. Suddenly changed everything for me! I showed mild symptoms and was home quarantined. But I was scared to the core. Being a new mom, having a family, and all the strings attached made me more emotional about my disease. But all thanks to god almighty, my loving and caring husband, my family, inlaws, and friends who stood as my support pillars in this tough time. They encouraged me to continue breast feeding my little champ. Being a pediatrician I am aware of all the health benefits of breast feeding even at such times as it’s the best medicine to fight the disease, due to the antibodies I will be giving to my baby through my milk. I fed my baby following all precautions mentioned by WHO, of hand hygiene, wearing N-95 mask, face shield and gloves.
My lactation consultant Dr Vinodha Unnam, lactation consultant at Apollo Cradle Hospital, Jubilee Hills, helped me with latching problems and helped me wean when I faced lot of trouble for the first month. She reassured me about the safety and usefulness to continue breastfeeding during my illness, even took a step ahead and taught me breathing exercises and cheered me up in this hardship. After three days, my fever started coming down, but new symptoms of giddiness and excess malaise, cold and cough started. The battle was still on, and my strength my family helped me overcome it with ease. Sooner my symptoms started to subside and I started feeling better.
Using all the medications prescribed, breathing exercises and pranayama, steam inhalation and gargling with warm water, having a healthy diet full of veggies, fruits, dry fruits, eggs, milk, herbal tea, all these were a part of my daily routine which I had followed. As days passed by I started recovering and my baby helped it happen faster. His cute little smiles and squeals of happiness filled my days with joy.
On July 18, I tested negative and returned to normal. So here is the message to all who have taken time to read it completely, please encourage moms to continue breastfeeding even at the time of illness with all the safety precautions or give expressed breast milk. Please support and motivate young moms who have been tested positive for COVID-19, as an individual maybe its tough but together as a family any battle can be won. And to all the moms your are doing a fantastic job for saving your baby by feeding her providing her the natural vaccine of antibodies against this dreadful disease.
– Doc-turned-mom, Hyderabad