X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

"I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19"

7 min read
"I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19"

"Through quick thinking and taking the necessary precautions, we were able to protect our baby from Covid."

Even when you’re sick, the first thing on your mind is your child’s welfare. Read this mum’s story on the measures she took to protect her baby from Covid.

What can you read in this article?

  • Isolation – the real struggle of being away from her child
  • How she was able to protect her baby from Covid, despite being exposed to Covid-positive people at home
  • The lesson she wants us all to learn

I am April Anne Silla, a mom and hospital pharmacist by profession. This is about an experience that we’ll never forget and hope to never experience again.

Both my husband and I tested positive for Covid-19. It was really depressing that we had to isolate ourselves from our one-year-old daughter, but it is for her own good, especially since she is not vaccinated yet.

Last 3 January, my husband woke up experiencing colds. That was unusual for him, so we decided to do a Covid antigen testing, and to our surprise, it turned out positive.

(Disclaimer: You should have it done by a professional or have someone who is a professional to guide you when using the Covid antigen kit like a medical doctor, medical technologist, etc.)

My baby and I were tested next, and thankfully, we both turned out negative. At least, that’s what I thought. I had to repeat the antigen testing with our helper, who also became Covid-positive that day.

protect baby from Covid

There was a lot of pressure that I was the only one left with negative results to care for our daughter. Still, without hesitation, we reported the result to each of our employers, who scheduled us for confirmatory tests with RT-PCR.

After 48 hours, my husband was eventually confirmed to be positive. But even before our results became official, I already told them to isolate themselves in our home while my baby and I went to my parents’ house.

At first, I didn’t worry because my husband and our helper had already gotten their Covid shots. However, thinking about my baby’s exposure to them worried me a little bit, so I told myself that I should still observe her for 3 to 5 more days. I told them we must stay cautious, so we all wore face masks even inside the house.

Isolating From Baby

Days passed, but my daughter didn’t show any symptoms. However, on 5 January, 3 days after our last close contact with my husband, I experienced colds and an itchy throat in the middle of the night.

I decided to repeat the antigen test, but I still tested negative, so I thought that I was just being paranoid and decided to continue sleeping beside my baby and my sister.

Hours passed but when I woke up, I still felt sick. I still had colds and an itchy throat, and I also started feeling a little warm. So I asked my sister to take my temperature and poof! It was 37.9 degrees Celsius which is equivalent to a fever. I knew that it is wasn’t normal, so even though I was already exhausted with the testing, I still tried it for the last time, and sadly, the result turned out positive.

protect baby from Covid

Hurriedly packed my things, and with a heavy heart, left my daughter in my parents’ and sister’s care and went back home to isolate myself from my husband.

I cried a lot when I got home, and both of us didn’t know what to do so we calmed ourselves and contacted my employer who also scheduled me for an RT-PCR which eventually confirmed my positive result after a few days.

Goal: Protect Baby From Covid

The next thing I did was to reach out to my baby’s paediatrician and tell her about the incident. I asked her about the next step for our baby, and she told me to just observe her for a few more days.

Read articles about mummies getting vaccinated and passing antibodies to their babies through their breastmilk, so I never stopped pumping for my baby’s milk and completed the Covid shots, including the booster dose earlier this year.

I did this continuously since she had stopped latching to me directly, but I still wanted to provide her with the antibodies she needed.

I still confirmed with her paediatrician if I can still pump my milk and give it to her when I was sick and she gave me the go signal to do so.

protect baby from Covid

During the isolation, we have all the time to keep ourselves busy, yet just thinking about our baby alone was already exhausting. I am exclusively pumping for her milk for several months already, and I must say I am not even giving enough.

I used to pump around 100 to 150 mL a day, just enough to provide some protection while she’s still unvaccinated.  But this experience put so much stress on me, leaving me to produce barely 50 mL per day.

The first few days were really bad – like crying all day bad – but thinking about my baby’s needs encouraged me to keep going and do better when it comes to pumping.

I purchased a better wearable pump online; I took my prescribed medicines while checking if it is safe to take while lactating. I even took my vitamins and supplements, drank lemon-ginger tea for my sore throat, and pumped almost every 2 hours, which eventually increased my waning breastmilk production.

Partner Stories
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
How To Baby Proof Your House in 4 Easy Steps
How To Baby Proof Your House in 4 Easy Steps
Is Your Baby Wash Safe for Your Precious Little One? Is Bath Time Too Stressful? Here Are Some Handy Tips!
Is Your Baby Wash Safe for Your Precious Little One? Is Bath Time Too Stressful? Here Are Some Handy Tips!

I also purchased pulse oximeters for our baby and us and the medicines needed for our baby online in case the symptoms show up later. Those few days challenged me to provide for my baby’s protection while my family was observing her for 3 to 5 more days since her last exposure from me.

I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19

Those days also made me eager to recover so I can be reunited with my baby sooner. As a healthcare worker in a hospital, I isolated just for 8 days (I extended for 3 more days due to my late-onset symptoms) and on my 11th day, we decided to test once more to see if we were already negative, and thank God we were indeed.

To be on the safe side, we availed of deep cleaning and disinfection services for the entire house before picking up our baby to be with us again. We had some adjustments to do because our baby barely recognised her daddy on the first night she came back home. But she eventually recognised him days after.

Lesson: Don’t Be Complacent

It was really an exhausting experience but it strengthened our faith in God and made our relationship stronger as a family. My husband and I were infected but thankfully by having the presence of mind and taking the necessary precautions, our baby was spared from the infection and stayed healthy despite her exposure to all of us.

I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19

When I think about it, there’s no one else to blame but us, the parents, because we became complacent during the holiday celebrations. Everyone should be careful wherever you are – may it be in the workplace, celebrating with your relatives and friends, or just dining outside.

So, to all the parents out there, may our experience serve as a lesson to remember. Wear your masks, wash your hands regularly, isolate immediately when symptoms arise, consult your medical professionals about your symptoms, and always prepare for times like this because you never know when you’re going to have it. Protect yourselves so you can protect your loved ones too.

I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19

I’m really thankful that God never left our side and gave me a great husband who never stops taking care of us and gives me the strength and courage whenever I need to face obstacles like this one. Also a big thanks to my family for always being there in good and difficult times. Thank you so much, Amma, Appa, and Myta.

This article written by April Anne Silla was first published on the theAsianparent Philippines and was edited and republished with permission.

ALSO READ:

Singaporean Family Catches Covid-19 During Vacation, Additional 18 Days in South Korea Cost Them Extra $7,000

Dad Shares What’s It Like ‘When Your 3-Year-Old Kena Covid-19’

I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

VIP Parent

  • Home
  • /
  • Real Stories
  • /
  • "I Never Stopped Breastfeeding—Even When I Tested Positive For Covid-19"
Share:
  • Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Must-Read For All Parents

    Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Must-Read For All Parents

  • REAL STORIES: “I got pregnant again when my baby was just 2 months old!”

    REAL STORIES: “I got pregnant again when my baby was just 2 months old!”

  • Smashing Fun: Where to Find Tennis Lessons for Kids in Singapore

    Smashing Fun: Where to Find Tennis Lessons for Kids in Singapore

  • Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Must-Read For All Parents

    Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Must-Read For All Parents

  • REAL STORIES: “I got pregnant again when my baby was just 2 months old!”

    REAL STORIES: “I got pregnant again when my baby was just 2 months old!”

  • Smashing Fun: Where to Find Tennis Lessons for Kids in Singapore

    Smashing Fun: Where to Find Tennis Lessons for Kids in Singapore

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.