When to revisit breastfeeding after shingles

When to revisit breastfeeding after shingles

If shingles interrupts breastfeeding, the question of when to resume depends on more than the date the rash appeared.

In “Breastfeeding And Shingles,” I explain that breast milk does not transmit the virus, but open lesions on the breast can pose an exposure risk. The article identifies two conditions for resuming breastfeeding: the lesions have healed and the mother is no longer contagious. For lactation support, those are more useful checkpoints to discuss with a healthcare provider than a blanket answer based on the diagnosis alone.