Rachel Simpson of Denver, Colo., doesn't know what she would have done without the ability to breastfeed her son, Owen, when he was sick. She says she felt helpless enough as it was, and breastfeeding soothed him like no medicine could.

"In fact, once, when he had a very scary case of croup, I had to wait several hours through the night, waiting for his doctor's office to open, and the only thing that soothed the coughing was nursing," she says. "I was in a near-panic, honestly, and the only thing that soothed me was knowing that I had something that could help him until I could get him to the doctor. And even then, the doctor told me that there wasn't much they could do – just nurse as often as he liked and wait it out. Without breastfeeding, I would have felt totally helpless during his illnesses."

Not only was Simpson soothing Owen by breastfeeding him while he was sick, according to Dr. Todd Wolynn, board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), pediatrician and co-founder of the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh, she was also providing him with antibodies to fight and prevent further infection and to help him heal more quickly. In fact, while babies who are bottle fed may need supplements such as Pedialyte when they have gastrointestinal upsets, breast milk is uniquely formulated to be easier to digest so it won't worsen vomiting and diarrhea while providing the baby with important nutrients.

Breastfeeding can be tricky for babies with upper respiratory infections because it's difficult for a baby to suck, breathe and swallow all at the same time. Dr. Wolynn suggests using a bulb syringe in conjunction with saline drops, which are readily available at any store that sells over-the-counter medications. The saline drops help to loosen up nasal congestion and make the suctioning more effective. With the sole exception of saline drops, children under 2 years old should never be given cold medications (such as over-the-counter antihistamines or cough syrup) without consulting the child's pediatrician.

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