After Delivery & Breastfeeding

Find helpful information about vaccination and other tips as you enter the final stage of your pregnancy journey.

Starting a New Chapter

Welcoming a baby is the start of a new and exciting chapter – one that’s often filled with new experiences, a whirlwind of emotions, and lots of learning along the way. You may have questions or uncertainties about the best way to nourish and protect your newborn, especially with all the different opinions and options out there. The most important thing is to find what works for you and your baby.

Remember, parenting is a deeply personal journey. What works for one family might not work for yours, and that's absolutely fine. From breastfeeding to bottle-feeding to vaccinations, there are many steps you can take to support your baby’s health and well-being in the days and weeks following birth.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of many ways you can help keep your baby healthy and protected after they are born. Breastmilk contains protective antibodies from your body that can help your baby fight off infections. This is especially important during the first few months of life when babies are most vulnerable to getting very sick and aren’t old enough to get their own vaccinations.

If breastfeeding or pumping isn’t right for you, that’s perfectly okay! This new chapter is all about finding what works best for you, your baby, and your family. Talk to your healthcare provider about the different options available for you and your baby. They can help recommend a formula that meets your baby’s needs. Another option is getting donor milk from a credible milk bank. Whatever path you take should feel comfortable for you.

  • Yes! Exclusive pump feeding means that instead of nursing directly from the breast, you express breastmilk using a breast pump and then feed it to your baby through a bottle.

    Your baby will still receive the benefits of breast milk through exclusive pump feeding. Breastmilk, whether directly nursed or pumped, contains essential nutrients, vitamins, and antibodies that support your baby's growth and immune system.

  • Infant formula is specially designed to be a safe, healthy and nourishing alternative to breastmilk. Formula goes through in-depth nutritional testing and includes the essential vitamins and minerals needed to support your baby’s growth and well-being. Health Canada thoroughly checks the formula to make sure it’s safe and provides the proper nutrition for your baby's growth and development.¹

    Formula is made with many important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your baby needs. However, formula does not contain the natural disease-fighting antibodies found in breastmilk. Some families may choose to balance this by feeding their baby a combination of breast milk (either through direct breastfeeding or pumping) and formula.

    If breastfeeding or pumping isn’t right for you, that’s perfectly okay! The most important thing is finding what works for you and your family and knowing that formula feeding, like breastfeeding, can support your baby's growth and well-being. Your pediatrician or healthcare provider can help recommend a formula that meets your baby’s needs. Another option is getting donor milk from a credible milk bank. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best option for you and your baby.

Vaccines & Breastfeeding

  • YES! If you missed getting certain vaccines before or during pregnancy, you can still get them after your baby is born. Getting vaccinated is an important step to keep yourself safe and protected from viruses and bacteria that could harm you and your newborn baby.

    Getting vaccinated while breastfeeding has great benefits for you and your baby. When you receive a vaccine, your body makes protective antibodies and memory cells that recognize and fight off harmful germs and infections. When you breastfeed, some of these protective antibodies are passed to your baby through breastmilk. These antibodies protect your newborn against harmful germs and bugs until they are old enough to get their own vaccines. This protection naturally decreases over time, which is why it’s important for babies to get their own vaccines once they are old enough. The amount and length of protection is different depending on the type of vaccine.

  • If you choose to wait until after your baby is born to get all of the recommended vaccines, then your baby will not have protection from these diseases at birth. This is why flu, Tdap, and COVID-19 vaccines are highly recommended during pregnancy. The protective antibodies that your body makes are passed to your baby through the placenta, giving them protection starting the moment they are born.

    If you get vaccinated while breastfeeding, your baby will receive some antibodies through your breastmilk. However, this protection isn't as strong as the antibodies that cross the placenta during pregnancy. Your body also takes a couple of weeks to produce these protective antibodies after vaccination. This means your baby won’t have this extra layer of protection for at least the first few weeks after you give birth.

    However, if you missed getting any recommended vaccines before or during your pregnancy, it’s still a good idea to get them soon after you give birth. Vaccination helps prevent you from getting sick and passing harmful germs (viruses or bacteria) to your newborn. Your baby will also benefit from the protective antibodies passed through your breastmilk. Just keep in mind that your body will take a few weeks to produce these antibodies after you get vaccinated, so the protective benefits won’t start right away.

    Remember, protection for you means protection for two!

  • Most routinely recommended vaccines are safe to get while breastfeeding. This includes vaccines for influenza, Tdap, and COVID-19 (if you haven’t received them already). If you missed getting your MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) or varicella (chickenpox) vaccines before getting pregnant, you can also get these vaccines after birth while breastfeeding.² Talk with your healthcare provider about any vaccines you may have missed before or during pregnancy for more information.

  • While most vaccines are considered safe to get while breastfeeding, some less common vaccines are not recommended during breastfeeding.³ These include:

    • The yellow fever vaccine

    • The tuberculosis vaccine

    • The smallpox vaccine

    Talk to your healthcare provider for more information on getting vaccinated while breastfeeding.

Additional Tips

Another important step you can take to keep your baby healthy and protected in the months following birth is to encourage other people in your life to get vaccinated. Start by making sure that your baby's caregivers and close contacts, such as partners, grandparents, and siblings, are up-to-date on their vaccinations. This helps prevent the spread of harmful germs to your baby. Vaccinating also protects other members of your community, like elderly family members or those with weakened immune systems who are more likely to get very sick. This makes your community safer for everyone.

  • Communicate: Talk to family members and close friends about the importance of vaccinations. Discuss their role in protecting your newborn.

  • Consult Healthcare Providers: Encourage those closest to your baby to consult their healthcare providers about necessary vaccinations.

  • Plan Ahead: If possible, have this conversation well before the baby's arrival, so there's enough time for everyone to get up-to-date on their vaccinations.

Resources

    1. Health Canada. (2023). Infant formula and human milk fortifiers. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/infant-care/infant-formula.html

    2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Vaccination Safety for Breastfeeding Mothers. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/vaccinations-medications-drugs/vaccinations.html

    3. Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021). Vaccination and pregnancy: After pregnancy. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization-vaccines/vaccination-pregnancy-after.html