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The Truth About Chlorine & Breastfeeding

Everyone is looking for a way to cool down in the summer, including breastfeeding moms. If there was ever a reason to try breastfeeding in public, it's struggling to wear a cover in 90 degree heat, am I right? Although you may not be able to rid yourself of the heat from your baby laying on you to breastfeed, you could take a dip in the pool and try to keep yourself from overheating. But is chlorine safe when you're breastfeeding or do you have to stick to the inflatable kiddie pool?

Some moms choose to breastfeed while in the pool as a way to cool off, but that all depends on your own pool regulations and personal preference. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that there hasn't been any scientific research on the health and safety of breastfeeding babies in a pool, but that there could be potential risks such as not being able to regulate their body temperature and being exposed to the germs in the pool.

But chlorine? That's not an issue for breastfeeding babies or mamas.

Whether you're worried about the chlorine affecting your breast milk or your baby being exposed to it when they are near your breast, you can rest easy. Baby Center notes that pools do not have enough chlorine in them to affect your breast milk. In order for that to happen, your skin would have to absorb enough to enter your bloodstream and that is not a possibility in a pool.

According to KellyMom, if you had your little one in the pool with you, they've actually already been exposed to more chlorine in the pool than they would have received from your own skin. The website also notes that most public water systems chlorinate their water as well, so it's more than likely that your child has already been exposed to it at some point.

So feel free to take a dip, mama. If you're still concerned, feel free to rinse off after swimming or dry yourself well before nursing your baby, just to give yourself your own peace of mind. But that's not a necessity — your baby and your breast milk will be totally fine.