My husband caught COVID and is quite sick; he neglected to get his booster. I had my booster in my 3rd trimester. Baby seems totally fine, I’m feeling a little off but have no specific symptoms.
Thinking about this, I’m wondering how my baby is absorbing antibodies from me. Why doesn’t she just digest them?
Also, bonus question for the brave: if I breastfeed my sick husband, will he feel better sooner?
In: 1
The intestinal lining of infant mammals have ‘holes’ in them large enough to let the antibodies be absorbed. After a while these holes shrink, then antibodies no longer can be absorbed whole. They are just churned through the digestive system like any other protein/amino acid. Someone probably knows this stuff better than me, with the correct terms for it. But that’s the simplified explanation I remember from my agricultural education.
The breasts receive some saliva from the infant, including any virus, and will adjust the milk to suit the infant. Neat stuff!
Breastfeeding your husband will not directly aid his immune system, but it might make him cheer up if he’s into it. Also breast milk contain food for the good gut bacteria we need for a healthy immune system, so it might be helpful indirectly.
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