According to the La Leche League that a mom should be healthy, well - nourished, taking no medication, ideally she would have an infant about the same age as the one she's going to be cross-nursing, she should be screened for tuberculosis, syphilis, hepatitis, herpes, HIV and
other infectious
agents, she should not smoke, drink alcohol, consume large amounts of caffeinated beverages or artificially
sweetened beverages, and her own infant should already be very healthy, gaining weight on a regular basis and free of all infections.