has anyone breastfeed their baby while taking prescription meds?

Answer 1

Ugh. There is SO much bad information out there about breastfeeding and medication. I would reccomend checking with La Leche League. A leader can get you information from Medications and Mother's Milk, a spectacular resource on this subject. You can then take that information to your doctor and the baby's doctor and make an INFORMED decision.

Most medical conditions that require medication can be treated while breastfeeding. Many medications do not pass into the mother's milk, due to the moleule size. Of those that do, many are not harmful to the infant. Some are. Some pass through but are not bio-available to the infant in the milk. The only way to know is to check a good resource like Medications and Mothers Milk, by Tom Hale, PhD or try the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

Transfer of medication into milk is a complicated process. Drug companies almost always state on their information packets that you can't use the medication while breastfeeding, rather than spending resources actually researching the issue. Fortunately, others have researched almost every medication and it's impact on an infant.

Don't just stop breastfeeding because someone who may not be well informed in the VERY specialized area of medication and breastmilk told you to. Of course, you need to follow your doctor's advice, but you may need to be proactive to get him or her the information to make an informed reccomendation. Most docs (even OBs and Pediatricians) do not have a copy of Hale's book in their office, which is pathetic. Breastfeeding is the biological norm for infant feeding, and the book costs about $20. Anyone who perscribes medication to lactating women should have this book on hand, as should all pharmacists. It's very lame that they do not.

Answer 2

This is sort of an "ask your doctor" question, but most doctors don't really know much about drugs and breast milk.

That said:

"Introduction
Over the years, far too many women have been wrongly told they had to stop breastfeeding. The decision about continuing breastfeeding when the mother takes a drug, for example, is far more involved than whether the baby will get any in the milk. It also involves taking into consideration the risks of not breastfeeding, for the mother, the baby and the family, as well as society. And there are plenty of risks in not breastfeeding, so the question essentially boils down to: Does the addition of a small amount of medication to the mother’s milk make breastfeeding more hazardous than formula feeding? The answer is almost never. Breastfeeding with a little drug in the milk is almost always safer. In other words, being careful means continuing breastfeeding, not stopping..."

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=142

You can check out kellymom.com for info on individual medications. I did breastfeed while on prescription drugs for a few days. Some drugs are better than others, so try to find the 'safest,' and stop worrying.

Answer 3

I had the flu a month ago and had to take advil and benadryl. Prior to taking them I asked my doctor and he said there is no medication for cough and cold that does not get passed through the breast milk. My son was 3 months at the time and about 20 lbs. The doctor said that very little will get passed through to him, but not enough to harm him because of his size. He might be a little more drowsy then usual but thats about it. I took the meds for three days and my baby was perfectly fine, although he did catch a cold probably from me four days later.

Answer 4

yes.

there are many to take that are safe, this website is great, this page brakes down the medications by categories http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/index.html

also the book "Medications And Mother's Milk" by Dr. Thomas Hale is the greatest reference guide. He rates the drugs (prescription, over the counter, recreational, and illegal) on a Lactation risk scale of 1-5.... the lower the number the better!!

**to the poster who said there are no cough meds safe... not true...look here: http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html#coughmeds - again, doctors don't usually know alot about breastfeeding!!! check w/ real breastfeeding experts - IBCLCs and do your own research!!

Answer 5

I have taken a few prescriptions while breastfeeding. It is important to talk to your dr so they can give you something that is safe. A good sight to check on this stuff is safefetus.com it will tell you the risks of any meds while pregnant or breastfeeding. Good luck.

Answer 6

You should talk to your doctor about all prescriptions you are taking or plan to take while pregnant. Personally, I was taking Lexapro (a depression medication) while I breastfed adn was assured this was perfectly fine. I also took the minipill to make sure I woudlnt' have another baby so soon!

Answer 7

I take 2 puffers for my asthma and am breastfeeding. My Doctor says its safe and I double checked with the pharmacist as well. I think if it was safe to take while you were pregnant than its going to be safe to take while breastfeeding too. If your worried about meds in your milk look at the ingredients in the formula. Most formula's are maid with cows milk and unless you buy organic formula the cow was given antibiotics and hormones.

Answer 8

If the are prescribed by your doctor...I would assume your doc knows you are breastfeeding. A good doc would not proscribe meds unsafe for baby that transfer through breastfeeding. I am on several prescibed meds that I have to be on but are safe for baby.

Answer 9

I had a UTI when I gave birth to my daughter. I breast fed and took antibiotics at the same time. some antibiotics you can take and some you can't. I also got thrush in my nipples and had to take tablets for that too while breastfeeding. neither affected my baby.

Always ask your GP though. better safe than sorry.

There's a good website called gurgle where you can find a lot of this stuff out on. check it out!

Answer 10

Pain killers are typically given in the hospital. Check with your doctor to see if you can take these while breastfeeding. I had to take Zyrtec, no other option. I had to find the safest antihistamine. This was the safest one. There are ratings for meds (pregnancy ratings and lactation ratings). Check the ratings. THese are all over the interet.