Breastfeeding and Medication

It is important to understand that your lifestyle, including your diet and other behaviors, can have an affect on your breast milk, and therefore on your baby. It’s also very important for all nursing mothers to take care of themselves so they can provide the best care to their babies. This includes getting enough rest and proper nutrition so you have enough energy to take care of your baby and avoid illness. Even though most common illnesses, such as colds, flu, or diarrhea, can’t be passed through breast milk several medications can be passed to the child and caution should always be taken. Conversely, 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?

Remember that stopping breastfeeding for a week may result in permanent weaning since the baby may then not take the breast again. On the other hand, it should be taken into consideration that some babies may refuse to take the bottle completely, so that the advice to stop is often impractical as well. Also, advising the mother to pump her milk while the baby is not breastfeeding may cause the mother to end up painfully engorged.

Most drugs that you take will appear in your milk, but usually only in very tiny amounts because most is used by the mother’s body before it can be passed on to the child. However, some drugs can cause infants problems even in very tiny doses. Before you stop breastfeeding, make sure to check with your physican about it or switching to an alternative safe medication.

Here are a few ways you can check to see if a drug is safe to take while breastfeeding. Remember; always check with your doctor before changing your medication or breastfeeding patterns.

1. Drugs that are commonly prescribed for infants are normally safe because the amount the baby would get through the milk is much less than he would get if given directly. 
2. If a drug is considered safe during pregnancy it is commonly safe while breastfeeding. This is because the baby is getting exposed to much less drug at a less sensitive time during breastfeeding than during pregnancy.
3. Many injected drugs are not absorbed from the stomach or intestines making them safe to take while breastfeeding.
4. Some drugs are not excreted into the milk because they are too big. This makes them safe to take while breastfeeding.
5. Normally, medications applied to the skin, inhaled, or applied to the eyes or nose are safe for breastfeeding.
6. Drugs taken for local anesthesia are not normally absorbed from the baby’s stomach and are safe.
7. Caffeine is normally safe. However, caffeine tends to build up in babies’ systems because their bodies cannot get rid of it very easily. A morning cup of coffee is not likely to harm your baby, but too much caffeine can cause problems such as poor sleeping, nervousness, irritability, and poor feeding. Try using decaffeinated coffee and tea and avoid colas and other carbonated drinks that have added caffeine. Also, you should remain well hydrated with water, juice and milk while breastfeeding. This being said, there are some medications that may cause harm to your child. Be sure to review the benefits and risks with your health care provider before making any decisions.