I was distressed. I had a 5 week old baby who I was desperately trying to nurse, and I had strep throat. As if that wasn’t bad enough, my doctor was telling me before he’d prescribe me the antibiotics, I had to promise to ‘pump and dump’. If you’re not familiar with the term pump and dump it means to pump your breast milk to maintain production but dump it out so that the baby doesn’t get sick from any medications you’re taking. It is twice as much work and furthermore I knew, that if I bottle fed my little Meghan, she would never return to breastfeeding again. So I promised this: I’ll go see the baby’s pediatrician.
Contrary to what many people believe, you can take a whole host of medications, both over the counter and prescription while you’re breastfeeding. If you have ever been sick while you’ve been breastfeeding this is good news. The general thought is that if you are taking a medication that would be safe for baby if he were sick, it’s safe to take it while you’re breastfeeding. With that said, you should NEVER take anything while breastfeeding unless you’ve spoken with your baby’s pediatrician first.
Let me interject this note: it is always better to speak with your baby’s pediatrician UNLESS your primary care physician has experience with breastfeeding. Most don’t have enough experience breastfeeding to advise appropriately.
Based on Dr. Sear’s informative website, here are some things to consider when taking medications while you’re breastfeeding:
1) Do you NEED the medication? For example, if you can decongest by sitting in a steamed bathroom–do that instead of taking a decongestant. On the other hand, if you need antibiotic, ask for something you can take while breastfeeding (in most cases penicillin or related drugs are acceptable) so you can get healthy as soon as possible to take care of that new baby! Your baby does not care that you are sick, so do your best to get better quickly!
2) Will the medication I’m taking affect my baby? Medication will pass into the breast milk but it mostly shows up in minute quantities; around 1% or less. If you’re breastfeeding a baby who was premature, or a newborn, you need to be more cautious than if you’re nursing a 7 month old baby. These younger babies take in more breast milk than an older baby. Also keep in mind, if the drug is considered safe during pregnancy (like Tylenol for example) it is generally considered safe during lactation.
3) Will the drug affect your ability to produce milk? Some drugs suppress your ability to make milk by suppressing the milk making hormones. (For example, the hormones in birth control pills will do this.) Obviously the age of the infant and your desire to continue breastfeeding will help determine wether or not you want to take these types of drugs.
While it is important to talk with your baby’s pediatrician regarding any medications you are taking, the following chart, taken from AskDr.Sears.com is a list of common medications that are considered safe to take while breastfeeding:
Acetaminophen,
asthma medications (cromolyn, inhalant bronchodilators)
Kaopectate
acyclovir
barium laxatives
anesthetics local (e.g., dental work)
chloroquine (antimalarial)
muscle relaxants
antacids
cortisone
pinworm medications
antibiotics
decongestants
propranolol
anticoagulants
anticonvulsants
diuretics
silicone from implants
antihistamines
ibuprofen
thyroid medications
aspartame
insulin
vaccines
vitamins
If you find that you have to take a medication that is not safe for the baby, you can always pump and dump. You should pump every 2-4 hours(depending on the age of your baby) to keep up your supply and to avoid engorgement. Any milk that you pump during this time should be dumped down the drain–you cannot feed it to the baby. Instead use milk that you’ve stored up, or you can use formula for a few feedings. Ask your baby’s pediatrician for guidance as to how long you’ll need to pump and dump.
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