Medicine Use during Breastfeeding
Most medicines are safe for you to take while breastfeeding because only a small amount of medicine passes into your breast milk. However, it is important to talk with your health care provider about all vaccines and medicines that you are taking while breastfeeding. These include:
- Prescription medicines.
- Over-the-counter medicines.
- Vitamins, herbs, and supplements.
- Eye drops.
- Creams.
What are the risks?
When you are breastfeeding, small amounts of medicines that you take can pass to your baby through your breast milk. In most cases, these small amounts are not harmful to your baby.
Some medicines may be present in larger amounts in your breast milk. To keep your baby safe, your health care provider might recommend that you stop breastfeeding while taking a certain medicine. You may need to stop breastfeeding for a short time or permanently. This will depend on how long you need to take the medicine.
Other medicines may lessen your milk supply. Most women can continue to take those medicines for a short period of time with no effect on breastfeeding overall. Work with your health care provider or breastfeeding specialist (lactation consultant) to find ways to maintain your milk supply.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Do
notstop taking a prescription medicine unless your health care
provider tells you to stop. Talk with your health care provider about
whether you really need to take the medicine.
- Medicines that are commonly taken after delivering a baby are safe to take while breastfeeding. These include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and stool softeners.
- Do nottake any new medicine or get any vaccine unless you have talked about it with your health care provider and your baby’s health care provider.
- Always read medicine labels before using a medicine. Check for risks for women who are breastfeeding.
- Try to take your medicine right after you breastfeed. This can help to limit your baby’s exposure to the medicine the next time you breastfeed.
- Avoid
taking:
- Medicines that release slowly and stay in your body longer (long-acting medicines).
- Over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. This ingredient can lessen your milk supply.
- Medicines that are not medically necessary for you. These may include herbal medicines, high-dose vitamins, and unusual supplements. Work with your health care provider to determine which medicines you truly need.
- If you start a new medicine, watch your baby for unusual signs such as sleepiness or irritability.
- If
you know ahead of time that you will need to stop breastfeeding for a
short time, plan ahead.
- Before you start taking the medicine, pump and store a supply of breast milk. Feed this milk to your baby while you are taking the medicine.
- While you take the medicine, pump and throw away breast milk until you are no longer taking the medicine. Continuing to pump can help to make sure your body will be ready to breastfeed after you no longer need the medicine.
Where to find more information
- U.S. National Library of Medicine – Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed): www.toxnet.nlm.nih.gov
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
- Infant
Risk Center:
- Online at www.infantrisk.com
- Hotline: (806) 352–2519
Contact a health care provider if:
- You develop or your baby develops new symptoms after you start taking a medicine.
- You have trouble producing milk or your supply decreases.
- Your baby is not gaining weight after you start taking a new medicine.
- You have breast pain that does not get better with over-the-counter pain medicines.
Summary
- Most medicines are safe to take while breastfeeding because the amount of medicine in breast milk is too small to harm the baby.
- Do nottake any new medicine or get any vaccine unless you have talked about it with your health care provider and your baby’s health care provider.
- If you start a new medicine, watch your baby for unusual signs such as sleepiness or irritability.
