Should I avoid orange juice when I'm breastfeeding? Kindergarten readiness: Is your child ready for school? Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom to take allergy medicine?
New to BabyCenter? Join now. Password Forgot your password? Keep me logged in. Log in. While it's true that what goes into your body usually does make its way into your milk supply, keep in mind that the amount that ultimately ends up in your baby's meals is a tiny fraction of what gets to you. Most drugs, in typical doses, appear to have no effect on a nursing baby at all, others have a mild, temporary effect, and a very few can be significantly harmful.
But, since not enough is known about the long-term effects of medications on breastfeeding babies, it's best to play it safe when it comes to taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs while you're breastfeeding, and to avoid any medication unless it's been prescribed to you by a doctor, dentist or other health care provider who knows you're nursing, or is from a list of safe OTC meds which again, most are.
In June , the Food and Drug Administration FDA started requiring prescription drug manufacturers to meet new labeling standards that offer more up-to-date and detailed information specific to lactating moms. Under the new rules, drug-makers must disclose the amount of the drug that ends up in breast milk and any potential side effects on breastfed babies, along with details on any human and animal studies that have been done and any adverse reactions in breastfeeding women.
This information will help you and your health care provider better understand the risks versus the benefits of taking a medication while you're breastfeeding.
In the meantime, just about every OTC and prescription medication simply carries a warning on the label, package or both to consult a doctor before taking it if you're nursing. That means your best source of information is your baby's pediatrician or your prenatal practitioner. He or she can give you the short list of common medications that are breastfeeding compatible and that you can take as needed without getting clearance each time , as well as advise you on whether medications or supplements you've been prescribed or take regularly say, for a chronic condition need to be adjusted until you wean your little one.
The most recent research indicates that most medications can be used safely during breastfeeding. These include but are not limited to :. And some medications should be avoided because they can reduce your milk supply, including but not limited to :.
The research jury is still out on other medications certain classes of antihistamines, for instance, or some antidepressants. And other medications are safe, but only if they're used sparingly and temporarily such as narcotics for pain after a cesarean delivery, for instance; take only one tablet every six to eight hours maximum and watch for drowsiness in the baby. Be sure to check with your baby's pediatrician for the most up-to-date info on what is and isn't safe.
In some cases, a less-safe medication can safely be discontinued while a mom is breastfeeding, and in others, it's possible to find a safer substitute. When medication that isn't compatible with breastfeeding is needed short-term, nursing can be stopped temporarily with breasts pumped and milk tossed — a. Or dosing can be timed for just after nursing or before baby's longest sleep period i. This is an alkaline compound that works by directly neutralizing stomach acid.
It is readily absorbed by the intestine, but enters the bloodstream essentially as supplemental calcium. Do not exceed the maximum recommended dose. Use of antacids may interfere with other medications. This is the preferred antacid in pregnant or breastfeeding women and the best initial choice for treatment of mild to moderate heartburn.
Common trade names: Dicarbosil, Rolaids, Titralac, Tums. Similarly to calcium carbonate, these alkaline compounds directly neutralize stomach acid. Magnesium and aluminum are poorly absorbed under most circumstances, but some foods and supplements may increase absorption unexpectedly.
High blood levels of magnesium or aluminum may be toxic to a fetus. Heavy or frequent use of these antacids may have a laxative effect. These two compounds are the second best antacids for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women with mild to moderate heartburn. Common trade names: Maalox, Mylanta, Magnalox. These three medications block a hormone receptor in the stomach and reduce stomach acid secretion. Ranitidine and famotidine appear to carry minimal risk in pregnant women, 6, 7 cimetidine has a small risk.
Ranitidine is prescribed directly to infants for reflux disease. Common trade names: Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid.
These medications directly inhibit the cells that produce acid in the stomach. Reasonably strong medical evidence supports the safe use of omeprazole in pregnancy and lansoprazole, while less well studied, is similar enough that its safety can be inferred as well.
No adverse events have so far been reported with either of these drugs in breastfeeding mothers. This combination of medications is the preferred OTC treatment for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It is a mixture of the sleep aid doxylamine Unisom and the vitamin pyridoxine Vitamin B6. Doxylamine is similar to diphenhydramine in its mechanism of action and side effects. So far, there have been no adverse events reported in babies exposed to these medications in the womb.
Common trade name: Diclectin. This is a combination of fruit sugar and phosphoric acid flavoring that has limited efficacy in treating nausea. Diabetic mothers should not use this product because of its high sugar content, but the active ingredients are known to be safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Common trade name: Emetrol.
Like doxylamine and diphenhydramine, meclizine is an antihistamine used to treat nausea and motion sickness. Large studies have confirmed that meclizine does not increase the rate of birth defects when used during pregnancy. Breastfed babies who may be incidentally exposed to meclizine should be monitored for sedation. Common trade name: Antivert. This herb has been used to treat mild nausea and vomiting for centuries.
So far, no adverse effects in infants have been reported in either pregnant or breastfeeding mothers using ginger in moderate doses. At high doses, there is an increased risk of bleeding. Faber P, Strenge-Hesse A. Relevance of rhein excretion into breast milk.
First-trimester drug use and congenital disorders. Jul ; 4 Aspirin and reproductive outcomes. Jan ;63 1 Briggs G F, R. Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. Seventh ed. Kastrup E. Famotidine: summary of preclinical safety assessment. Pregnancy outcome after exposure to ranitidine and other H2-blockers. Reproductive toxicology. Mar-Apr ;19 4 Pharmaceuticals T. Pharmaceutical manufacturer prescribing information; Kallen BA.
Use of omeprazole during pregnancy--no hazard demonstrated in infants exposed during pregnancy. European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology.
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