Medication & Other Drugs
Milk Matters would like to thank Pharmacist Wendy Jones, BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS, of Wendy’s Support on Breastfeeding and Medication for her professional knowledge in compiling this material.
Taking medication rarely requires mothers to stop breastfeeding. The benefits of breastfeeding should never be underestimated and it is often more detrimental to stop breastfeeding.
Medications have the ability to pass into breastmilk in varying quantities. However this depends on the age of the baby, the dosage of the drug and the type of medication. Generally only small amounts get into the baby’s system and breastfeeding can continue in the vast majority of circumstances. It is however advisable to check with a health professional to assess what affect the drug may have on your baby whilst you are breastfeeding.
Milk Matters has access to Dr Thomas W. Hale’s comprehensive book titled Medication and Mother’s Milk. If you would like more information on the compatibility of any particular drug with breastfeeding please contact Milk Matters on info@milkmatters.org. Please note: the information provided will be with regard to the general suitability of a medicine for use while breastfeeding but cannot take into consideration the specifics of a particular mother and baby’s situation and does not replace the need to consult a doctor or other suitably qualified health professional.
If you are donating your extra breastmilk it is important that you notify us of any current medication that you are taking. Premature infants are highly susceptible to drugs that may pass into breastmilk as their bodies are so much more immature and vulnerable than full-term and older babies. It is also important that they don’t inadvertently receive medication that could interact with their prescribed medicines.
The article ‘Finding good information about medication use during lactation‘ on the KellyMom website provides information about the various risk factors that need to be taken into account, as well as links to resources for finding good information about breastfeeding and medication.
Dr Jack Newman MD, FRCPC, wrote the article ‘Breastfeeding and Medications‘.
LactMed Database, is an excellent online source of information on breastfeeding and medications. It is maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine.
- How much of the drug is passed to the baby via the breastmilk and what effect does it have on the baby?
- Does using the drug negatively impact on the mother’s ability to look after her baby?
More information on the subject can be found on the following sites:
Health e-Learning: ‘Social Drugs and Breastfeeding‘ by Denise Fisher MMP, BN, RN, RM, IBCLC (This includes information about Cigarette smoking / Nicotene, Alcohol, caffeine, Marijuana / Cannibis, Methamphetamine / Tik , Heroin and Methadone)
Infant Risk Centre: ‘Effects of Marijuana on the Fetus and Breastfeeding Infants‘ by Sridevi Alapiti MD and Thomas W. Hale, Ph.D.
Medscape: ‘Recreational Drug Use‘
“A mother who cannot stop smoking should breastfeed. Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the negative effects of cigarette smoke on the baby’s lungs, for example. Breastfeeding confers great health benefits on both mother and baby. It would be better if the mother not smoke, but if she cannot stop or cut down, then it is better she smoke and breastfeed than smoke and formula feed.”
To find out more about the risks of smoking and breastfeeding, how to minimize the risks to the baby, as well as what impact smoking has on breastfeeding and milk supply, read the following articles:
KellyMom: ‘Breastfeeding and cigarette smoking‘ by By Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC
Health e-Learning: ‘Social Drugs and Breastfeeding‘ by Denise Fisher MMP, BN, RN, RM, IBCLC (This includes information about Cigarette smoking / Nicotene, Alcohol, caffeine, Marijuana / Cannibis, Methamphetamine / Tik , Heroin and Methadone)
La Leche League: ‘Is it safe for a smoker to breastfeed her baby? What about using the nicotine patch and other smoking cessation aids?‘
For guidelines on safely drinking alcohol while breastfeeding and information on alcohol levels in milk as well as the effects on milk supply, consult the following websites:
Infant Risk Centre: ’Alcohol Usage when Breastfeeding‘
KellyMom: ‘Breastfeeding and Alcohol‘ La Leche League: ‘What about drinking alcohol and breastfeeding?‘
Health e-Learning: ‘Social Drugs and Breastfeeding‘ by Denise Fisher MMP, BN, RN, RM, IBCLC (This includes information about Cigarette smoking / Nicotene, Alcohol, caffeine, Marijuana / Cannibis, Methamphetamine / Tik , Heroin and Methadone)
Donating breastmilk to Milk Matters was the best thing I could have done for anybody as anything could have gone wrong with me and my baby but God protected us and I thought this was my way of saying thank you and paying it forward.
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Breastfeeding is ecofriendly...It made me feel proud to know that my milk would go to a very deserving child. Having a baby is a miracle and if I could help just one child it would be an honour.
