What Are Safe Meds For Nursing Moms?
I came across this issue the other day when my ankles were both broken; ok they were not even close to broken but they sure felt like it. I needed some relief, more than a hot bath or a foot massage…
But what medicine could I take that would be safe for Isaac, as I still am breastfeeding him twice a day? Good question!
I called my pediatrician, and she said Ibuprofen was fine and would not effect my breast milk, so I popped a pill, propped my feet and opened my latest read (“The Shipping News,” in case you were wondering).
Yes, these are perfectly safe, Mrs. Moore, settle down
Of course Isaac was napping during my relaxation and healing time or else his royal highness would not have allowed any of the above!
After about 15-20 minutes I could tell the swelling had definitely gone down, which was a relief, but by then I was curious about what is and is not safe for all the mommy milk-machines out there.
Now I don’t normally take any medication unless it is serious, but my pitiful jogging injury fell under that category. But little stuff, like headaches, allergies, colds, etc. do not typically warrant anything other than some good tea, chicken soup, and lots of rest.
Despite my aversion to meds, I was still wondering, so I got on the computer and checked this out. There were a couple sites that seemed the most useful and trustworthy,and here they are:
Kellymom.com (thanks Kelly!) listed the medications generic names as well as trade names, if they were approved by the AAP, and possible pregnancy and lactation risk levels.
Toxnet (toxicology data network) is a division of the U.S. National Library of Medicine in the National Institute of Health, which has a very extensive LactMed search option where you enter in any drug name and it shows you all collected data that pertains to breastfeeding mothers and infants.
Askdrsears.com, which gave some pertinent advice and suggested you ask yourself three important questions before taking any medication: do you need the drug, how will the drug affect your baby, and how will the drug affect your ability to make milk?
And of course O’healthy is always a good resource (:
I was actually surprised how many medications are considered safe, despite the fact that most will still enter your milk to some degree and even effect your milk production.
Interesting…hope this information helps you if you find yourself confused on what meds are safe for nursing moms.
Anyone know any homeopathic remedies for common ailments that are safe? Now I am intrigued (:
I look on http://www.safefetus.com/ also
Hi Sara, (Haha I feel like I am talking to myself saying that!)
I’m checking out your website right now — it’s great! Thanks for the tip, it is going on my favorites (: Can’t wait til they add the nutrition section as well…