[IdentityCrisisMama]

I'm writing in for a friend because she told me last night that she may have to stop breastfeeding her baby. Her baby is now 4 months old and my friend is a first time mom.

My friend's medical history is somewhat complex and she's already had to cut out some medication because of nursing.

Jump to another medical problem…My friend has kidney stones and she is going in to have them "zapped" in that water/current thing. On top of that, bacteria in the stones are causing a urinary tract infection that won't go away despite her taking low-dose antibiotics.

My friend's doctor has suggested that she go on a medication to prevent the reoccurrence of the stones. The medication contains potassium, which my friend has been advised passes the breast milk and is not easily digested by the baby.

I had suggested that my friend post here but I'm not sure she will as she hasn't used this board before.

My questions are these:

Do any of you know about these medications and/or medical problems and have some advice for my friend?

If my friend does decide to take the medication, is there a chance of her continuing to breastfeed?

If she decides to hold off on the medication but wants to take it eventually, how long would you recommend she wait?

Thanks in advance for your help…

 

[Quirky]

ARRGGGHH just lost my post.

Most doctors don't know much if anything about the compatibility of medications and breastfeeding. Your friend needs to do her own research and bring resources to her doctors to educate them. Send her these links to get her started:

Kellymom on "Is this safe when breastfeeding?"

Kellymom on finding good information about medication use during lactation

She needs to become informed and become an advocate for the nursing relationship, because way too many doctors will recommend weaning without any knowledge of the medication's safety and compatibility with nursing. Remind her, if she doesn't know already, that doctors don't study lactation in med school or get any training in it, so they usually don't have any specialized expertise in it (and many don't know how important it is for both mother and baby for health reasons).

HTH!

 

[girliemama]

Go to the AAP website. They have a whole chart you can print out. They have done studies on zillions of meds and have basically concluded that only some serious mind-zapping drugs and opiates are unsafe. Now, that might not be true regardless of their studies- they think vaccines are fine too, so ultimately, it will be her judgement, but it is the most thorough info she will have. I keep a copy in my diaper bag in case I have to go to the er or something.