Can I take medication if I'm breastfeeding?
Introduction
Can I take medicine if I am breastfeeding?: this is one of the most common questions among pregnant women and new mothers.
Since the topic is very sensitive, I decided to provide an answer with this content.
As you can see, there is an index to allow you to delve deeper into the various details simply by clicking on the paragraph titles.
If you plan to breastfeed your baby and want guidance on this extraordinary journey, I recommend the video course “Al Profumo di Latte”, accessible from the button below and curated by Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi, the midwife of the DrSilva team.
For always up-to-date content designed to help you make your little one's development special, you can find me on Instagram at @drsilva.com_official .
Drugs during breastfeeding: what does AIFA say?
Pregnant women or new mothers who ask the question “ Can I take medication if I’m breastfeeding?” to professionals who are not involved in breastfeeding often hear about drug incompatibility.
The reality, as Dr. Alvisi also underlines in this video , is very different.
Responses like the one above are based on the lack of proven studies that speak to the possibility of taking the drug while breastfeeding.
Generally, almost all medications are compatible with breastfeeding.
The AIFA (Italian Medicines Agency) also reminded us of this , citing, in turn, the authoritative opinion of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In the document Transfer of Drugs and Therapeutics Into Human Breast Milk , it is emphasized that, for most drug therapies, the risks of contamination of breast milk are minimal.
When a new mother ponders the question “Can I take medication if I’m breastfeeding?” she should be aware that, according to experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics, not all medications pass into breast milk in a significant way.
Their presence in breast milk , except in very rare cases, is not risky for the newborn.
This is why, always taking into account the risk/benefit parameter, there is no need to suspend breastfeeding altogether (a choice that, until recently, was the gold standard among pediatricians).
How to proceed when dealing with drugs that are prohibited during breastfeeding or that you do not intend to pass into the milk ?
In the video linked above, Doctor Alvisi reminds us of the possibility of taking them after feeding - in this case, you should wait as long as possible before putting the baby back to the breast, so as to be completely certain about the reduction of the half-life of the medicine - or of using a breast pump .
Its use is valuable as it allows the breast to be drained and stimulated .
The expressed milk must obviously be thrown away .
The one just described is the ideal path to take when dealing with drugs that are absolutely incompatible with breastfeeding .
During the therapy, the baby is not put to the breast and is resumed once the therapy has concluded.
If I'm breastfeeding, can I take Tylenol?
The question “Can I take medicine if I'm breastfeeding?” often concerns commonly used medicines, such as paracetamol , a drug that is called upon for conditions such as fever.
Does it pass into breast milk? The answer is yes. The quantities , however, are extremely small.
Let's not forget the fact that this is a drug indicated for newborns always in case of fever.
The amount of paracetamol , the active ingredient in Tylenol, that passes into the mother's milk is insignificant compared to what would be prescribed for the fever.