Breastfeeding on Anti-depressants?

Considering your history and the fact that you have a small child and a baby on the way, I would consider bottle-feeding the new baby. YOU need to be emotionally healthy for all the responsibilities facing you. You can create all the warm and bonding while holding the baby and bottle feeding; your husband can help you with the feeding times.

I know I may be in the minority here, but an emotionally healthy mother is a blessing to a family. At least, think about it and DON'T FEEL GUILTY!!

1 mom found this helpful

I breastfed my Son for 9 months while taking Zoloft for PPD and NO problems whatsoever.

I don't have any experience with nursing on medication, but I know bf overall was such a rewarding experience with me the 2nd time - I gave up early the first time (and my first was very colicy, my 2nd easy-going - I found prenatals to be the culprit). Anyway, I see you are getting opinions on both sides. You might check out a couple of websites like babyfit and milkshare - and even the La Leche League and get some opinions there. If you just can't handle nursing it's not the end of the world, but it is such a rewarding experience I hope you can find a way to do it. Whatever you chooose, good luck and congrats on your bundle of joy!

Hi L.~ I wish I could help you but see that you have tried zoloft in the past. Its what I was going to suggest since I am currently taking it and breastfeeding.

I wanted to add my 2 cents about your decision to breastfeed though. I know that you know what is best for you and your baby and you can trust in yourself to make the right decision for what YOU need. If your doctor says BF a week and then get back on cymbalta, why not try and breastfeed and see how you do without the cymbalta as long as you can? Just be open to the fact that you might need to quit sooner than you hope. I hope it all goes well and you are happy with whatever decision you choose. :)

Your doctor and pediatrician should be able to tell you whether you can take Cymbalta while breastfeeding. I think you should take whichever medicine works best, and if it means you can't breastfeed, so be it. Yes, breastfeeding has benefits ... but your mental health is more important for both you AND the baby.

I agree- take care of YOU so you can be at your best for your family. Your mental health is much more important than the breastmilk vs. formula debate. Our daughter is adopted & we had just 24 hours notice, so breastfeeding was not an option. She has been on formula since birth and it has not hurt her at all. She is 14 months old & already has 28 words-- her brain is fine!!! Formula these days has dha & ara for brain & eye development. It is the best it's ever been. Take it easy on yourself. Don't feel guilty, and don't worry about the medications that could possibly harm your baby. Formula is FINE!
Enjoy that baby when it gets here & take care of yourself! Congratulations!!!

I haven't read any other responses, but I wanted to throw in my two cents:).

I breastfed both of my girls for 15 months and it was very easy for me. Other moms I know could not breastfeed at all, they did not produce enough, if any, milk. Formula nowadays is the best it has ever been and although there are many wonderful benefits to breastfeeding, babies will "catch up" to most of those benefits even when on formula. Depression, however, can be a very dangerous thing to mess with. You need to be at your best for this baby and for your little girl and husband. Your family needs you to function and be more than just "OK." Even from the perspective of a mom who definately believes breastfeeding is best, I also believe Mom needs to be at HER best, first and foremost.

Congratulations! Please know you're in our prayers!

Good morning, L.!
From your request, it sounds like you already know what the answer is and that you just need reassurance. I come from a family with a history of depression. Taking the medication that works best for you is definitely the way to go. You need to take care of yourself and by doing that you will also be doing what is best for your new baby. Breast feeding does have its benefits. However, for some moms, for a variety of different reasons, it is not the best option. You have carefully considered it and I honestly believe that you have made the best decision. Proceed with confidence! Best wishes:)

I just wanted to write to give you support, not really much guidance. As a mother of 9 children (yes, 9 pregnancies) who has hereditary depression, I want you to know that you are not alone. Depression is not a defect in your emotional stability, it is a real medical problem. Luckily, my depression did not occur until after all of my children were born, so I don't have much advice on medications, but do whatever feels right for you, and don't feel guilty. I LOVED nursing all of my children, so I naturally assumed my 3 daughters would, too. Not one of them really enjoyed it. They felt tied down, had problems with it, and all 3 of them decided that they would feed their second children formula instead of breastmilk. I told them that I thought they were making a mistake, that the babies wouldn't be as healthy, etc. BUT- I WAS WRONG. All of their babies that weren't breastfed were healthy and happy, some of them even more than the ones who were breastfed because they used a special pre-digested formula that really helped with colic. So, now I say, DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE MOM, and the baby will be better for it. I will never, ever pressure a mother to breastfeed again. Good luck with your situation, I'm sending a big hug to you.

I am currently breastfeeding my 3rd child while taking Prozak. I have been on it for about 10 years now and did not stop taking it during pregnancy or afterwards. I nursed both of my girls for 12+ months and have now been nursing my son for 8 weeks. They were all fine! They actually did have some reflux issues, but I don't know many babies that don't. Neither of my girls had true "colic", nor does my little boy. I say continue taking your Prozak AND nurse your new baby! Even if he/she does have reflux or a little colic, it's only temporary and can be treated. Your mental health is extremely important (especially when dealing with a newborn), but I think breatfeeding is extremely important too! I say do both! Good luck to you!

I am breastfeeding my 6 week old and am on the generic form of Prozac. My baby is doing great and is not fussy or colicy. Talk to your dr about your concerns and hopefully find some peace of mind in that you and your baby will be fine. And as for the breastfeeding issue, I too was thinking that I wasn't going to breastfeed for very long, but am actually enjoying it and just plan to take it one week at a time. I pump more than I did with my first and also suppliment one feeding a day with formula (my husband gives her a bottle at the midnight feeding so I can get some sleep). You learn to be more flexible the second time around! Keep a positive attitude and just keep thinking about those little lips and cheeks you will soon get to kiss on!

It sounds like we are in similar situations with the depression/breastfeeding/baby thing, so if you ever want to talk, just reply and I will give you my personal email!

I breastfed my 2nd child while on Zoloft and found no side-effects. I loved breastfeeding enormously with my first but was not on any medication so I was a little nervous about doing it with my 2nd while on Zoloft. My 2nd child was actually so much easier and mellow! Good luck with your decision!!

i bf on zoloft which as u said is fine. follow your doctor's
orders and don't feel bad about it...depression is a terrible thing to deal with!

Hi L.,
I was on 100mg of zoloft with my son, breastfed and didn't really have any problems. However, he did wean himselft after 6 months. I know so many women who never breastfeed, and their children are healthy and happy. Take care of mommy. :-) Anyway, you're not alone. I've suffered my whole life from depression. God bless you always.

I have personally known people to breastfeed while on Zoloft and Prozac (not on both at the same time though) and there have been no problems. I have found tremendous benefits to both myself and my babies through breastfeeding. We all know "breast is best" and breastmilk is nutritionally better for babies and stuff, but what I have learned over the years is that breastfeeding in many ways is actually easier on me, the mom. I pumped and bottlefed my first (was working 40 h/wk) and all that pumping and preparing and washing bottles was exhausting. It's been SOOO much easier with my next two kids to just nurse them and not worry about any of that stuff. I've learned how to nurse laying down, so I get a ton more sleep when my babies are still nursing at night after the first few weeks. Those first few weeks they're so little they don't really get the hang of nursing laying down till they get a little bigger. Also I've found that the nursing hormones actually work to relax the mother as well as the baby. Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed out and about to lose it, when I have a nursing baby, I can just take a time out to nurse my baby and we both feel more relaxed and bonded by the end of it.

It's hard for me to say all this, because I feel like there's someone out there who is going to say I'm nursing my babies for my own benefit and that it's sexual and all that, and it's not that at all. But in my experience God/Nature knew what he was doing when he designed our bodies and the breastfeeding relationship has helped me through those tough times as a new mom.

If you can, I encourage you to get a second opinion from a doctor who is very supportive of breastfeeding, and if you have any problems breastfeeding to contact a IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). Linda Worzer with Naturalbeginningsonline.com either is or was an LC and she has a very informative website. I called her when I was having serious problems with my 3rd baby's latch (cracked, bleeding nipples and excruciating pain) and she was able to help me - OVER THE PHONE! no less! - figure out what was wrong and fix it the same day.

Yes-breastfeed this baby for a year if you want to. There is a whole lot of other reasons why your first might have been fussy. Allergy to dairy shows up in the mother's milk for a baby-so do without dairy while you are nursing. No milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, etc. You can substitute soy products if you feel you just have to have milk ro ice crea., also soy yogurt. This may help.
Also mylecon drops soothe a colicky baby. Other things can cause a fussy baby-use a sling and carry this baby close to your chest and heart and this will soothe. You cannot hold a baby too much the first several months. They are happier and more adjusted and independant later.
Good luck!

Sharing my experience:
I was on zoloft with my second son. He was a terrible napper/sleeper and fussed all the time. In hindsight he got a little better about 7 months (starting larger amounts of food and less breastmilk) and around 1 year (stopped breastfeeding) he finally started taking great naps. Now he's a champion sleeper!

You've got me wondering if zoloft didn't have something to do with him being sooooo terrible when he was little.

Being a mom is really tough. Breastfeeding is natural, but not always easy. (I had a really tough time with all 4 of my kids, and it always bugs me when some moms act like breastfeeding is only hard if you're not trying hard enough!) I think you should do what YOU feel will work best for you and your family. Breast feeding is best, but formula is an awfully good second. Many moms have to use formula and don't have a choice because of adoption or baby's nutritional needs or allergies or whatever. And, your health is of UTMOST importance because if you are sick, who will care for your children.

I am on Prozac now and am wondering what will happen once I go off to have the baby. However I'm on a really low dose and haven't had any long-term depression.

But, I think you would be smart to trust your instincts about staying on your anti-depressant meds. And, whatever you do, don't beat yourself up about your baby not having breastmilk. If your baby has a healthy mommy (mentally AND physically), that is so much more important!

You know, a happy mom , is a good mom. This is one of those situations where you need to put your needs first.

An entire generation of human beings was raised without breast milk, including me and we all turned out just fine. Sure breastfeeding is of terrific benefit to a child, but it is not vital. They are not going to turn out badly because you cannot or choose not to breast feed. I had a hard time breastfeeding. I never produced enough milk and the advice I got was " feed him more often". BS. Some women simply produce less milk. I consulted an expert, fed him every hour and a half, pumped, you name it, never happened. The first day I gave my child a bottle he slept for 6 hours straight , happy, content and that was it for me. I'd nurse him and give him what I had ,then pop a bottle in his mouth and we were all happy.

So my point in this long digression, is every pregnancy is different, every baby is different, every mom and her situation is different. Listen to your heart and head and do what is best for you. You sure don't want to be nursing and resenting the fact you are nursing AND worrying about your depression increasing WHILE you are nursing. Just the thought of all this tires ME out. Go with your instincts and you will make the right decision for YOU.

I am breastfeeding my 8-month-old and I am bipolar. I take Lexapro for depression and Tegretol for the bipolar. I would not give up breastfeeding for anything! Of course you can breastfeed on antidepressants! Not breastfeeding would MAKE me depressed. I am surprised to hear your psychiatrist say to breastfeed ONE WEEK and then quit?! That is not a good plan. I worked with my psychiatrist, pediatrician (for the future baby), and OB doctor to find a med that is safe. My pedi says there are MANY safe drugs out there! Don't give up! My pediatricia is Dr. Reyes, Stonebridge Pediatrics, by the way, and he has a program on his computer to look up all drugs to take while breastfeeding. Good luck!

Your health is more important that breastfeeding regardless of what anyone else says! You will be no good to your children if you are depressed, and add to it that you could end up with a coliky baby and you just need to give yourself permission to let go of the ideal world where you would breastfeed and make sure you are OK. I admire your desire to breastfeed, and I do think it's the best for the baby, there are situations, like yours, where it's not feasible. For me, I look at it like this. Breastfeeding would be a 10 on a scale of 1-10, but formula would probably be an 8.5! I was formula fed, I am smart, not overweight, etc. etc. all of the bad things they attribute to not breastfeeding can be overcome becuase 1, they aren't that bad, and 2, there are a lot of factors that can lead to those other "bad" things. Give yourself a break!!! Maybe you should consider this too, if your baby is healthy, then don't breastfeed, if she's a premie, or has some health issue, then breastfeed to help through that.