Have to Stop Breastfeeding My 4 Month Old Due to Medication

If you can find a lactation consultant who has a background in pediatric medicine or can talk to someone who knows a lot about the transference of medicine through breastmilk, please do that. I had shingles and stopped breastfeeding for fear of the medicine going through the breastmilk, but found out from my lactation consultant (after the fact) that it wouldn't have been an issue. Do your best to confirm that you really do have to not breastfeed. And maybe a lactation consultant can recommend the best type of bottle to make the transition back to breast easier for both of you. good luck!

Sorry to hear that you will have to stop breast feeding. I would check and make sure you have to stop by looking up the medication on Dr. Hales website breastfeedingonline.com. You will need to be committed to pumping and dumping on a regular schedule to keep your supply up, your baby may forget but you could use a nipple shield if needed to help your baby get used to latching on again. It is really hard to say, you may be able to jump back in. Find a great lactation consultant in your area. Keep me posted on how it goes, I will be glad to offer support and suggestions!

As long as you pump to maintain your milk supply, your baby should pick up breastfeeding easily when you return to it. Typically, the first six weeks are critical for a baby to learn how to breastfeed, but after that, the baby knows how to do it--even if they step out of the routine for a little while. I'd be more worried about your milk supply, so be sure to pump often.

Hi D., this exact same thing happened to me. I also had some BM in the freezer and the baby took bottles of it many times from other people. I mixed formula with the BM to stretch it out and not wreak havoc on his digestive system.. Meanwhile I pumped and pumped and pumped. And was able to nurse again afterward. Baby weaned himself shortly afterward at about 12 months. Not sure whether it had anything to do with the two week break or not.

Good luck, feel better!

Make sure that you use a slow flow nipple so that it makes it a little tougher for baby just like breastfeeding is. I also highly recommend using the Playtex nurser with the latex (brown) nipple. It is very soft just like your nipple. I would also use lots of skin to skin while bottle feeding baby to keep the same sensations that baby is used to.

Make sure that you pump on the same schedule that baby is nursing on to keep your supply active.

It's good timing though because baby probably won't be going thru a growth spurt during this time.

I had to stop nursing my daughter at 11 weeks so I could start chemo. I nursed my son for a full year despite being a full-time working mom. It was a n easy decision - my baby needed me more than my milk. She did fine on formula, and your daughter will, too. The transition will likely be a lot easier than you can imagine right now. Just be patient as she gets accustomed to different nipples, etc.

Having worked in the pharmaceutical industry for the past decade, please do NOT nurse her if the physician/pharmacist are telling you that the medication is not safe during lactation.

Most drugs are not even tested in nursing mothers because of the possible implications. Most are tested on nursing animals (usually rats and mice), and if the active ingredient is detected in their milk, the researchers will determine the likelihood of it crossing into human milk. As a biologist and a mom, I'd not be willing to take the risk with a child that age, especially with an antibiotic to treat a kidney infection.

Best wishes to you. In our case, it was a no brainer - it sounds like it's the same for you. I hope your baby transitions as easily as ours did.

Depending on how long you have to be on the medication, you can pump and dump until it's out of your system and resume nursing. I had to do that with the imagine contrast for my PET/CT scan and while taking Naproxen for an injury from a car accident with my first child.

Good luck.

I agree that you should double check with a lactation consultant that you really shouldn't breastfeed. Many doctors, rather than actually check research, just say to stop nursing.

There's a book out there called Medications and Mother's Milk. Any LC or LeLeche League leader should have one.

That said, if you're able, take a "nursing vacation" once you're able to nurse again. Stay in bed, close to baby and just nurse A LOT!! Almost more than on demand, lol.

With you and baby working together, you should be able to get your nursing relationship back on track.

Good luck and feel better!

There are very few antibiotics that truly require a person to stop breastfeeding. So, that being said, please talk to a lactation consultant (not just your Dr or pharmacist) before beginning your "pump and dump" venture. There is a book called "Medications and Mother's Milk" that will give you a well researched and valid answer. There's a lot of misinformation about breastfeeding and medications. Drs and Pharmacists usually don't bother to look it up and are often afraid of legal problems regarding this subject so they just recommend that a mom stop breastfeeding.
I breastfed my first baby exclusively until 2 months and then had to put her on formula for failure to thrive (I wasn't producing enough milk d/t her discoordinated suck and my stress level). Good news is that she did return to breastfeeding after 6 weeks of bottlefeeding and nursed until she was 15 months. So, it is possible, but it is difficult. Call a lactation consultant ASAP and let them help you. Best wishes! Hope you kick this infection and are on the road to health very soon. R., nurse midwife mom of 3

Most medications are safe to take even tho the generic blanket ignorant statement made by both Doctors and Pharmaceutical corporations are to say immediately stop breastfeeding.

Feel free to personally contact me so I can check out my drug book specifically done for nursing and pregnant Mothers.

Check with a beastfeeding nurse, they are many medecines you can take while breastfeeding. Most doctors play it safe by saying to stop breastfeeding. Now I do know that there are many antibiotics that are not good to take which might be what you are going to take. You can have your baby use your breast as a nook after draining the breast of milk to help keep supply up and keep him/her interested in the breast as far as formula for a while my little lady had to do that and did just fine and went right back to just boob.

I would pump and dump to keep your supply up while you are on your meds... then give it a shot. I pumped exclusively for the first 2 months of my DD's life, then I decided to try putting her back on breast and after a couple days of trying she got the hang of it. I second the advice of using a slow nipple, so that she won't reject it out of "laziness..." One thing that did help me when I started my DD back on breast was to allow myself to get just a little bit engorged... not painfully, but full enough that when she latched on she got immediate gratification instead of having to work at it. (pumping REALLY boosted my supply! I was getting 12 oz. per day more than she was eating.) Once she understood that she COULD get milk from mommy, I was able to let my supply go back down to what she would eat. Good luck!