Breastfeeding after VQ scans
One of the questions that frustrates me is “Can I continue to breastfeed immediately after a VQ scan, they think I may have a clot on my lungs? I’ve been told I have to stop feeding for 12 hours”. Most of these mothers have very young babies – often under 2 weeks so to dump that precious milk for 12 hours is really tough. There hasnt been enough time to build up expressed milk so necessitates the use of formula and a very premature end, against mum’s wishes usually, to exclusive breastfeeding.
The evidence is really hard to find. One option is to request a CT scan after which breastfeeding can continue as normal. The #dontsaystoplookitup poster refers just to CT and MRI scans and not to VQ scans
This information is from my book “Why Mother’s Medication Matters”
Breastfeeding for Pharmacists
I am aware that most pharmacists do not receive any training on breastfeeding during their undergraduate studies. My own PhD studies showed that most of us gained our knowledge from our own personal experiences. As breastfeeding is acknowledged as a major public health area I have begun to prepare some training material for professionals – starting with my own. This is intended to provide a basic understanding of how pharmacists and their staff can help to support new mothers as part of their everyday working practice. More detailed presentations will follow on drugs in breastmilk. If you find this useful and want to know more please buy a copy of Breastfeeding and Medication
#dontsaystoplook it up 1
It’s breastfeeding celebration week! Did you know that national guidance recommends that prescribers look at supplementary sources to decide whether medications are compatible with breastfeeding? Use this poster to spread the word #dontsaystoplookitup
Please spread the posters to all wards, surgeries and pharmacies