Home » 2021 (Page 2)
Yearly Archives: 2021
How to advise women on the safe use of medicines while breastfeeding
This article was published in the Pharmaceutical Journal June 2021
but I feel is too important not to be readily available for professionals. It should be part of the what mothers want professionals to know about breastfeeding series. So I have adapted it slightly to be in a pdf format so it can be used more easily
How to advise women on the safe use of medicines while breastfeeding article
If you use this information please do consider buying Breastfeeding and Medication
Skin allergy tests and breastfeeding
Mothers have been reporting that they have been advised to interrupt breastfeeding or even stop altogether in order to have skin and patch allergy testing. This doesn’t seem based on evidence but possibly without national guidelines.
The allergens do not pass into the blood stream let alone breastmilk so there is no reason to interrupt breastfeeding.
Medication
Should you react severely to an allergen test and require administration of an antihistamine, an adrenaline injection (e.g. EpiPen) or a steroid that does not stop you breastfeeding as normal
Adrenaline/epinephrine injection e/g/ EpiPen ™. Ingredient present in milk but unlikely to be harmful as poor oral bioavailability . Half life 2 minutes so all gone from the body in 10 minutes.
Antihistamine – https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/antihistamines/
Prednisolone – https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/prednisolone/
Skin allergy tests and breastfeeding
What do mothers want healthcare professionals to know about nipple/ breast pain during lactation?
I asked for feedback on this question 12 months ago about pain during breastfeeding and finally time to write it up. Reading it again makes me sad. The pain of breastfeeding for some people cannot be ignored. I hope that this facilitates a discussion amongst professionals who see breastfeeding women. It’s important for mothers, for partners and for babies and time we stopped ignoring it.
This is the data that I extracted
what do mothers want healthcare professionals to know about breast and nipple pain in lactation
Some links that may help everyone
What do mothers want professionals to know about Breastfeeding and Contraception?
A few weeks ago I asked on my facebook page for experience of using contraception whilst breastfeeding using a googledoc survey. I had just under 80 responses in 24 hours and here I have tried to analyse the results. Five mothers reported that their supply was affected by the use of contraception. Many more were unhappy with the information that was given before prescription of the contraceptive. Food for thought
Please see https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/contraception/ for information on the contraceptives and https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/ehc/ on emergency hormonal contraception which I wrote for BfN.
Contraception and breastfeeding. What mothers want doctors to know analysis
The truth about Breastfeeding and Medication
A podcast recorded with Boobingit and pharmacist Sarah Robinson https://boobingit.com/the-truth-about-breastfeeding-medication-with-sarah-robinson-and-dr-wendy-jones
Migraine treatment and Breastfeeding
Another chapter from my book Breastfeeding and Chronic Medical Conditions today on the treatment of migraines which affect so many people. Migraines are miserable, when you have to continue to deal with a baby or toddler or older child and cant go and sleep in darkened room they can break the best. This factsheet goes through some of the treatments for breastfeeding including sumatriptan. Hope it helps. Maybe time to buy the very reasonably priced book available from Amazon ?
Treatment of migraines and breastfeeding factsheet
Donating breastmilk and taking medication
I am very proud to support all the breastmilk banks in the UK who provide milk to mothers of neonates. I was intensely grateful just over a year ago when my youngest grand daughter was born early, weighing just 3 and a half pounds. My daughter had fed 2 other children and like me is passionate about exclusive breastfeeding. However, she was exhausted trying to pump and stimulate her supply for our little wee scrap to keep her blood sugars up. She was given the gift of a small volume of donated breastmilk which took the pressure off for a few hours to allow her to sleep. Of course this was all during the height of the pandemic and she was seperated from her husband and children. She described it this way: ” It was if the donor mums were holding both of us safe, they were feeding my baby for just a few hours whilst I regained my strength. I can never thank those mums enough for that relatively small amount of milk (24ml), which was worth so, so much to me. By the following morning I had enough milk to provide the supplements through the NG tube“
Milk from donating mothers has to be free of medication which might affect the health of the tiny, vulnerable pre-term. I have drawn up this list but it seems to change regularly . Thank you to every mum who makes the precious donation of breastmilk
Progesterone Pessaries and Breastfeeding
A question which is coming up very frequently just now is the use of cyclogest pessaries in pregnacy for mums who are still,breastfeeding. So to save me keep typing ( and to help you, of course) here is the information.
Progesterone pessaries and breastfeeding factsheet
St John’s Wort and Breastfeeding
Sadly the incidence of post natal depression and anxiety has increased and even doubled during the pandemic and we know that many find it hard to go to see their doctor or fear that they will be told to stop breastfeeding to take medication. Some prefer a more natural, herbal remedy and will purchase St John’s Wort. This is the information on the compatibility of hypericum with breastfeeding. If you want to discuss your medication and suitability please email me on wendy@breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk .
St John’s Wort and breastfeeding factsheet
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Breastfeeding
I’m really saddened that so many mothers are recommended to stop breastfeeding in order to be treated with medication. There is some evidence that breastfeeding in itself protects the mother
I hope that this factsheet provides some alternatives. The information is taken from Breastfeeding and Chronic Medical Conditions – https://tinyurl.com/mbbebe8x
RA and Breastfeeding Factsheet
