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Identifying the cause of breast and nipple pain during lactation
so proud and delighted to have worked with Lisa, Carmella and Jane over the past year to have this published in the BMJ today. To find out different practices across the world has been fascinating but I so hope this informs clinical practice
Identifying the cause of breast and nipple pain during lactation
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Breastfeeding
not a comon conditioon and easy to feel you are alone . Hope this helps. It’s a chapter from my book Breastfeeding and Chronic Medical Conditions
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and breastfeeding factsheet
What would mothers like their healthcare team to know about IBD and breastfeeding?
The next and most personal blog about what what mothers want their professionals to know. Thank you to the members of the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/BreastfeedingIBD for their views.
What would mothers like their healthcare team to know about IBD and breastfeeding?
See also:
How to advise women on the safe use of medicines while breastfeeding
This article was published in the Pharmaceutical Journal June 2021 https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/ld/how-to-advise-women-on-the-safe-use-of-medicines-while-breastfeeding 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
Inflammatory bowel disease and Breastfeeding
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I developed Crohns disease identified back in 1976 when I was just 22 years of age. It has had a massive impact on my life – lots of hospital admissions, 3 bowel resections, lots of medication. It indirectly led to me developing peripheral vascualr disease so that at one time I could only walk 40 yards without pain. It also was responsible for a malignant melanoma which luckily was caught before it spread. It has also affected my liver and spleen so as you can understand it is a big part of my life. But on the positive side it was what caused my passion for breastfeeding as I was nevr fitter than when I was pregant or breastfeeding.
I have attempted to pull all the information on diagnosis, treatment, live vaccines etc into one place into this rather large factsheet (almost a book) which I hope will help professionals support mums using evidence based information.
I have already recorded a video presentation as a facebook live https://breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk/live-video-2/inflammatory-bowel-disease-and-breastfeeding-facebook-live but am happy if you want me to present to a team – professionals, mothers with IBD. Just message me wendy@breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk
There is also a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/BreastfeedingIBD with 1.4k members from all round the world.
Hope this helps everyone to use the evidence from research to support breastfeeding mums with IBD. It is a disease I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy and it is hard to deal with when you have young children. Be kind and supportive! #dontsaystoplookitup
Inflammatory bowel disease and breastfeeding – all you need to know?
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
Leaving the Breastfeeding Network Drugs in Breastmilk Social Media Page
In November 2015 we set up the BfN drugs in breastmilk facebook page with the help of a small group of admins to signpost to factsheets. The page has grown and grown in popularity and takes thousands of questions every year. I have been supported by Amanda a fellow pharmacist over the last 5 or maybe more years giving me one evening and then one day a week off and some much needed support. But last year I made the decision that I wanted to stop. I wanted my life back, evenings not checking my phone, a holiday without answering queries – something I havent had since 1998! I. I’ve been answering questions on the compatability of drugs in breastmilk since 1995. I’ve had 2 days totally off since then – my 65th birthday and the magical day at Windsor.It’s brought many joys, and some sadness but proudly for me an MBE for services to mothers and babies.
So began a plan to recruit and train some more pharmacists to help and keep the support going. Eleven lovely young pharmacists volunteered and in May ten of them finished the training and are ready now to take over in a rota.
This weekend I will be leaving the BfN facebook page although I will continue to answer emails whilst the team settle over the next few months.
I’M NOT GOING AWAY THOUGH – I’m just pulling back to my own facebook page and this website. So will still be available to answer questions in either place https://www.facebook.com/breastfeedingandmedication/ or wendy@breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk
The truth about Breastfeeding and Medication
A podcast recorded with Boobingit and pharmacist Sarah Robinson