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Breastfeeding/breastfeeding and taking medication

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Expert: - 1/27/2008


Question
I have a 3month old and I was breastfeeding until my doctor told me I had a STD gonorrhea and chlamydia. The doctor gave me the treatment for both. The treatment for gonorrhea is call Ceftriaxone (Crocephin)125mg and for chlamydia-Azithromycin Igm.I started giving her Enfamil Lipil formula; When can I start back breastfeeding; Its been since Friday when I took the one dose for each. Today is Sunday. Will the medication still be in my breastmilk after 3days? does these medicine even pass threw breastmilk? When I eventually start back breastfeeding, will it conflict with the formula regarding her bowels? It been three days and my baby still hasn't had a bowelmovement when should become concern? Lastly, can I pass The STD threw my milk, before I got treated;is it necessary to get her blood check?

Answer
Dear Naderia,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

I have just consulted with a prominent pediatrician who specializes in drugs during lactation, and he said that you can resume breastfeeding immediately and can continue to nurse your baby even while you take your medication. Both these medications are also given directly to babies.

There should not be a problem with continuing to supplement with the Enfamil, and it's not unusual for a 3-month-old baby to go as long as 7 to 10 days without a bowel movement. As long as she does not seem uncomfortable, don't worry. If she does seem to be in pain while trying to move her bowels, ask your pediatrician if you should give her something.

I did not get an answer about getting your baby's blood checked. I suggest that you ask your pediatrician about this also. You might also check with La Leche League (www.lalecheleague.org), which has a large research library about different issues pertaining to breastfeeding.

I hope you get better soon!

Regards,

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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