Breastfeeding/breastfeeding

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Expert: - 9/28/2011


Question
I am a 27 year old mother of two. I have a 5 year old that I nursed for 14 months and now I'm also over joyed to be able to nurse my 8 month old little girl. Unfortunately my doctors have prescribed me with several different medications. I am deeply saddened that I will not be able to nurse anymore. I just wanted to know is there anyway I can still nurse. I've gotten several different opinions describing the A,B, and C types of medications. I really just need a definite yes or no. At this point I've stopped nursing but my milk is still producing. I dont want to completely dry up my milk until i get a definite answer. I'm currently taking latuda(lurasidone),klonopin,and imitrex.

Answer
Dear Marquita,

First, congratulations for giving both your children the best start in life by breastfeeding them!

Secondly, I know you want a clear yes or no about continuing to nurse, but like so many things in life, it's hard to give you this kind of definite answer. I consulted with a pediatrician who is very knowledgeable about drugs during lactation, and this is the answer he gave me:

>>Latuda is a relatively new drug in the antipsychotic class like Zyprexia, Risperdal, Haldol, Abilify. There is no data on how much drug is excerted in milk and/or if any is absorbed by the infant. So there is no yes or no. I think it will be found that  Latuda is excerted in milk as are the other drugs in that class. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine like valium, etc. It is excreted in milk in the order of micrograms per liter of milk. It is also found in the serum of nursing infants whose mothers are taking the drug. They both work by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain.The concern is a long term one of whether the changes in brain neurochemicals will influence infant behavior and neurodevelopment. Also not possible to give a yes or no. Imitrex is in the triptan yes, and the amount in milk is so low that it would not affect the infant. So the answer to imitrex is yes.<<

So I'm afraid that this is a decision you need to make in consultation with your baby's doctor.

Good luck to you,

Sally

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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Olds & Marks, 4th edition, September 2010, published by Workman Publishing, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.  

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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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