Another c/s & breastfeeding questions

MrzHoz · October 2011

Did anyone have any concerns or issues with being on pain meds and breast feeding?

I had a friend who had her child last year via c/s and her baby ended up in the ER shortly after birth because of the pain meds mom had taken for her c/s that flowed to the baby via breast milk.

This is a big concern for me and I am a FTM so this is all new to me.

How long you are on medications for pain after a c/s?

Is it feasible to postpone breasfeeding until after getting off the meds?

TIA.

Sept1799 · October 2011

I was on the pain meds and bf my dd. Granted it didn't work and dd was way to hungry, even after being on the breast for over an hour and having mulitple let downs. She was fine, and the nurses and pedi said it was fine to bf while taking it.

On a side note, I remember some lady on here said that her premie baby was given her milk and she was on pain killers.

Ardmhs83 · October 2011

I took percoset and breastfed. You can take the pain pills and nurse at the same time. My son did perfectly fine. I would def. not suggest you postpone nursing until you are done with the pills. That could be like 2 weeks. Speak to your OB, your childs pedi and call a LC.

iris427 · October 2011

I was on Percocet and ibuprofen and had no problems with breastfeeding. I would really not advise you to wait to nurse until you are off the pain meds because that could really cause some problems with latching and supply. I don't know what drugs your friend was on or what the details are but it is certainly possible to breastfeed safely while on pain meds.

ashley0616 · October 2011

I didn't have any problems with pain meds mostly because after the initial 24 hours I didn't take anything stronger than ibuprofen. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Most of the time, the doctors aren't idiots and will only give you meds that can't be transferred via breastmilk. I think Vicodin and Percocet are the faves.

Do not try to postpone breastfeeding. You want to get that established ASAP - like in recovery - to ensure things go well. Baby needs to learn to suck. Your body needs the "OK, let the milk in!" sign. It helps your body heal. Baby needs that first pre-milk for his immune system. It helps your bond. Etc.

Talk to your doctor about your concerns. He/she will be able to give you the best guidance about it. And, as a FTM, remember to relax. Let things flow, listen to your body and your doctor, and don't let the little things that really don't matter at the end of the day distract you from what you are experiencing: A new life.

cloudy0143 · October 2011

In the hospital I was on Oxycodone and Motrin/Tylenol. When I got released (2 days later) I was on percoset and Ibuprofen. I breastfed successfully and continue to do so! It didn't phase my DD at all, and my OB and Pedi assured me it would not pass into the breastmilk. I really wanted to try and go natural and not take any pain meds, but after I discovered how painful it was those first few days, I began singing a different tune!! Stick out tongue Keeping your pain under control will make breastfeeding your LO much more bearable and even enjoyable. Good luck!

magdalina.h · October 2011

I was on the pain meds for a little over a week and a half. The meds didn't effect Lucas at all. I also donated my milk last year after a c/s and that was fine.

shouldbworkin · October 2011

It's never been a problem for me. I generally don't need anything after 1 week PP besides an occassional motrin, though. Once I'm home, I usually alternate motrin and darvocet as needed. I BF while taking the meds with no problems.

pepomntpat · October 2011

The doctors should only give you medication that is safe for your baby. Your friend should have been told if what she was given was not safe for her child. I had basically super motrin which is safe for baby. I took a few percocets which are also safe for baby, but made me woozy so I didn't take very many.

TanyaKM · October 2011

I was on Norco for about a week and Ibuprofen for two weeks, and LO's pedi said it was fine. You definitely don't want to "delay" breastfeeding!

ghdst1 · October 2011

I was only taking 600mg ibprofen for pain. I really don't like narcotics so I refused them. No issues with me taking pain meds but I would for sure talk to your OB about it if you are concerned and know that you will be having a c/s. They prescribe narcotics after c/s pretty routinely I think so I would imagine they are fairly safe but I would double check for my own sanity.

skio · October 2011

MrzHoz:

Is it feasible to postpone breasfeeding until after getting off the meds?

NO.

I don't know what happened with your friend, but doctors don't prescribe medicines that will harm the baby through breastfeeding. Maybe that baby had an allergic reaction to something?

I was on percocet and ibuprofen for a week and a half, with an occasional ibuprofen for the next two weeks. I had absolutely zero problems BFing and DD has thrived on being exclusively breastfed for over 6 months now.

capulet · October 2011

I EBFed DD from the beginning. I took Percocet for the first week and ibuprofen after that. It turned out I was allergic to Percocet, so I asked my OB if there were alternatives for this time around and he assured me that pretty much every pain medication they can give me is compatible with BFing. Discuss this with your doctor if you have any concerns. It sounds like something really wonky happened in your friend's situation, but as PPs and I can attest, it isn't something you should be concerned about (and no, you do not want to postpone BFing).

LMBecky11 · October 2011

I was on Percocet for a week pp, but once I was home (after 3 days in hospital) I didn't take it as often as directed because the pain was mostly tolerable. Then they gave me 800 mg Motrin when they took my staples out after 1 week. I took that on and off but didn't need it any more after a week or two. I hardly needed it at all, really, especially after the staples were gone. They were the worst part.

But anyway, I BF through all of this. Starting one hour after surgery when I got out of the recovery room and got to hold her for the first time. My baby was a little more tired at the hospital and I think that may have been because of the pain meds, but they are tired when they are newborns anyway so it could have been from just being born. I had trouble getting her to latch well when she fell asleep so much. But nothing ever happened to harm the baby from the pain meds.

IDK about postponing breastfeeding until after you are off the meds. You need to build up your supply, plus the colostrum that comes before your milk comes in is the best thing for your newborn baby to have. I guess you could pump and dump to get your milk to come in and keep your supply up until off the meds, but it isn't necessary if you take the meds at the right doses, or even lessen the doses if you can handle it.

InLovewSB · October 2011

This is me and everyone has a different pain tolerance - I never took anything stronger than motrin once I was out of the hospital. My doc said I could take up to 2400 mg of ibuprofen per day. I never worried about it bothering the baby, and she did not have any issues with breastfeeding.

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