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To breastfeed or not to breast feed? (Antidepressants)

Brettx3AshleyBrettx3Ashley member
in Breastfeeding

I came off all my meds when I found out I was pregnant. I've been a mess. It's hard to be pregnant and bipolar. However, I didnt want baby to come out with a cleft lip or find out in 10 years that she's going to die early because of the topamax or prozac that I was prescribed. So, I came off them.

My OB has already told me I can go back on them as early as two weeks post partum and I want to get back on them asap.

My question is, should I breastfeed for the two weeks between birth and prescription? Or should I just not breastfeed at all. How long does it take for your body to stop making milk?

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Re: To breastfeed or not to breast feed? (Antidepressants)

  • nblondheimnblondheim member
    I am taking zoloft and breast feeding. There are options to use while breast feeding!
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  • Brettx3AshleyBrettx3Ashley member
    But the effects can't be good for the baby. I'm worried about being part of one of those class action lawsuits in ten years because my anti depressants gave my kid extra limbs or something. I was on high doses of topamax, welbutrin and prozac. Took zoloft when I was younger but it didn't help.
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  • vvvvvfeevvvvvfee member
    yes, breastfeed! breastfeeding is a supply and demand system. if you don't breastfeed, your body will slow down/stop its milk production. it's very important that you breastfeed often in the early weeks in order to ensure a good long-term milk supply. breastfeeding also lessens the risk of post-partum depression, so that is another great reason to do it.

    you can breastfeed safely on most medications. a great resource to look up drug safety while breastfeeding is LactMed, run by the national institutes of health.

    a couple of other resources:
    Dr. Thomas Hale, at the InfantRisk center- you can search for drug info, but they also have a hotline you can call
    Dr. Jack Newman (he actually mentions prozac specifically on this page). you can also email them questions, and he frequently answers questions on his facebook page
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  • vvvvvfeevvvvvfee member
    p.s. the mechanisms by which medication can pass to the fetus and by which it passes into breastmilk are different- so drugs that are questionable during pregnancy may be okay during nursing. the american academy of pediatrics recently affirmed that most medications are safe to use while breastfeeding. Most Medications Okay During Breastfeeding
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  • cinderincinderin member
    Brettx3Ashley said:

    But the effects can't be good for the baby. I'm worried about being part of one of those class action lawsuits in ten years because my anti depressants gave my kid extra limbs or something. I was on high doses of topamax, welbutrin and prozac. Took zoloft when I was younger but it didn't help.

    Formula/imitation baby milk is not risk free. There are formula recalls.

    One of the reasons it was important to me to bf was because the long term effects of formula are not truly known. And I read the ingredients.

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  • ILoveRunningILoveRunning member
    I would suggest looking into the 
    vvvvvfee said:
    you can breastfeed safely on most medications. a great resource to look up drug safety while breastfeeding is LactMed, run by the national institutes of health.

    a couple of other resources:
    Dr. Thomas Hale, at the InfantRisk center- you can search for drug info, but they also have a hotline you can call
    Dr. Jack Newman (he actually mentions prozac specifically on this page). you can also email them questions, and he frequently answers questions on his facebook page

    I would agree that you should look into these resources and see what sorts of work has been done on the medications you want to go back on.  I would also suggest talking more with your OB as well as your child's pediatrician.  From there, you can make the decision that you feel most comfortable with.  I don't think that there is a universal right or wrong answer, it is different for everyone.  

    Regarding your original question.  Yes, I think that it is worth it, even for two weeks.  The colostrum that you make in the first few days is a super-concentrated milk that contains lots of nutrients, antibodies and protein.  It is often thought of as babies "first vaccine".  After the first week you can either transition slowly to formula, combo feed if you/Dr think that a lower dose of the medicine would be acceptable, or you can try to continue to breastfeed while taking medication.  If you decide to switch to formula feeding entirely, there may be some issues with engorgement, but for many women this is an issue, even if they FF from the get-go since your early supply is due to hormones and not supply and demand.
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  • MyaflowersMyaflowers member
    I agree with PP about checking with infant risk about whether your meds are safe while breastfeeding. They have discussion forums, so you may be able to find where someone else has already asked about your specific meds. You could also consult with LO's pediatrician. Many medications are safe while breastfeeding because very minimal (if any) of the medication passes into the breast milk. I take Cymbalta and Seroquel and still breastfeed by DD. DD's pediatrician is totally fine with it. While pregnant, my OB had me take Zoloft because she said being really depressed and anxious could be bad for the baby. We had no problems with the Zoloft. I know my OB felt like Prozac could be OK during pregnancy too.
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  • Brettx3AshleyBrettx3Ashley member
    thank you all. This makes me feel much, much better.
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  • april.backousapril.backous member
    I agree with talking with your doctors but either way I would suggest bf for sure during those two weeks. It is a great bonding source, great health benefits for the baby and helps your uterus contact back to pre-pregnancy size.
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  • Justabean3Justabean3 member
    I started almost the exact same meds after #1 the day after he was born. So I didn't bf. it was the best choice I could have made.

    My other issue with #2 was I did bf and stayed off meds is coming off the emotion of pregnancy I had a hard time with baby bfing, it made me stabby. It is the whole bipolar heightened sense of awareness. So I pumped 3 months and went back on them.


    It comes down to knowing yourself and you and I both know bipolar is nothing to mess with if you feel agitated. Just play by ear and see how you feel. There is no right or wrong answer.
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  • 88sharonlee88sharonlee member
    I have no idea what it's like to be bipolar so only you can know what's best for you and LO.

    I will say from everything I've read and heard any amount of breastfeeding is a good thing.

    So if you decide to do it for a day or a week or whatever I say yes, do it for whatever amount of time you can and feels right before you need to stop.
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