Wondering if anyone has been in the same situation... I have to start taking a medicine, rectally, called Mesalamine for Chronic Ulcerative Proctitis that I was diagnosed with today after a colonoscopy (have already pumped and dumped three times today because of it!).
Doc said I should not bf while on this medication (it lasts for two weeks) and should go to formula afterwards. If that's the case, I'd at least want to try pumping and dumping for two weeks and using my freezer stash (for LO who is 9 months old) and then hope to get him to re-latach after my meds are done.
Pharmacist says ok to bf but might give LO diareahha (in which case I would stop bf'ing).
My question is, if I have to give LO my frozen, it'd start from all the way back in Oct (he gets that now but only once a week to rotate stash). Is that "old" of milk ok to give all the time rather than just for rotating? I feel like it won't be "good enough" for him.
Also, has anyone else been in this situation where they are told a medicine might affect the baby but you try it anyways?
Thanks for any insight! LO hasn't had any formula and I work full time and pump and wanted to keep this up for at least a year...
Re: Help....I have to take a medicine that isn't compatible with breastfeeding...
some resources:
Lactmed, run by the National Institutes of Health, the site that @theresat858 quoted is here: https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT
another breastfeeding/medication researcher is dr. thomas hale: https://www.infantrisk.com/
you can call their hotline to ask their opinion as well.
another researcher is dr. jack newman: https://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-B-M
you can also email him with questions via his website
the frozen milk is completely fine to give your LO- freezing does affect some of the antibodies in the milk, but it is still great for your LO and better than formula. but, as i said, if i were you i would just keep breastfeeding.
oh, and if you're pumping at work, if you freeze any of it to use later, i would make sure to mark it so that you know you were on the medication when you pumped it. then if your LO does have a reaction to it, you can just toss the affected milk without having to dump your whole stash.
When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
Baby Boy M - 08/01/2013
Expecting Baby Bean February 2017
My daughter has had no issues with side effects, diarrhea, etc. I do "time" my meds so I take them at night after last nursing session. That is the longest stretch of time until she nurses again. I figure that at least reduces the amount of medication that she gets. Please feel free to PM me if I can help any further. Good luck! I know the UC road can be really bumpy at times.
There are three reasons for breast-feeding: the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can't get it. ~Irena Chalmers
There are three reasons for breast-feeding: the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can't get it. ~Irena Chalmers