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breastfeeding with migraines

fashotifashoti member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months
My baby is 3 months old now and I am exclusively pumping (long story). I have a history of chronic migraines and they went away while I was pregnant but have come back in a big way. I obviously had to stop taking my preventatives and pain meds while pregnant and since I am breastfeeding I am still not allowed to go back on them. My husband and I are going back and forth about me no longer BF so that I would be able to start back on a preventative regimen. Even though I went into pregnancy being totally okay with switching between formula and BF (you never know what your body is going to do, right?), I feel reluctant to stop BF completely so that I can get my migraines taken care of. My husband thinks that I need to think seriously about it because he remembers what they were like before I was taking anything for them. I understand where he is coming from, and I said that we can talk with the pediatrician at his four month appointment to see what the doctor says. I do need to go back on something, or at least be able to take pain meds stronger than Tylenol. I am working and I can't keep going into urgent care then calling out. 

Yes, also because it is stressful and not healthy for anyone to have to deal with. It is just so hard to give up BF and I don't know where that feeling is coming from. Since I am exclusively pumping I wouldn't be giving up that bonding time, and I am already very okay with giving him formula since we have done it since he was born. There is just something that is holding me back and I just wanted to see if anyone else has had a similar problem or any advice people have.
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Re: breastfeeding with migraines

  • WishilivedinfloridaWishilivedinflorida member
    Fellow migraineur here! I don’t take preventatives but hopefully I can help. 

    Can you try to take an abortive only and pump/dump if you have to as needed as a first step? If this isn’t manageable you could then go back on the preventative as a next step. 

    Do you have a freezer stash? Historically I only make it to 9-10 months breastfeeding before I have a huge supply dip from my period returning. Both times I went to combo feeding with half formula, half BM from my stash and was able to make it to a year with some BM this way. If you don’t have a big stash, could you take a couple weeks to try to build one up?

    at the end of the day, formula is totally fine, and you have given your child three whole months of breast milk, which is awesome! Personally I don’t know that I would have made it exclusively pumping that long myself. Good luck!
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  • galbaby18galbaby18 member
    Similar thoughts as the first person who replied here.  I’d recommend trying to pump extra and build up a freezer stash so you if you decide that you need to start back on meds you can use both frozen breastmilk and formula.  I also did this at 10 months with my first when my supply dropped. 
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