For the love of babies everywhere, would someone *PLEASE* educate the medical community on the aspects of breastfeeding, its importance, and safe medications a mother can take while continuing to nurse their babies?
I mean...honestly. Of all the schooling required, all of the resources, and all of the information at our finger tips during this day in age, doctors still know next to nothing about nursing. It makes me want to do this...
As you can probably tell, I've had to deal with the medical community and breastfeeding quite a bit here lately. It's frustrating....and a bit unnerving too. My third little nursling is now 4 months old.
In the four months that she's been in our arms, it seems that I've had to take more medication than I've taken during the past ten years put together. Between an ear infection, several UTI's, a midnight trip to the ER, a gallbladder removal, and my current issue, I've taken much more medication than I care to take. I've had antibiotics, pain meds, and the plethora of drugs given while under general anesthesia. And if you know me, you know that I am *not* a big fan of medication. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad that Western medicine has the ability to cure people of otherwise deadly issues. But I'll hold out on taking medication until I absolutely need it. A prime example is of me lying on the bed in the ER on Christmas night experiencing gallstone pain so horrible that I absolutely could. not. stay. still....rolling, tossing, standing up, sitting down, lying in the fetal position....you name it, I tried it. I waited through the pain for 8 hours before finally giving in and accepting a low dose of IV pain medication in the ER. So I'm definitely *not* a pill popper.
Yesterday I went to the surgeon's office who performed my gallbladder removal. My actual surgeon was on vacation, so I saw another doctor in the practice. It seems that during the surgery, I was somehow wounded...burned, actually. I have a small place, about the size of the eraser on a pencil, right next to one of the incisions. It just doesn't seem to be healing correctly so I gave the doctor a call and set up an appointment.
In the office, the doctor said that it looked slightly red and began to write me a prescription for an antibiotic. So just for kicks (because I never trust anything that a doctor tells me about nursing), I mentioned that I'm nursing a 4 month old and asked whether the drug was compatabile with nursing.
She looked up, slightly puzzled, and said, "Well, that makes it much more difficult."
Seriously? Really? Am I inconveniencing you by breastfeeding my child? A much better answer would have been, "Really? That's great! Let's figure out something that will be safe for the baby, yet beneficial to your healing."
So she proceeded to write out the prescription (for Bactrim) and said, "I'm not sure about the safety of this drug while breastfeeding. Just take it to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist. If it's not safe, just call us back and I'll give you something else."
Me: Stunned silence. And then, "Uh...okay."
Sadly, this is not the first incidence where something like this has occured.
When my oldest daughter was a baby, I went to the doctor for some reason or another. During the course of the visit, it was somehow mentioned that I was breastfeeding my (then) 15 month old. The physicians assistant looked at me and said, "Still? I thought a mother's milk dried up when the baby turned a year old." I honest to goodness had nothing to say to that. Words could not come out of my mouth. She had rendered me speechless. I had no idea whether to laugh or do this....
Breastfeeding mothers really must be their own advocates. Sadly, I never take a doctor's advice when it comes to anything breastfeeding related. Before my gallbladder surgery, I spent hours on the internet researching the safety of the drugs that would be used. During my pre-op, I asked the surgeon about nursing after surgery. He told me to contact my daughter's pediatrician. Immediatly before my surgery, I asked the attending nurse whether the meds used during my surgery would be safe for breastfeeding immediately after waking up. She informed me that I would need to pump and dump for days. Thankfully, I had done my research. For a new mother, who may be less informed, advice like that could be detrimental to the breastfeeding relationship between her and her child.
Turns out, I nursed my daughter just a few hours after surgery. If I hadn't been so dizzy, I would have nursed her immediately after waking up. Instead, I asked my mom to give her one bottle...I just didn't feel safe holding her at the time. It had nothing to do with the medication and everything to do with being afraid that I may drop her on her head.
It just baffles and frustrates me how little the medical community knows about breastfeeding. Pretty much every single medication reads : Not for breastfeeding mothers. In reality, this is not true at all. Not one bit. There are tons of drugs that are compatible with breastfeeding. While I do advise taking as little medication as possible while nursing, most medication needed can be taken (though there are exceptions, of course).
There are a couple of resources that I, as a nursing mother, use when I'm in need of adice. Hopefully if there is a new mother reading this, these resources will be helpful to you too. Dr. Thomas Hale has written a book titled "Medications and Mother's Milk." It's a pretty comprehensive guide to prescription medications in relation to breastfeeding. He rates them on a scale (L1 being the safest) and lists possible side effects to watch for in a nursing infant.
Dr. Hale has also set up an Infant Risk Center. You can call and speak with a live person on the phone regarding the safety of medication while breastfeeding (and pregnancy too). They are available Monday through Friday 8 am until 5 pm at the following number (806)352-2519. Dr. Hale also has an app available for both iPhone and Android phones titled InfantRisk Center. I do not own this application since I own the book, but I imagine that the app could pretty much take the place of the book for those interested. It's a pretty pricey app at $29.99, and the printed book is slightly more than that, but it holds a wealth of information.
Kellymom.com is a great website that lists medications as well. It's not nearly as comprehensive as Dr. Hale's book, but it has a great list of common drugs, as well as helpful breastfeeding advice.
If you'd like to speak with someone face to face, and a little more local, you can contact your local LLL (La Leche League) group. Most hold meetings on a montly basis and are more than willing to give advice to a nursing mother over the phone as well. Another "live person" resource is the lactation consultants at your local hospital. I'm not sure how other hospitals operate, but my hospital has a seperate division for helping new mothers get started on their breastfeeding relationship. I've visited mine several times after the births of my daughters with various questions, weight checks, etc. They are always very helpful.
Also, the forums over at mothering.com are filled with knowledgeable women who have "been there, done that" in regards to all things breastfeeding related.
My advice to mothers....don't let a doctor tell you that your nursing relationship will need to be interruped. This could damage the relationship, causing problems such as nipple confusion, breast rejection, a drop in milk supply, or even mastitis. Do your own research, ask questions, take advantage of the resources above....just don't trust everything the doctor says with regards to nursing. Your baby is depending on you.
And just for the record regarding the Bactrim that I was prescribed yesterday....it *is* considered safe for nursing mothers. However, it is rated as an L3 and I prefer to stay as close to an L1 as possible. I searched through Dr. Hale's book and found three different antibiotics that were classified as L1's and then I contacted the doctor, asked her if any of them would work, and she chose one from the list. That being said, I *have* taken L3 drugs before. Alot of the drugs used during my gallbladder removal were L3's, so I'm not opposed to them altogether....I just prefer to stay as close to the L1's when possible.
As you can probably tell, I'm a big advocate for breastfeeding. I won't go into all of the advantages since that's another whole topic, but it has always made my babies plump and happy....
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