Medication While Breast Feeding

Usually, the medicines consumed by a breast-feeding mother do not cause any problem to her baby. Likewise, if a breastfed baby is given any vaccine or medicines, it will not interfere with feeding. Vaccines such as OPV or BCG will not cause any side effects to breast fed babies.

Even mothers who breast-feed their babies can take medicines for diseases such as epilepsy, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Taking the drug after feeding will always reduce baby's exposure to the medicines taken by her mother.

However, there are a few medicines, which have to be totally avoided by a breast-feeding mother. The medicines for Parkinson's disease with Bromocriptine component can reduce the milk production in the mother, drugs used for chemotherapy in cancer which destroy the cells in mother's body can harm the feeding baby, medicines with Ergotamine, used to treat a breast feeding mother for her migraine headaches may cause vomiting, loose motions or fits in babies. Other medicines with severe side effects are Lithium containing medicines given for manic-depressive illness.

If you are on any medication take it after breast-feeding the baby.