Written by Editorial Team
A new mother always needs to be cautious about her diet. This is because it directly affects the breast milk that the baby depends on solely for the first couple of months. Certain foods must be avoided because they may cause slight irritation to the baby’s gut, or they could lead to general discomfort. Hence it is necessary to keep a constant watch to see how the baby reacts after every feed. Along with the food, care must also be taken when it comes to taking medicines, especially, antibiotics while breastfeeding.
At times, when the mother needs urgent medication, it is important to know and understand which medicines are safe and which ones are a complete “no-no.” Did your doctor has prescribed you an antibiotic course for a certain health condition? Are you not sure of its safety for your baby as you are still breastfeeding? Well, read on to know if it is safe to take antibiotics while breastfeeding.
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There are some conditions that necessitate the intake of antibiotics. One of them is mastitis. This is a condition where milk doesn’t flow freely through the ducts brought in by the presence of bacteria, staphylococcus aureus. In this condition, the breast hurts a lot, feeding is a painful experience, and the mother feels completely drained. To know more about mastitis, its symptoms, and its cure, look up here. However, a small course of antibiotics can help you rid of the problem and put you back on track.
The good news is, that most of the antibiotics that doctors prescribe are safe for a lactating mother. Any traces of the drug in your blood indeed finds their way to the breast milk in lactating mothers. But what is important to know is, that most medications do so at very low levels and, therefore, safe for infants. In the case of newborn or pre-term babies or babies with other medical conditions, the level of risk may be higher. But once they are six months or older, the issue is negligible.
In most conditions, safe. In fact, in most conditions, it is ok to continue breastfeeding while on antibiotics. However, if the situation so demands, your doctor will suggest a healthy alternative or may suggest you feed at a time when the effect of the medication is low. Only in very rare cases do doctors recommend weaning the baby and start your baby on infant formula.
The first thing you might notice while on antibiotics is the change in the color of your baby’s poop. It may be greenish and watery than usual. This is not a cause for worry, nor does it require any treatment. Other impacts include:
There’s a list of antibiotics that are safe for lactating mothers. Amoxycillin, Amoxil, Clavulanic acid, Cephalosporins, and Macrolides are safe to take during breastfeeding. Penicillin, Metronidazole, Ciproflaxin, Aspirin (low dose), and Propoxyphene can be given. However, the dosage should be below. Most nursing mothers are seen to suffer from bladder infections, and the antibiotics used to treat these (sulfa-based, Cipro, Nitrofurnation) can be safely consumed.
Following are some of the antibiotics to avoid during breastfeeding:
If you are prescribed an antibiotic while you are still breastfeeding, here are a few signs that you should watch out for in your baby:
Lactating mothers take a lot of caution and care to stay healthy so that their babies are not affected. However, there are some unavoidable situations where they may need to go in for medications. This is completely normal and nothing to panic about. However, until your doctor approves, don’t self-medicate and get into trouble. Remember, your infant depends solely on you for food. Stay healthy, stay safe.
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