Since all medications come with different risks, it is important for mothers and doctors to carefully examine what drugs are both safe and harmful for a nursing mother and her child. Drugs that may have been safe for a fetus may not be safe for an infant while he is breast-feeding.
Pain Medication
Pain medicines--such as Ibuprofen (Motrin), Morphine and Acetaminophen (Tylenol)--are recommended for nursing mothers. Nursing mothers should use Naproxen or Meperidine (Demerol) with caution.
Depression Medicine
Common anti-depression medications--such as Zoloft and Paxil--are less harmful than Prozac.
Allergy Medications
Doctors recommend that nursing mothers with allergies take Beconase, Flonase or Nasalcrom.
Diabetes
For nursing mothers with diabetes, Insulin, Micronase, Glucotrol and Orinase are the recommended types of medication. Mothers should avoid Glucophage or Thiazolinediones while nursing.
Birth Control
For mothers interested in taking birth control, barrier methods are recommended over contraceptives containing estrogen.
Warning
The effect a drug has on a nursing baby is determined by how much of the drug is transferred into the breast milk. The transfer occurs when the drug has a high concentration of serum. Some mothers prefer to avoid any medications while nursing. However, if that is impossible, know that there are many options.
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