Can I Test My Hormone Levels While Breastfeeding?

Breast milk is undoubtedly the best food for human babies. The quality of a mothers breast milk, much like the milk of any mammal, is affected by what the mother eats and the medication she takes. Check with your doctor to ensure that any drug you may take during the course of hormone testing is compatible with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding and Hormones

Much like pregnancy, breastfeeding is made possible by a dramatic shift in hormone levels. In particular, a dramatic increase in the hormone prolactin makes it possible for the mothers body to make milk. Generally speaking, the more a mother nurses, the higher her prolactin levels will be. In most women, high levels of prolactin will prevent ovulation and menstruation from occurring and therefore will prevent her from becoming pregnant. Even if a nursing mothers menstrual cycle returns, she may find it remains irregular until her child begins to nurse less frequently. This can be a sign that she is having a cycle in which an egg was not released. In a few cases, the mother may have to wean completely to become pregnant. Its important to note, however, that studies show breastfeeding is only a reliable form of birth control if the mother exclusively nurses, her baby is 6 months old or younger and her period has not yet returned.

Fertility

If a mother suspects she is having difficulty becoming pregnant again, she may want to undergo fertility testing. In most cases, this involves using blood samples to measure a mothers levels of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinzing hormone, which tell the womans body to produce and release an egg. A simple blood test of these hormone levels will not affect the quality of the breast milk a nursing mother makes.

The woman may also take the drug Clomid, which is used to induce ovulation, to either test her fertility or to help her to become pregnant. There currently is no data that indicates that Clomid is unsafe for breastfeeding mothers and their infants, according to Dr. Tom Hale, author of Medications and Mothers Milk. The less often a mother nurses, the lower the likelihood that her child will be exposed to the drug. The manufacturer of Clomid, Merck, has indicated that the drug could impact a mothers milk supply, however.

Thyroid Testing

Similarly, a woman have to undergo several blood tests if she suspects she is an under or overactive thyroid. Simple blood screens are compatible with breastfeeding, and several thyroid medications, when monitored by a doctor, are compatible with breastfeeding. This includes Synthroid, one of the more commonly used thyroid drugs.

However, a radioactive thyroid scan is not compatible with breastfeeding. Depending upon the type of drug used to do the scan, the mother may be asked to stop nursing anywhere from six hours to two weeks. In some cases, the mother may have to wean completely.