Feeding your baby

• Breast milk is the best food for most babies.
• Try to breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months of life.
• Babies are ready to start solid food at about 5 or 6 months.

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Breastfeeding is the best source of food for most babies. When breastfeeding, your baby is nourished by foods, vitamins and other things you take into your own body. So it’s important to watch the kinds of food you eat and medicines you take when nursing. Breastfeeding moms may be concerned about using medication when nursing and whether or not the medication can affect their baby’s health. Some women may have health conditions that can either be short-term (such as headaches or colds) or long-term (such as asthma or high blood pressure). These health problems may require using medication.

Over-the-counter and prescription medications
We need more research to know how each medicine can affect your breast milk. While there are some basic guidelines, it’s important to always talk to your baby’s health provider before taking any medication and to tell her you’re breastfeeding.

In general, most over-the-counter medications (medicines you can buy at a local pharmacy or store) and medications prescribed by a health care provider are probably okay to take while breastfeeding (but talk to baby’s health provider first). Some reasons include:

• The amount of medication passed through breast milk is very small (less than 1 percent of the dose).
• Since the medication in breast milk is very small and won’t affect a nursing baby very much, most over-the-counter medications (like pain relievers) are okay for mom to take, but be sure to read the label and package insert.
• Medications that are given to you by a health provider are OK so long as your health provider knows you’re breastfeeding. Some prescription medicines (like those to treat cancer or that have radioactive ingredients) aren’t safe to take while nursing. Again, always talk to your and your baby’s health provider before taking any medication.

Guidelines for medications while nursing

Medication used by baby

• If the medicine you’re taking can also be prescribed to your baby (in baby-size doses), then it may be okay for you to take. Talk to your baby’s health provider to be sure.
• Again, this is because the amount of the medicine that gets passed to breast milk is very small.

Medication is safe during pregnancy

• In most cases, if a medication was safe for you to use when pregnant, it should be okay for you to use when breastfeeding.
• There are a few exceptions to this guideline (like some medicines used to treat anxiety or sleeplessness), so it’s important to check with your health provider first.

Other tips

• Stay away from extra-strength doses of medicine. When possible, take the smallest dose for the shortest amount of time. This lowers the chance your breastfed baby will get the medication through breast milk.
• Take the medication either right after breastfeeding or at least 2 to 4 hours before the next breastfeeding. This gives the medication time to clear your body before baby’s next feeding.
• If you’re taking a long-acting medication (medicine that lasts for a long time), take the medication before baby’s longest sleep time but after feeding baby. This way, you give yourself the time you need to clear the medication from your body while baby is sleeping.
• Contact your baby’s health provider if she shows any signs of having a reaction (diarrhea, sleepiness, excessive crying, etc.).
• Read the label on the medication for any information about how it may affect breastfeeding. Some medications may affect how well your body makes breast milk.

June 2010