Guest Author - Jessica Gunsch

I recently met a mother who was facing the dilemma of weaning her child due to her own medical issues. Throughout her pregnancy, hormonal changes were making her ill which continued during breastfeeding. Extremely devoted to breastfeeding her baby, she suffered health consequences that at times rendered her unable to function normally and others had to take over the daily activities of child care. She diligently tried every possible alternative to improve her condition while still being able to breastfeed. In the end, she had to choose to wean which was in the best interest of both her and her child.
Her story is an example of the heart breaking decisions that many women are forced to make.

Anyone who has ever flown on a commercial airplane knows the routine; in the event of an accident put your own oxygen mask on before you put one on your child. In the case of a breastfeeding mother’s illness this is a wise analogy. You have to take care of your own health before you can be the best mother to your child.

Many medications are safe to take when you are breastfeeding and when they are not, there are often alternative drugs that a physician can prescribe that are as equally effective. The amount of medication that passes into the milk supply is so minute that it is usually considered safe. Always alert your health care professional to the fact that you are breastfeeding before taking any medications. Working with your doctor as well as a lactation consultant is the best way to explore options, find alternatives and avoid weaning while still treating your medical condition.

Depending on the age of your child, some medications that are unsafe for very young babies will not affect older babies for two reasons. First, older babies have more mature livers and kidneys which are able to filter and excrete medications more efficiently. Younger babies that cannot do that risk a build up of medications that may damage their bodies. Secondly, older babies may have started eating solid foods and they will not rely on breast milk for their entire sustenance, reducing the exposure to medications that you ingest.

Sometimes you may be able to devise a schedule where you can take a certain medication at a time that will be compatible with your nursing schedule so that the next time you feed your child the medication is no longer present in your milk. It might also be possible to store enough breast milk before you begin the course of your medication and feed your child with a bottle. You can pump and throw out the contaminated milk to maintain your milk supply and production and to prevent engorgement.

Like the mother in the story above, in some cases a mother needs to take a medication that is unsafe for her baby and there is no effective alternative. When medications are not safe because they either reduce the milk supply, or endanger your baby’s well being, your physician and yourself may be faced with the need to wean early. Life threatening medical conditions or illnesses that make it difficult to care for your baby in other ways, should take priority over nursing. In the event that you need medical treatment right away it is likely in your best interest to wean immediately. However if your treatment can wait a short time you should try to give yourself and your child at least a week rather than weaning cold turkey.

If it does come to weaning due to medical conditions, know that you have already breastfed for a time which is wonderful for your baby and a lot more than some women ever do. Although breastfeeding is the best nutrition for your baby, it is not the sole source of comfort, bonding and all the other things a mother does for her child. If your illness is preventing you from functioning, both you and your child are missing out on many other quickly fleeting aspects of babyhood and important bonding time when your health is at stake.