Women face enough barriers to breastfeeding — incorrect medication advice should not be one of them
The medical institution has documented very well the challenges that many women face while breastfeeding their babies. Yet, even in the UK where the public health system actively supports breastfeeding, many women fail to receive the support that they need and at the time they need it when it comes to making the decision to breastfeed their babies. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that services are being cut by the government every day, public attitudes towards the practice is becoming increasingly negative, and our culture does not really understand the workings of breastfeeding and what they can do to support the practice. One thing that has come to the attention of the authors is that many women who have been successful in breastfeeding their babies are being told that they cannot breastfeed while they are on medication. This could be justified in some cases because women should seek professional advice when they are pregnant and when they have a baby. Despite this fact, it has been shown by quality research that many medications are safe to be taken by breastfeeding mothers. Yet, some mothers have reported that their doctor has told them to stop breastfeeding their baby when they are going to have a new treatment although those treatment have not be found to be detrimental to the mother or the baby.
Key Takeaways:
- A study of 444 breastfeeding mothers found that many are told to stop breastfeeding because of common, well-understood, widely-used medications.
- Many women contacted as part of the study day that they would prefer to delay treatment for themselves instead of stopping breastfeeding.
- The placenta and the breasts differ significantly, and medications that could be harmful to a fetus often are not dangerous when breastfeeding.
“Despite this, some mothers are told that they must stop breastfeeding their baby when prescribed a new treatment, even when that treatment actually poses no risk to either them or their baby.”