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Breastfeeding, Surgery, and Anesthesia

Breastfeeding October 29, 2024
Breast milk confers both direct and indirect infant benefits through at least 6 months of age and is recommended by the WHO and AAP to continue until 24 months. General anesthesia and most perioperative medications are compatible with breastfeeding. Physical separation from the infant may require a mother to pump, but discarding the expressed milk is rarely necessary. Mothers of normal term or older infants can resume pumping or direct breast feeding without interruption following anesthesia as soon as they are awake and alert. This is consistent with recent guidelines by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
A Collaborative Approach: How to Talk to Your Provider About Medications and Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Empower yourself with knowledge and confidence, and remember that you have the right to question and understand the healthcare decisions that affect you and your baby.
Weight Loss in Lactation
Breastfeeding Nutrition Lifestyle
Many women are eager to lose weight after childbirth. However, a common concern is how to do so safely without compromising milk supply. Self-compassion is very important in this process as societal p...
Domperidone and Low Milk Supply
Breastfeeding
In recent decades, domperidone has gained popularity in the breastfeeding community and has been used off-label to treat low milk supply. Domperidone’s major drawbacks are rare, but severe, including ...

Research

Every year, the InfantRisk Center publishes studies on the transfer of various drugs into breast milk. We invite you to review these studies and consider participating in one of them. Participation is simple: you will need to collect samples of your breast milk at regular intervals, freeze them, and send them to our laboratories using prepaid overnight mailing. Your involvement will greatly contribute to our research and help ensure the safety of medications for breastfeeding mothers.

Participate in Research

Atomoxetine (Strattera)

Brexpiprazole (Rexulti)

Brivaracetam (Briviact)

Carprazine (Vraylar)

Doxylamine + Pyridoxine (Diclegis)

Guanfacine (Intuniv)

Lacosamide (Vimpat)

Lurasidone (Latuda)

Medical Cannabis

Suvorexant (Belsomra)

Tirzepatide (Monjaro)

In The News

Breastfeeding mom smiling at baby

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding may Lower Risk of Early Menopause

Pregnancy Breastfeeding
More research is being done on prevention of early menopause and a study recently published in JAMA found that pregnancy and breastfeeding may decrease risk of early menopause.
Surgeon holding breast implants

Breastfeeding after Breast Augmentation

Breastfeeding
Cosmetic breast surgery is popular in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic surgery in 2019. Some evidence indicat...
Pregnant mom showing fish oils

Fish Oil Supplementation during Pregnancy and Lactation

Nutrition
​​​​​​​Fatty fish, like anchovies or salmon, is an excellent source of essential fatty acids. These fatty acids, particularly DHA, are necessary for retinal and brain development. Mothers who eat plen...
Baby with babyfood on face

Introducing Complementary (Solid) Foods

Nutrition
It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that babies be breastfed exclusively until about 6 months. At 6 months, a baby’s needs, particularly for certain micronutrients, exceed what can...
Baby Eating

Infant Taste Preference Influenced in Utero and During Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Nutrition
Many parents would like their children to develop taste preferences for a wide variety of foods, particularly healthy foods like vegetables. Food taste and flavor play a large role in food choices and...
Breastfeeding Baby

Monoclonal Antibody Drugs in Breastfeeding Moms

Breastfeeding
Monoclonal antibodies are molecules created in a lab to function like antibodies of the immune system and are important in the treatment of organ transplant, chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumat...
Clomiphene Figure

Clomiphene and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding
Clomiphene is a common drug that women use to help stimulate ovulation.  Clomiphene increases the chance that eggs will be released from a woman’s ovaries by stimulating the secretion of several hormo...
Ketamine Vials

Is Ketamine Safe to Use for Depression During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy
The fast-acting nasal spray esketamine, marketed as SpravatoTM, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression in individuals whose depression has been resistant t...
Medications

Cold and Flu Medications While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding
As cold and flu season swings into full effect, runny noses, coughing, and body aches leave many breastfeeding mothers wondering whether some quick relief from over-the-counter medications could negat...