Welcome to Pregnancy Guide
Breastfeeding Tips Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Using illegal drugs and breastfeeding ill advised
from:Illegal drugs and breastfeeding are two things that do not go together well. Unfortunately, as more and more women are realizing the benefits of breastfeeding, there are more and more women who begin breastfeeding during periods of time when they are also using illegal drugs.
As a nursing mother, there are three things that you should know about drugs and breast milk.
First, illegal drugs and breastfeeding are harmful to your baby. Nearly all drugs consumed by a nursing mother are passed into human breast milk.
Second, almost all legal medication ingested by the mother appears in very small amounts in the breast milk; this amount is usually less than 1%.
Third, very few drugs are contraindicated for nursing mothers.
The issue of illegal drugs and breastfeeding is complicated.
A nursing mother can ingest drugs in several different ways. A mother can consume drugs orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, topically or though inhalation. When it comes to illegal drugs and breastfeeding, those taken intravenously or intramuscularly cause the most damage to the baby. This is because these drugs do not go through the mother’s GI tract on their way to the breast milk.
When it comes to taking illegal drugs and breastfeeding, mothers should know that the more illegal drugs she ingests results in increased amounts of illegal drugs entering their baby’s mouth through their breast milk. The amount of illegal drugs that reaches the baby also depends on how often the nursing mother takes the drug.
The rate at which the illegal drugs will affect the baby are determined by the age and maturity level of the infant. For instance, premature babies have immature kidney and liver functions and will not be able to process or eliminate illegal drugs from their bodies. Babies who are several months old will be able to handle foreign substances in their breast milk, but they can still suffer irreparable injury.
When it comes to illegal drugs and breast feeding, the amount of drug that reaches the baby is also related to the frequency of feedings. A baby who nurses once or twice a day and feeds from the bottle the rest of the time, will receive less drugs than a baby who nurses from the breast all of the time.
Then benefits of breastfeeding are well known and undisputed. A doctor should recommend that a woman wean her baby only if the drugs being ingested are harmful to the infant. In the case of illegal drugs and breastfeeding, this is almost always the case.
Breastfeeding Tips News
Lakeland offers breastfeeding, healthy eating classes - Niles Daily Star
Lakeland offers breastfeeding, healthy eating classes Niles Daily Star A breastfeeding class for mothers and fathers is from 6 to 8:30 pm June 5 in the Buchanan Area Health Resource Library at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles, 31 N. St. Joseph Ave. Lakeland HealthCare's certified lactation counselor will discuss ... |
Attachment parenting: what's the problem? - The Guardian
 The Guardian | Attachment parenting: what's the problem? The Guardian There are people who are unable to breastfeed or find co-sleeping doesn't work for them." Indeed, the website has a section that offers tips on how to bottle feed. Kate Hoskin, a 35-year-old mother of one who runs a website (babytiponi.co.uk) selling ... |
Beyonce and Baby Blue Ivy Carter News: Breastfeeding Helped Weight Loss - Gather Celebs News Channel
Beyonce and Baby Blue Ivy Carter News: Breastfeeding Helped Weight Loss Gather Celebs News Channel She said, "I lost most of my weight from breast-feeding and I encourage women to do it. It's just so good for the baby and good for yourself," then the singer started working out, "three to four times a week [and] staying away from anything delicious. |