Is Breast Still Best if You Have Drugs in Your Breastmilk

As part of About.com's blog carnival on breastfeeding, I've written a series of new articles on breastfeeding, for Moms whose breastmilk could be affected by substances such as nicotine, alcohol, and painkillers.

Should I Breastfeed? provides an overview to the various substances that Moms might be using, which could enter your breastmilk and affect your baby. This hub article provides a brief overview and links to more detailed articles on each substance.

Pain relief is often one of the most immediate issues that women who have just given birth, or had a c-section, have to deal with. But a newborn's immature liver makes it harder to process painkillers. Your doctor may prescribe painkillers with codeine, but as I explain in Codeine and Breastfeeding, this is not the safest choice. And although ibuprofen is an over-the-counter medication, studies have proven that it is just as good at relieving post-childbirth pain as codeine, with lower risks to your baby if you are breastfeeding. Guidelines on the safest use of ibuprofen, as well as other over-the-counter painkillers, are provided in Over-the-Counter Pain Medications and Breastfeeding

Alcohol and Breastfeeding explains how alcohol can affect breastmilk, how that will affect your baby, and how to time your breastfeeding so you can avoid it harming your baby if you do drink.

Marijuana and Breastfeeding talks about how stigma may prevent your doctor from giving your accurate advice, and how to make responsible decisions around breastfeeding if you use marijuana.

Sleep deprivation, or at least, sleep interruption, is part of life with a breastfeeding baby. So most parents use caffeine to cope with the tiredness. But as I discuss in Caffeine and Breastfeeding, this may actually be worsening your baby's ability to settle to sleep.

Nicotine is arguable the most addictive known drug -- and is also highly toxic. In Smoking and Breastfeeding, I explain how breastfeeding Moms who smoke are putting their babies at risk, and the best advice on how to manage the risk.

Finally, Can I Combine Drugs and Breastfeeding? explains how to make the decision to breastfeed, when there is a risk of drugs -- including illicit drugs -- entering your breastmilk.

Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the best nutritional start for your baby, and provides important psychological benefits to both mother and child. But breastmilk containing drugs can pose a real and significant risk to your baby, and there has never been a better time to quit and make a fresh start with a drug-free lifestyle. But if drug use is unavoidable, this information will give you the best safeguards we are aware of at present. When in doubt, pump and dump!

The breastfeeding blog carnival provides links all kinds of interesting and informative articles on breastfeeding, which will provide you with information you won't find anywhere else on the web.