Breastfeeding and painkillers "will it hurt my baby?"

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Just curious what other post-partum nurses say to post c-section patients (or SVDs with lacs or episiotomies) when asked "Is this Percocet (or vicodin, or fentanyl, etc, etc) i'm taking going through my breastmilk and hurting my baby?"

I've gotten this question many times and I still fumble over an answer.

Thanks in advance!

Specializes in L&D!.
My understanding is that it is safe to breastfeed immediately after general anesthesia as soon as mom is coherent enough to hold the baby.

This caught my attention too - we had a few moms last week with general anesthesia and they were breastfeeding once they were able. I asked about it (since I'm new ) and I was told it was fine. I guess I attributed it to the fact that they were only producing colostrum?

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This caught my attention too - we had a few moms last week with general anesthesia and they were breastfeeding once they were able. I asked about it (since I'm new ) and I was told it was fine. I guess I attributed it to the fact that they were only producing colostrum?

Yep... it's not that they are only producing colostrum. It's how quickly the general anesthesia metabolizes out of the body.

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I agree with CEG , I would question tho Fentanyl and when/where that would be appropriate. The only exception I see pertains to pts who are greastfeeding and then need General Anesthesia for a surgery, they usually have them pump and dump for about 24 hrs post op

"Pump and dump" is usually unnecessary. Please see the info in the Hale book, Medications and Mother's Milk. General anesthesia is not a contraindication to breastfeeding. Much damage is done by the misinformation to pump and dump. It is really hard on mothers. One of the most frequent times that women are told to pump and dump (and it's wrong) is after radioactive dye.

I am an RN and an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant; I know there are so many initials out there, I thought to explain mine).

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Specializes in PERI OPERATIVE.

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT

I love this site for finding out if a drug is safe during lactation.

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Dr. Thomas Hale has a website also. All pp units should have his book though.

I've spoken with him over the phone about a difficult case - he is a wonderful man with a Texas twang.

http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/

steph

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

About the only thing I've heard as a no-no is Chemotherapy drugs. A lot of moms have a lot of unnecessary pain worring about this.

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Specializes in Mostly L&D/OB, some ED, Some psych.

I'd like to say "Yes, we ordered this medication because we know it will hurt your baby because we are in the business of hurting babies...that's how we have stayed in business so long..."

But, of course, I DO NOT say that...hehe...

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