Pregnancy and Breast feeding

Organized Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Only Moderators may post here.
Bobbie
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Pregnancy and Breast feeding

Postby Bobbie » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:06 am

Susanne
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 Breast Feeding

This is a tough one and something I went through myself. It was bad enough battling c.diff, but to have to stop nursing my infant was terrible. I pumped and dumped through 16 days of Flagyl. I was then told that I couldn't nurse with vanco. I was on a 9 week taper of vanco. I freaked! It was then that I was led to a book called "Medications and Mother's Milk" by Thomas Hale. He is a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology and I have been told by several lactation consultants that he is the Breastfeeding Safety Guru. My own pediatrician ordered the book once I showed it to him. You should check the book out of your library. He has a rating system for drugs and nursing, with L1 being the safest and L5 being the most dangerous. Flagyl is rated as an L2 (vanco is an L1). It gives very detailed information about drugs and absorption and precautions. I'd read it and perhaps show is to your doctor.
_________________
This too shall pass!

lnbrogden
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006

There is a really good website that has tons of info on breastfeeding. http://www.kellymom.com

NOTE: Several nursing mothers recommended contacting the La Leche Society.

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 Post subject: Pregnancy & C. diff.
We've had many pregnant women post with questions about which med. (Vanco. or Flagyl - also called Metronidazole) is best for the fetus.

One of our mods. gave me this info.:

PREGNANCY: Metronidazole is not used in early pregnancy because of potential adverse effects on the fetus.

NURSING MOTHERS: Metronidazole is excreted in breast milk. Nursing mothers, because of potential adverse effects on the newborn, should not use metronidazole

I believe Vanco is usually used for pregnant mothers. Check with your OB/GYN & your pharmacist.
Last edited by Bobbie on Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:23 am, edited 6 times in total.
Reason: updating

Bobbie
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Postby Bobbie » Mon May 07, 2007 2:54 pm

Erika posted this.
Elstonia,

I've been doing some more asking, and getting more answers. I emailed Frank Nice, (RPh DPA Director, Neurosciences Program National Institutes of Health) on the advice of a lactation consultant at the hospital where I gave birth.

He sent me this:
"Flagyl is OK to take while breastfeeding. Breatsfeeding mothers take it all the time and continue to breastfeed. I know of breastfeeding mothers over the past 15 years who have been taking this drug while breastfeeding without any problems. Infant adverse effects are pretty much non-existent. The main concern used to be that it might cause mutagenic affects in babies. This has never ocurred or be shown, and is no longer a concern. Pumping and dumping is not necessary. The benefits and continuing to breastfeed while on Flagyl far outweigh any known risks (none)."

At this point my hesitation is mostly because from what I've read, Flagyl secretes into breastmilk at a higher rate than other drugs (most drugs are 2-5%, and flagyl is 20%), and I'm not thrilled about my son (7 weeks old) having such a prolonged exposure to antibiotics, as I'm on my second round of Flagyl, and am going to be pulsing on and off of it, so I'll be taking it for over 2 months. Urgh.

As for Vanco, from what I understand, the reason it's L1 (safest) is because it's not systemic, and therefore isn't secreted at all in breastmilk, so it's fine to breastfeed on Vanco.

But I'm hoping more people post in this section. I'm curious to hear what information other people have been getting. Taking care of a newborn while battling C. Diff is just no fun....

Erika
Last edited by Bobbie on Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bobbie
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Re: Breast Feeding/ Pregnancy

Postby Bobbie » Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:48 am

nutmegchan contributed this information. Thx.

I just came across this post and wanted to add my experience. i was diagnosed with c diff when my daughter turned one month old. i was given cleocin in the hospital for a fever i had when i was in labor and i'm sure that's what triggered it. once i was diagnosed i was prescribed metronidazole but my mother, who is a pharmacist, told me not to take it because it is absorbed into the body and therefore excreted in breastmilk. she told me to ask for vancomycin because it is very poorly absorbed and therefore mainly stays in the digestive tract. i went through 4 rounds of vancomycin and breastfed during all of it. my daughter is almost 6 months now so i am only recently recovering but she seems to be doing just fine and has had no affects whatsoever of the vancomycin.

Bobbie
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Re: Breast Feeding/ Pregnancy

Postby Bobbie » Mon Jul 16, 2012 2:42 pm

Sent: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:51 pm
From: saraht
To: Bobbie

Hey Bobbie I was wondering if you could add under the breast feeding/ pregnancy my experience with having cdiff, and being on antibiotics during my pregnancy, and delivery. I was on Vanco 6 out of 9 months during my pregnancy as well as other antibiotics. I didn't see a lot of information on here about being on vanco while pregnant, and even though my Dr said it was ok I was still extremely worried about my daughters growth, and development. My daughter is now 3 months old, and is a healthy growing girl!! I also had to do 3 doses of IV Vanco due to my c-section and because I was positive for strep B. I also worried about having to take a IV antibiotic with having the c.diff I didn't want things to get worse, so they decided the IV Vanco was the best route to go to avoid making things worse. So if someone has c.diff, and they go into labor and need IV antibiotics don't be afraid to tell them they can only take something that won't make the infection worse!!

Bobbie
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Re: Breast Feeding/ Pregnancy

Postby Bobbie » Sat Mar 15, 2014 7:01 pm

Re: Dificid while breastfeeding

Postby Anne4 » Feb 27, 2014

Thanks for your responses. I posted my question on a baby forum also, and someone directed me to Dr Hale's website and infantrisk helpline. He is the leading physician in research on medications and pregnancy and breastfeeding. I called the helpline, and they said it's safe to breastfeed while dificid! I wish I could find a study to donate my milk to so there could be some research out there on it though, for other people. I'll google:).

Here is the infantrisk helpline number in case someone in the future stumbles across this post and wants to check on this or another prescription themselves (806) 352-2519
Last edited by Bobbie on Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: updating

Bobbie
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Re: Breast Feeding/ Pregnancy

Postby Bobbie » Sat Dec 06, 2014 4:38 pm

Roy donated this info.

Click on the link
Scroll down to contraindications
Read about pregnant women and breast feeding

http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=45139

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN FLAGYL IF YOUR BREAST FEEDING!!!!!!!!! Flagyl crosses to breast milk but vanco does not.

Bobbie
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Pregnancy

Postby Bobbie » Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:19 am

Posted by au1980

Hi all, just wanted to provide an update. I did a lot of my own research and found out that Vanco was an acceptable drug to use during delivery for the group b strep. The doctor that delivered my daughter was understanding and had no issue ordering the Vanco for me instead of penicillin.

I gave birth to my daughter Quinn Katherine on October 31, she was 7lbs, 12oz and is now a happy and healthy 3.5 month old. I had cdiff during my last pregnancy so this one was much more enjoyable!

Thanks to all for the continued support. Wishing you wellness!


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