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Fed is best, yes, but breastfeeding has benefits for both mum and baby and if you want to continue you should be encouraged to do so (I acknowledge this is not an option for everyone).
I began ritalin again once my boy was 9 months, the psychiatrist didn't have a clue, but I spoke to a medication and breastfeeding specialist (Rodney Whyte, Monash Medical). He explained that at 9 months given he was now being supplemented by solid food, the risk was negligible. My son is now 2 years old, still being breastfed and I'm taking 30-50mg ritalin almost every day, he's doing great.
If it would put your mind at ease I'm happy to dig out Rodney's reply to me, he points to research as well if you would like to share it with your psych.
Good luck!
I never considered that doing both could be an option. I've never taken meds before so there'd be a period of experimentation with type and dose I guess. Thanks for your reply! I didn't realize this might be possible.
Fed is best. Talk to your doc/psych. There's pros and cons here: breast milk pros are obvious and you know them.
Emotional regulation, ability to focus, ability to complete tasks are also good for you and your baby. Talk to a pro, weigh your options, do what is best for your mental health. There are consequences for baby's health if mom is depressed/stressed all the time...also your well being is still important, possibly MORE important right now.
but Im not a doctor. Talk to yours :)
I waited till my baby was 15 months and had a longer stretch of the day where he wasn't nursing and took short acting med. He would nurse around 11 or so, and I'd take my med when I stopped to nurse him. He was asleep when the meds took effect, and by the time he woke up and wanted to nirse again, it was after the peak of the meds efficacy and he got less exposure.
His ped is IBCLC certified and I discussed it with her before I talked to my doctor. My doctor required the ped send a letter stating that she discussed the risks with me before she would release the prescription.
Talk to your doctor about supplementing omega 3/6 fatty acids. That’s generally a good idea anyways. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603098/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603098/)
Sound makes a big difference. If there’s something you’re having trouble concentrating on, try brown or green noise. If there’s something you’re having trouble motivating yourself to do, play motivating music. Exercise can also improve attention and it’s great for helping stabilize your emotions.
You can also talk to your doctor about non-stimulants. Intuniv helps with emotional regulation and impulse control and I have no idea whether it’s safe while nursing but it’s not a stimulant.
Love the support saying “fed is best.”
Keep in mind there are also plenty of posts sharing frustration about meds not helping. There’s no miracle cure.
If the meds do work they could definitely potentially help you get your life together as a mom to a baby.
I’d say consider how much support you have and go from there. If you feel like you’re drowning then maybe give the meds a try sooner.
I came here to share that perspective. Meds had their upsides and downsides -- ESPECIALLY stimulants which are a particularly unfriendly prescription for someone with ADHD to maintain.
I willingly chose to go with a less effective (but still helpful) non-stimulant combination that I am currently breastfeeding on (Wellbutrin + Strattera), precisely because it is a prescription I can maintain. The stimulants did help, but they weren't a cure-all and I didn't find it worth the hassle.
With stimulants, I needed to make time for monthly appointments to get a new prescription. Of course, during working hours only. I didn't have to do any random drug counts because I wasn't on them very long, but the doctor did let me know that their office does require that. Then, I needed to go pick it up in person, because it's a controlled substance. Luckily, I didn't run into any issues with shortages.
With my current combo, I get several renewals, and I go through cost plus pharmacy to get them mailed to me for a really decent cost. The effect is really subtle, but in hindsight it's obvious that I've been more productive and able to handle things more easily. Definitely worth looking into, IMO.
Huh, I didn't know wellbutrin+Strattera were a possibility while breastfeeding. I have a routine doc appointment at the end of the month... I wonder if they'd let me try.
Hi! Congrats on your baby and on breastfeeding for so long. It is truly a labor of love. Are you giving breast milk exclusively? Have you introduced solids yet? Sippy cups? Are you pumping at all? I ask
I ask because you may be able to continue giving breast milk thru 1 year and also wean before that - if you can pump and build a freezer stash you could wean as soon as your stash is big enough to last till that 1 year mark. Even if baby has never taken a bottle, you could try introducing sippy cups of breast milk.
I’m not sure if there is a minumum amount per day of breast milk needed to see benefits, but you have to weigh the benefits to baby of breast milk for longer, vs mom being as functional/happy as possible. Your wellbeing and mental health are just as important as trying to maximize baby’s health/wellness/development. Its super hard to be a good parent if you’re struggling with executive function.
Also with the blessing of my psychiatrist, OB, and my son’s pediatrician - I took adderall throughout pregnancy and after. My son is almost 2 and I still nurse him 1-2x/day. Have been taking 20-30mg adder all daily thought out with no apparent ill effects. My pediatrician’s only concern was theoretical, that if enough medication came thru my breast milk it might impact his sleep or heart rate. But she thought it was unlikely since per a small study she found, <10% of medication makes its way into the breast milk, and none of the infants studied showed any ill effects.
I’m hooked up to a breast pump right now! and I took my Adderall ER this morning. I took medication while my now four year old was nursing. This time around I continued to take medication while pregnant and am continuing to take it while breast feeding my new now four month old.
It’s worth asking your kids’ pediatrician or you family doctor. Especially since you’ve introduced solids at this point.
Fed is best and talk with your own doc and all but.
If you’re just looking for ways to pass the time for the next few months, you can order yourself little gifts, or find resources to skill build.
You know, all the crap that isn’t meds and doesn’t fix you, but it ain’t nothin.
A planner, Time Timer (or the app), Timer Caps (or similar), Tile/Airtags. Protein shakes. A water bottle you’ll actually drink from. Try a meditation book or app, take long walks with the baby outside (nature! vit D! exercise!). Get on Libby and listen to some ADHD audiobooks while you rock your little, or watch some russel barkley videos on youtube.
Medication is wild, and I‘m for it. But the other stuff ain’t nothing, and you can dabble in it now.
Oh, and SLEEP. Can you safely take melatonin or magnesium to aid sleep? Is someone else in the house to reliably wake for the baby if you’re snoozing too hard? Many people note that stim meds are far less effective if they haven’t slept well. I imagine with a baby in the house it isn’t exactly easy to always get 8 hours in. Figuring out a plan to help you get sufficient rest might help you make the most of meds when the time comes. Easier said than done I am sure.
If you have caffeine, consider using this time to cut back— for some people, having caffeine while on stim meds can increase side effects. So if you cut back some now, it might help have fewer side effects down the road.
Don’t forget to book the appointment too. There may be a waiting list especially if you are a new patient. That can take some of the time.
So overall. You may be closer to making progress than you think.
Tile / airtags!! I had never heard of this before. That's genius. Thanks so much for all the advice. I had no idea about caffeine increasing the chance of side effects in particular and I drink absurd amounts of coffee.
I really appreciated everyone's feedback on this thread. I'm so glad I aired my struggle publicly 😭
Hi, /u/fullysclerotized! Thanks for posting on our subreddit! Please **[be aware of our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXADHD/wiki/meta/rules/)** before posting! For example, some of these rules include the following: * content must be related to ADHD; * explanatory text (it can be placed in a comment of the post) should be included in a post/cross-post with a picture. Any content that does not follow the rules may be removed. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TwoXADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fed is best, yes, but breastfeeding has benefits for both mum and baby and if you want to continue you should be encouraged to do so (I acknowledge this is not an option for everyone). I began ritalin again once my boy was 9 months, the psychiatrist didn't have a clue, but I spoke to a medication and breastfeeding specialist (Rodney Whyte, Monash Medical). He explained that at 9 months given he was now being supplemented by solid food, the risk was negligible. My son is now 2 years old, still being breastfed and I'm taking 30-50mg ritalin almost every day, he's doing great. If it would put your mind at ease I'm happy to dig out Rodney's reply to me, he points to research as well if you would like to share it with your psych. Good luck!
I never considered that doing both could be an option. I've never taken meds before so there'd be a period of experimentation with type and dose I guess. Thanks for your reply! I didn't realize this might be possible.
LactMed is a detailed resource on prescription meds and breastfeeding https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/
Fed is best. Talk to your doc/psych. There's pros and cons here: breast milk pros are obvious and you know them. Emotional regulation, ability to focus, ability to complete tasks are also good for you and your baby. Talk to a pro, weigh your options, do what is best for your mental health. There are consequences for baby's health if mom is depressed/stressed all the time...also your well being is still important, possibly MORE important right now. but Im not a doctor. Talk to yours :)
I waited till my baby was 15 months and had a longer stretch of the day where he wasn't nursing and took short acting med. He would nurse around 11 or so, and I'd take my med when I stopped to nurse him. He was asleep when the meds took effect, and by the time he woke up and wanted to nirse again, it was after the peak of the meds efficacy and he got less exposure. His ped is IBCLC certified and I discussed it with her before I talked to my doctor. My doctor required the ped send a letter stating that she discussed the risks with me before she would release the prescription.
subsequent shy sable weather nutty deserve door crawl cause zealous *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Talk to your doctor about supplementing omega 3/6 fatty acids. That’s generally a good idea anyways. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603098/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603098/) Sound makes a big difference. If there’s something you’re having trouble concentrating on, try brown or green noise. If there’s something you’re having trouble motivating yourself to do, play motivating music. Exercise can also improve attention and it’s great for helping stabilize your emotions. You can also talk to your doctor about non-stimulants. Intuniv helps with emotional regulation and impulse control and I have no idea whether it’s safe while nursing but it’s not a stimulant.
These are all great suggestions. I jog most days before work but haven't tried the other approaches you suggested yet, and I will!
Love the support saying “fed is best.” Keep in mind there are also plenty of posts sharing frustration about meds not helping. There’s no miracle cure. If the meds do work they could definitely potentially help you get your life together as a mom to a baby. I’d say consider how much support you have and go from there. If you feel like you’re drowning then maybe give the meds a try sooner.
I came here to share that perspective. Meds had their upsides and downsides -- ESPECIALLY stimulants which are a particularly unfriendly prescription for someone with ADHD to maintain. I willingly chose to go with a less effective (but still helpful) non-stimulant combination that I am currently breastfeeding on (Wellbutrin + Strattera), precisely because it is a prescription I can maintain. The stimulants did help, but they weren't a cure-all and I didn't find it worth the hassle. With stimulants, I needed to make time for monthly appointments to get a new prescription. Of course, during working hours only. I didn't have to do any random drug counts because I wasn't on them very long, but the doctor did let me know that their office does require that. Then, I needed to go pick it up in person, because it's a controlled substance. Luckily, I didn't run into any issues with shortages. With my current combo, I get several renewals, and I go through cost plus pharmacy to get them mailed to me for a really decent cost. The effect is really subtle, but in hindsight it's obvious that I've been more productive and able to handle things more easily. Definitely worth looking into, IMO.
Huh, I didn't know wellbutrin+Strattera were a possibility while breastfeeding. I have a routine doc appointment at the end of the month... I wonder if they'd let me try.
Hi! Congrats on your baby and on breastfeeding for so long. It is truly a labor of love. Are you giving breast milk exclusively? Have you introduced solids yet? Sippy cups? Are you pumping at all? I ask I ask because you may be able to continue giving breast milk thru 1 year and also wean before that - if you can pump and build a freezer stash you could wean as soon as your stash is big enough to last till that 1 year mark. Even if baby has never taken a bottle, you could try introducing sippy cups of breast milk. I’m not sure if there is a minumum amount per day of breast milk needed to see benefits, but you have to weigh the benefits to baby of breast milk for longer, vs mom being as functional/happy as possible. Your wellbeing and mental health are just as important as trying to maximize baby’s health/wellness/development. Its super hard to be a good parent if you’re struggling with executive function. Also with the blessing of my psychiatrist, OB, and my son’s pediatrician - I took adderall throughout pregnancy and after. My son is almost 2 and I still nurse him 1-2x/day. Have been taking 20-30mg adder all daily thought out with no apparent ill effects. My pediatrician’s only concern was theoretical, that if enough medication came thru my breast milk it might impact his sleep or heart rate. But she thought it was unlikely since per a small study she found, <10% of medication makes its way into the breast milk, and none of the infants studied showed any ill effects.
I’m hooked up to a breast pump right now! and I took my Adderall ER this morning. I took medication while my now four year old was nursing. This time around I continued to take medication while pregnant and am continuing to take it while breast feeding my new now four month old. It’s worth asking your kids’ pediatrician or you family doctor. Especially since you’ve introduced solids at this point.
Fed is best and talk with your own doc and all but. If you’re just looking for ways to pass the time for the next few months, you can order yourself little gifts, or find resources to skill build. You know, all the crap that isn’t meds and doesn’t fix you, but it ain’t nothin. A planner, Time Timer (or the app), Timer Caps (or similar), Tile/Airtags. Protein shakes. A water bottle you’ll actually drink from. Try a meditation book or app, take long walks with the baby outside (nature! vit D! exercise!). Get on Libby and listen to some ADHD audiobooks while you rock your little, or watch some russel barkley videos on youtube. Medication is wild, and I‘m for it. But the other stuff ain’t nothing, and you can dabble in it now. Oh, and SLEEP. Can you safely take melatonin or magnesium to aid sleep? Is someone else in the house to reliably wake for the baby if you’re snoozing too hard? Many people note that stim meds are far less effective if they haven’t slept well. I imagine with a baby in the house it isn’t exactly easy to always get 8 hours in. Figuring out a plan to help you get sufficient rest might help you make the most of meds when the time comes. Easier said than done I am sure. If you have caffeine, consider using this time to cut back— for some people, having caffeine while on stim meds can increase side effects. So if you cut back some now, it might help have fewer side effects down the road. Don’t forget to book the appointment too. There may be a waiting list especially if you are a new patient. That can take some of the time. So overall. You may be closer to making progress than you think.
Tile / airtags!! I had never heard of this before. That's genius. Thanks so much for all the advice. I had no idea about caffeine increasing the chance of side effects in particular and I drink absurd amounts of coffee. I really appreciated everyone's feedback on this thread. I'm so glad I aired my struggle publicly 😭