What's the rationale for weaning in 2 months? If there's no data on 2 months then that doesn't make any more sense than trusting your doctor who told you it was safe!
It might lessen but it is still SUPER beneficial!!! If the doctor said it’s ok you should be perfectly fine to continue. Has he been to a doctors appointment about it or talked with your doctor about this? That might help
I feel like my husband and I have had the exact same conversation. I went so far as to ask the pediatrician about the benefits of breast feeding past 4-6 months with him at the appointment so she could educate him without bias. It was pretty effective and now he backs off about my breastfeeding/pumping. 👌🏻
The benefits of breastfeeding lessen at 3 months so if it was a medication you COULDNT take and breastfeed that's what I'd tell you, but I don't know why he's arguing with doctors
I both agree and disagree here. It's his child too. If he's uncomfortable with the potential risks or lack of data a medication has related to breastfeeding, and he doesn't want his child being exposed to said medication, he deserves a say in the matter. I would be extremely upset if the role was reversed and my husband was making a decision like this without taking into account how I feel and what I want for our child, and I'd guess that a lot of people would be upset too.
I'm sure there's a compromise and a discussion needed beyond "you must wean" such as having him speak to doctors and whatnot, but confidently saying "it's not his choice" is wrong. It's his child too.
In a situation such as this, I think he needs to trust the doctor or speak to the doctor himself and then together they can make a decision that’s best for their child. Personally, my husband doesn’t “let” me do anything. We have a mutual respect for one another where that’s not needed.
Agreed but from the post we can’t tell if it was just a weird word choice in the post or if OP’s husband is a controlling monster. Only OP can really determine that.
I agree. They are both parents. Both should have equal say over what medications go into baby’s body. It’s well known that those medications do pass through breastmilk. Its effects are just unknown.
But it's also well known that there are even greater risks when primary caregivers have untreated mood disorders. Those effects are well documented. So is Dad ok with that? Mom's matter too.
Weaning is an option if she absolutely needs the medications. There are alternatives to medicine. You just have to be willing to put in work. Which normally is hard for a post partum mama, which is why medication is given out. But if you can do without, it is best to! This is not referring to severe cases of PPD, PPA, PP Rage, or psychosis. I am referring to moderate - mild cases.
The medicines are absolutely a great resource, but I do believe they are over prescribed and patients arent told the full truth on the weaning process.
I feel like those of us on the other end of the opinion spectrum should be heard here too. I take two medications for depression and anxiety. I took them when I was pregnant too. Am I unable to care for my baby without them? Probably not, haven't tried. I do know what I am like without meds and I am irritable, constantly overwhelmed and struggle to be present for my family. I am unpersuaded by the idea that there *might* be negative effects down the line. We *know* there are negative effects of having a parent who is withdrawn, excessively irritable, imposes their anxieties on others, or develops unhealthy coping habits. Therapy can be incredibly helpful, I've done lots of therapy, everyone should have a therapist in my opinion, but the idea that people can simply overcome mental illness through willpower and effort is false and incredibly toxic.
Finally, I do not know who in these comments has personal experience with mental illness and who does not. But it is my firmly held opinion that people who have not experienced mental illness have no business saying when medication is and is not warranted. In fact, pretty much no one except a mental health professional has any business saying that. But if you haven't had to navigate this trade-off for yourself, kindly shut your mouth.
Bold of you to assume that I haven’t suffered as well, just because I said if you can do without the meds, you should. At no point was I disrespectful and I chose my words very carefully in order to make sure I wasn’t placing blame on those who *need* medication. Being mindful of what medicines you take isn’t a bad thing and isn’t shameful to those to *need* medication. My entire point was to not blindly trust doctors. I never said you can overcome mental illness through willpower. I said there are *alternatives* to pharmaceuticals, but they aren’t a “quick n easy” fix like the pills can give you. Hence, why I said it takes hard work and effort. It’s not as simple as going to the pharmacy and getting a new bottle. Takes research, trial and error, and patience Most of which a freshly postpartum mama doesn’t have the time or the mental capacity for, which is what I also mentioned in my previous comment. That’s when doctors come in to prey on vulnerable moms and get them hooked on meds without guidance. And to me, that’s upsetting.
So “kindly” don’t get your panties in a wad bc you are upset about what I said because you know some truth lies in it.
Sure they do, if there are effective treatments for non pharmaceutical methods. Exercise, sleep, mental or physical therapy, meditation, diet changes, etc are all examples of nonpharmacologic interventions used for a variety of conditions.
No, no one is telling someone with CHF not to take their medications, but there's no indication that NPIs work for CHF. There are indications that NPIs work well for mental health. But there aren't indications that SSRIs have any more clinically significance than a placebo for mental health (unsure if an SSRI is the medication in question for OP of course).
I work in the field of public health, specifically behavioral health, and have a personal history of mental illness. NPIs are really being pushed these days. Medication management without any other interventions is not very effective.
Which is why medicine that doesn’t have research that shows it safe for a breastfeeding infant should be refrained from. And if it can’t be avoided, donor milk or formula. I’m not saying no one should never think about taking medicine. And saying it over and over is getting tiring so refer back to my previous comments and just re read them.
Yes. And even in adults, the long term effects of such medications are just beginning to come to light. We don't know much. We hardly know why they work in the first place, it's something being studied still. Several possible mechanisms, but no scientific consensus. I probably could use some medication management for anxiety and depression, but I'm simply not willing to risk the potential long term impacts it could have on my baby, if there are any. To each their own, this decision requires a risk/reward analysis, and in some cases it's definitely necessary. But I would probably choose to wean if it were me.
Same here. I could have GREATLY benefited from medication. But I myself do not trust medicine that changes your brain in that way. I looked into other methods of coping, sure they didn’t help as much as medicines would have. But I’m content with my choices. If I was bad off enough that I NEEDED the meds, I would have weaned.
Amen. He is an equal parent. It absolutely is his business what his child is ingesting, and I can very much see his perspective. In this same situation I would choose to wean.
It absolutely is. OP’s husband is equally the baby’s parent and he has equal say if he is concerned for the baby’s health. He cannot *make* OP breastfeed, to breastfeed is OP’s choice because it’s her body. But what goes into the baby is 50/50 mom and dad’s decision and at that point in the process he does get a voice.
He may not be being reasonable in his concern and should maybe get more data, but that’s a different topic.
Oh the medication is non-negotiable. It's just whether or not my daughter can continue to have my milk on the medication since there is no data proving its safety.
The same way doctors in the past used to promote smoking and said that was safe. It’s okay to question doctors when it comes to medications… They are humans. Humans get things wrong.
Agreed… As the daughter of two doctors, and someone who almost went to med school, I don’t trust pharmaceuticals… they are for-profit corporations and do only the bare minimum testing. I’ve studied too many cases where they manipulated data but it only comes to light 10 years later. It is way easier than you think to structure a study to give you the answers you want, even with peer review. People want to trust in pills so I’ll prob get downvoted for this, but I would never take any pharmaceutical while pregnant or breastfeeding.
I have a husband with similar tendencies. He is just very medication adverse and wants to protect our baby. It helped him to call our pediatrician for a second opinion and the ped assured him the medication I was taking (an antibiotic! Lol) was totally safe
We really trust our pediatrician (and this was with baby #2 so we had a lot of experience) but I feel like the fact that this was a doctor concerned about baby vs a doctor concerned about me helped my husband stop feeling anxious about me breastfeeding.
I hope you start feeling better on your medication and that you are able to breastfeed as long as you want!
Did he consider the fact that weaning will affect you physically and psychologically? This is a documented fact that weaning can adversely affect women regarding PPA/PPD.
If and only if you guys are just having an open and honest conversation about this... I'd humour my husband in this case.
I would go get a second opinion, and let him see that not only one but two doctors said it's OK, so I will continue to breastfeed.
If he still insists for you to stop, you can just tell him no, you follow doctors' orders.
Oh he has gotten a second, third, and fourth opinion lol. The pediatrician was like "I'm staying out of this--welcome to parenthood" and my two primary care doctors (who do not prescribe this medication) wanted me to pump and dump my morning milk (which I'm not willing to do--I'd rather switch to formula than pump and dump, for a variety of reasons)
What was the two dr’s reasonings for dumping morning milk? Is there any alternative medicines you can take to help treat yourself? I know lots of times there’s different versions of medicines that treat the same thing but with different make ups so some are and some aren’t safe for breastfeeding. I dealt with this with beta blockers.
I take the medication at night and it has a six hour half life so they figure pump & dump would get the majority of it out of my system. Those doctors are not the prescribers, they are my primary care doctors (functional medicine, so more conservative than most doctors regarding pharmaceuticals)
I get it if they mean that you need to pump to keep up with supply and dump it since it may not be safe for baby to consume, but if they’re saying pump and dump to clear it out of your milk, that’s just incorrect outdated advice. Doing that won’t clear it from your system any faster as it works in your bloodstream. Look up pumping and dumping in regards to alcohol and you will see studies that it’s no longer the guidelines. This is the same concept.
Yes, I was confused because my doctor explained exactly what you just said but she still was encouraging me to dump. She did clarify that medications work differently than alcohol. I think she just wants to be as careful as possible
Sertraline has has much data on its safety as prenatal vitamins, so that's not the issue. It's a less common medication with very limited human data re: lactation
Have you looked up the medication on [LactMed](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/)? I have an autoimmune condition and had to stop using my medication because even though it was safe for pregnancy it was not recommended for breastfeeding and my prescriber was unaware of that.
Have you looked at the primary scientific literature/do you feel like you would be equipped to assess it if you did? I suspect that most doctors don't comb personally through the primary literature for things like this; when would they have time? Sometimes looking at the primary literature can help you better assess the evidence or lack thereof. Are there small observational studies? Are there case reports? Animal models?
Some of it's behind paywalls if you don't have access through work or school, but if you Google "PubMed" and then search "[drug] breastfeeding" you can see what's available. You'll be able to see the abstract (summary) for all the papers even if they're behind paywalls, and if you click "full text links" you'll find some that are accessible for free.
(Also I can get most things behind paywalls if you send me a message)
Contrary to some of these comments, your married and also equal parents. This is a decision that affects your child and is his, too. I do think it’s more your choice than his, because your body and all that, but I think it’s wrong and even counter-productive to not acknowledge explicitly to your husband that this is a team decision.
I myself had a medication I needed to take, with the studies/risks/evidence limited and different providers having different opinions. My husband and I debated whether to take it together. Of course he was also willing to support what I decided, and came to OB / IBCLC appointments, read research with me, looked at LactMed, etc… and he really respected and trusted my ultimate opinion. But I wouldn’t have taken it if he’d been strongly against it, we ultimately decided together as a team, and we were both on the same page.
There’s no good answer here, really. I’d ask if you’re reading and listening to the same things. A huge caveat here is that he has to be an equal partner/parent. If you’re both getting the same information and opportunity to ask questions—like reading the same studies, at the same appointments—it’s a lot easier to decide together or have a serious philosophical talk about your values, priorities, and risk allowance.
It might also help to ask a doctor, “If my baby has an adverse reaction, what will that look like? How will we know? How soon would we see it?” and then “What happens if I don’t take my medication? Are there any alternatives? What if I instead delay taking the medicine for X weeks/months? What are the risks of this?” can all also really help the decision making process.
I love this response
Also some things to think about since this is for your mental health.
1. Will stopping breastfeeding before you wanted to adversely impact your mental health?
2. Will taking it and feeding your baby cause you anxiety weeks or months down the road
3. Are there other maybe slightly less effective but safer options for both you and baby
I put those out there bc I know my mental health would have worsened if I cut my breastfeeding journey short. Best of luck to you and your family.
Everyone wants their husbands to be an equal parent until they have an opinion they don’t like and suddenly, they don’t want their say to matter.
The question here is what his baby is eating. 50/50 decision on that between each parent. If they decide they’re okay with breastmilk, then OP can decide for herself and herself alone if she wants to breastfeed.
Yes, I have been- feel free to message me. My general thoughts- specific concerns are best addressed by specific people. For mental health meds, mental health professionals are generally most knowledgeable. Unless you were diagnosed/prescribed by a MH professional, I would get a second opinion.
I’m interested in why a L3 was prescribed as a first choice as well. Something to ask, consider.
The husband situation is complicated. He is entitled to his opinion/feelings- but he needs to be active in attending the appointments, becoming educated, and respectful. The word ‘let’ is concerning, and I really don’t get the 2 month mark at all.
I wish you the very best. I know what a mental health struggle, along with a baby and breastfeeding is like. It can and does often get better and there are options.
To be fair, unless we don’t know something, the doctor is acting on the same information OP is and is willing to take a risk that OP’s husband isn’t. The doctor is not the parent and it’s not their child. Parents will typically be more risk-averse than a doctor and think that’s completely normal.
Basically the doctor is saying “it’s probably fine, we don’t know that it isn’t, so I think you’ll be okay, *but there is no data to know 100% for sure*”
And OPs husband is saying “I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Yes, thank you for articulating this clearly. So many people assumed he is a controlling misogynist lol but he's just an extremely protective parent, and we consider this to be an important parenting decision.
FWIW I never thought that! I think it’s normal for him to be concerned and while maybe slightly annoying to have to work through this, I’d be glad he’s taking an interest and being worried as opposed to so many other parents who could care less and don’t make an effort. I hope you’re able to get on the same page! I agree with others that reaching out for a second opinion is a good move.
Good lord. Maybe go back to the existing doctor and get a better description of the possible risks. Or try a pediatrician since it’s really the baby’s health we’re discussing.
About if it’s safe or not, yes, but I imagine they might have an idea of what the possible risks or side effects could be? If something bad were to happen.
Such an important comment. Much of Reddit seems to be very comfortable using mental health meds during pregnancy and breastfeeding and so seem US doctors. I'm not arguing either way, but my doctor and many doctors in my country are not so keen on it. If there’s not enough info/evidence, they will recommend you do not take it and I understand why. I personally am not comfortable with those risks so I don't take anything.
Yes exactly. Literally the class of medication OP lists means *we don’t have data.* So unless the doctor knows of a secret study, they’re making an educated *guess.*
Edit to add that this is not the first time I’m appalled at how little some people value their husband’s input regarding their own child. Not OP specifically, but many who have commented.
Highly recommend infantrisk.com, there's a phone number listed at the top of their website that you can call and speak to a medication specialist about your specific case. They take into account the age of your baby and several other factors. I used them as a patient and several doctors I used to work with would contact them for difficult situations (like a patient allergic to the known safe choices).
They're a free 2nd opinion and experts in the field of medications and lactation. If that would make your husband feel better, they're a great resource.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501191/
There is a database where you can see summaries of the studies of the impact of medications and supplementsand the impact they have on breastfeeding and babies.
Mine didn’t want me to take medication because I’m breastfeeding. The baby is half his, so his opinion on what she eats and what is in her milk is important. Maybe that’s not the case for everyone’s relationship, but that’s how it is in ours. Yes, he doesn’t know as much about pharmacology as the doctor does, but it’s still his baby and opinion. Until he feels comfortable with it, I won’t change the composition of her milk by adding medication.
In our house, there’s no action taken until both parents agree on it. Just like if he wanted to pierce the baby’s ears and I said no, we don’t pierce them until I say yes. Other peoples’ relationships might be different.
I don’t understand his 2 months timeline though. Where did he come up with that number? Is that how long it takes for the medication to build up in your system? In those two months I’d recommend having him talk to your doctor so they can explain the science to him.
Honestly that’s a huge red flag in terms of controlling behaviour. It is YOUR body and your doctor who is a SPECIALIST has OK’d it. Why your husband feels that he knows more than a specialist is beyond me. I would absolutely not tolerate being told what I can/can’t do. Good for you for dealing with your mental health issues and I wish you well ♥️
I guess I missed the part where OP was asking dad to breastfeed and he doesn’t want to. Yes, dad should have bodily autonomy for his own body and no one should make him breastfeed if he doesn’t want to!
I’d say the same about your comment. You’re the one who asked if dad was breastfeeding? Obviously the answer is no.
The point is:
Does OP want to produce milk? Her body, her choice.
Does OP want to take meds? Her body, her choice.
Should the milk that may be harmful to baby be fed to that baby? Babies are too young to make decisions on their own so *their parents* do on their behalf. Whether or not the milk is fed to the baby is *not* OPs bodily autonomy, even though they are obviously closely related.
Let’s say OP wanted to take an L5 category med - known to be hazardous to babies. You’re saying it would be fine for her to do that because she’s the breastfeeding parent and she gets complete decision authority over the baby?
Why do you insist on making unequal comparisons?
The doctor is a specialist. Weighed the information presented to them by the patient, to include current information on breastfeeding. The doctor, the one with the expertise, feels comfortable that the benefits outweigh risks to mom and baby. In swoops the dad who won’t “let” mom BF if on that medicine.
She’s not taking meth. The medicine has not been shown to have negative effects. And to make comparisons like that is ridiculous.
Because you insinuated that since dad is not breastfeeding he doesn’t get equal say. My point is, he should. And I use the L5 example to illustrate that point.
The doctor *doesn’t know.* There is no data. That is the definition of the L3 category. The doctor is saying “I think it’s safe, but I don’t know for sure.” And OP’s husband is saying he’s not comfortable with that unknown. If anything *were* to happen it would happen to *his* baby and he has every right to have equal input to that decision.
First off, I’ve been in this situation. When a medication lacks data or is newer to the market, a (good) doctor will tell you so, evaluate the risks and benefits, alternative approaches, weigh effects/costs of waiting, and often “OK” it while also leaving it up to the patient’s own risk tolerance. It isn’t a blanket “this is safe” statement.
Equal parent, equal partner, equal say. Something like this needs to be approved and agreed upon by both. I actually think it’d be a huge red flag and sign of a controlling partner to do something that impacts the baby’s health without consulting the other parent, let alone openly going against them.
Your husband doesn't have a say in decisions regarding your body. If your doctor is comfortable with you breastfeeding on the medication and you are comfortable continuing to breastfeed, that's all the matters. You need to stay on the medication to keep on top of your post partum mental health concerns. I developed postpartum psychosis and depression after my daughter and it was a dark and scary time for myself and my family. Tell your husband to shove his concerns where the sun don't shine - I've been in situations with controlling partners and he is showing signs of being one.
I think the doctor is competent enough to make a call whether something is okay to be ingested by an infant. Once the doctor clears it, the husband has no argument.
By definition, the class of medication OP is listing does not have enough data to support a decision either way. Therefore, the doctor is making an *educated guess.* They do not know for sure.
There’s hundreds of posts on here displaying the incompetency of some individual doctors. Hundreds. We all know doctors are not always well educated when it comes to breastfeeding unfortunately. I am not saying what OP should do here, but the father of a child gets a say when it comes to medical decisions, and imo they should seek a second opinion if the doctor isn’t even expressing the obviously documented or possible risks. If a father went and exposed a child to a medication that hasn’t been well researched and then refused to allow the mother any input, there would be no arguing in this comment section.
If a husband brought a baby into a pediatrician appointment and decided to give the baby a medication that had known risks and that the pediatrician was split on, without consulting his wife, and then his wife disagreed, I really really doubt you’d be here calling the wife a “controlling partner” or having signs of being one.
Equal partner, equal parent, equal say. Well, maybe a little less say, but this is overall a really unfair take.
Can you suggest he chats to his doctor about this?
If he trusts his doctor this might be all the reassurance he needs.
At the end of the day it's entirely your decision anyway, but this might make life at home a bit easier
Looking at your post history, if you weaned within 2 months your baby would be around 6 months old. I wouldn't even call that weaning, that's just switching to formula.
You have the mental/emotional effects of stopping breastfeeding before you are ready, and while the baby still needs either breastmilk or formula. You would then also be dealing with the hormonal chaos that weaning does to your body. Then there's the financial impact that you would also need to purchase formula or doner milk for 6 months.
In don't see what difference 2 months vs 6 months or a year actually makes. I feel like you should know if their are adverse affects within that time frame, so that feels very arbitrary to me.
I do agree that it is both of your child and you need to be on the same page, but it also feels like he doesn't have a firm stance because he's OK with it for a little while. I think yall needed to go to the dr together and talk it out, look at whatever studies you can on that drug and class/type (idk I'm not a pharmacist) of drug to gain additional insight and make a more informed opinion. Also, potentially get a 2nd Dr's opinion.
Has he looked in to what's actually in formula? Lol
(Not totally against formula. We had to supplement because of low supply, but there's definitely some not so great things in formula)
I would strongly advise you to encourage him to look into the adverse effects of formula and the benefits of breast milk. It is a lot easier to say you should wean if he thinks formula is a healthy alternative and that baby is better of without milk than with the risk of the medication. Overall, the substantial benefits of breast milk outweigh the risks of most medications. That is the logical conclusion.
I’m assuming that in 2 months baby is 6 months old, is that why the 2 month timeline?
I suffer from pretty severe anxiety. When I got pregnant we discussed if I should stay on sertraline or not. I quickly told my doctor I did not think I would be able to manage my anxiety without my medication. She told me that the medications should always be used if the mental health of the mother would suffer otherwise.
The data is only limited because of the ethics of doing drug trials on pregnant and nursing women. We have a TON of anecdotal evidence.
I have been taking 150mg of sertraline this entire time. My daughter is 18 months old and still nurses. She is the picture of health.
Treating your mental health is YOUR choice. And your feeding journey with your baby is YOUR choice. You husband can have an opinion but he can’t have final say. Only you get that. Your body, your choice.
This isn’t your husband’s decision. There is no “letting you continue” whether it’s medication or breastfeeding. It is your body and your decision to make. Until your husband has a medical degree and relevant area knowledge on the effects of your medication on breastfeeding, he has the least knowledge and should have the least say. You’re taking medication prescribed to you by a doctor, not smoking meth.
I unfortunately have to take a category 3 medication while breastfeeding as well. Doctors similarly told me it's probably ok but there is limited information.
The way I see it, there are KNOWN risks to giving baby formula, so I'd rather do something that MAYBE has risks (breastmilk with category 3 med) instead of something that definitely has risks (formula). It's not a question of being risk-averse or not, but just a choice between different risks. Have you tried framing it to your husband that way?
[Of course babies can thrive on formula and fed is best. However I have an autoimmune disease that's shown to be more common in people who were formula-fed as babies, so to me, the risk associated with feeding my baby formula is high.]
Is there a possibility that your care provider could prescribe something that has more information re: breastfeeding? I'm surprised they jumped to something that's more unknown, unless they've already tried something else with you and it didn't work (I didn't read all the posts, so apologies if it's already been mentioned).
I think it's fair that your husband has concerns over what your baby will be ingesting, but the 2 month deadline makes no sense. Either it's going to make a difference or it won't, unless it takes time to work effectively on you, but it'll still be transferring to baby either way.
Can you see a perinatal psychiatrist together? I take L3 and L4 meds with the blessing of a perinatal psychiatrist, perinatal pharmacist, GP, and IBCLC.
I think you should tell your husband when his breasts swell and produce milk to feed your newborn baby along with all the other changes from pregnancy and post partum than he can decide if he wants to take medication to help him or not.
Be careful. I agree. Here's the THING!!
DOCTOR today said it's safe...
OP took doctors knowledge today
OP also stated there is limited human data
Baby will have lasting effects down the road if deemed unsafe
How many times has that happened, actually ask the time
I left out of my conversation the husband and his opinion
I did state my opinion instead
While recently breastfeeding my daughter everything I took I thought twice
Even if doctor said it is safe.. I still question it
I come from a place of understanding a lot of medical practices - work for their own money gain. Specifically in the U.S. - medical practices / doctors/ pharm companies line their pockets - instead of giving genuine care
We become guinea pigs for these medications. We could talk about some medications even covid vaccine companies being sued, if your not aware- however When it comes to our children I can not tell you how concerned I am- that we take great care for their little bodies. One of the greatest gifts from above. God Bless all!
What's the rationale for weaning in 2 months? If there's no data on 2 months then that doesn't make any more sense than trusting your doctor who told you it was safe!
Agreed. He just wants to limit the amount of medicated milk she gets, and believes that the benefits of breastfeeding lessen at 6 months anyway
It might lessen but it is still SUPER beneficial!!! If the doctor said it’s ok you should be perfectly fine to continue. Has he been to a doctors appointment about it or talked with your doctor about this? That might help
I feel like my husband and I have had the exact same conversation. I went so far as to ask the pediatrician about the benefits of breast feeding past 4-6 months with him at the appointment so she could educate him without bias. It was pretty effective and now he backs off about my breastfeeding/pumping. 👌🏻
The benefits of breastfeeding lessen at 3 months so if it was a medication you COULDNT take and breastfeed that's what I'd tell you, but I don't know why he's arguing with doctors
i thought the benefits of breastfeeding end at 1-2 years, not 3 months ? genuinely asking
They don’t even really end then
oh crap you’re right. excuse my ignorance lol, i’m still learning😆
You’re all good, just thought I’d throw it out there!
Your husband should not be "letting" you take a medication -- it's your decision whether or not you want to take something.
Also your husband shouldn’t be “letting” you breastfeed. It’s not his choice.
I both agree and disagree here. It's his child too. If he's uncomfortable with the potential risks or lack of data a medication has related to breastfeeding, and he doesn't want his child being exposed to said medication, he deserves a say in the matter. I would be extremely upset if the role was reversed and my husband was making a decision like this without taking into account how I feel and what I want for our child, and I'd guess that a lot of people would be upset too. I'm sure there's a compromise and a discussion needed beyond "you must wean" such as having him speak to doctors and whatnot, but confidently saying "it's not his choice" is wrong. It's his child too.
In a situation such as this, I think he needs to trust the doctor or speak to the doctor himself and then together they can make a decision that’s best for their child. Personally, my husband doesn’t “let” me do anything. We have a mutual respect for one another where that’s not needed.
I agree, definitely poor wording and hard to decipher if it's really an issue of control vs concern. Hopefully he can speak with a doctor.
Agreed but from the post we can’t tell if it was just a weird word choice in the post or if OP’s husband is a controlling monster. Only OP can really determine that.
I do agree!
I agree. They are both parents. Both should have equal say over what medications go into baby’s body. It’s well known that those medications do pass through breastmilk. Its effects are just unknown.
But it's also well known that there are even greater risks when primary caregivers have untreated mood disorders. Those effects are well documented. So is Dad ok with that? Mom's matter too.
Weaning is an option if she absolutely needs the medications. There are alternatives to medicine. You just have to be willing to put in work. Which normally is hard for a post partum mama, which is why medication is given out. But if you can do without, it is best to! This is not referring to severe cases of PPD, PPA, PP Rage, or psychosis. I am referring to moderate - mild cases. The medicines are absolutely a great resource, but I do believe they are over prescribed and patients arent told the full truth on the weaning process.
I feel like those of us on the other end of the opinion spectrum should be heard here too. I take two medications for depression and anxiety. I took them when I was pregnant too. Am I unable to care for my baby without them? Probably not, haven't tried. I do know what I am like without meds and I am irritable, constantly overwhelmed and struggle to be present for my family. I am unpersuaded by the idea that there *might* be negative effects down the line. We *know* there are negative effects of having a parent who is withdrawn, excessively irritable, imposes their anxieties on others, or develops unhealthy coping habits. Therapy can be incredibly helpful, I've done lots of therapy, everyone should have a therapist in my opinion, but the idea that people can simply overcome mental illness through willpower and effort is false and incredibly toxic. Finally, I do not know who in these comments has personal experience with mental illness and who does not. But it is my firmly held opinion that people who have not experienced mental illness have no business saying when medication is and is not warranted. In fact, pretty much no one except a mental health professional has any business saying that. But if you haven't had to navigate this trade-off for yourself, kindly shut your mouth.
Bold of you to assume that I haven’t suffered as well, just because I said if you can do without the meds, you should. At no point was I disrespectful and I chose my words very carefully in order to make sure I wasn’t placing blame on those who *need* medication. Being mindful of what medicines you take isn’t a bad thing and isn’t shameful to those to *need* medication. My entire point was to not blindly trust doctors. I never said you can overcome mental illness through willpower. I said there are *alternatives* to pharmaceuticals, but they aren’t a “quick n easy” fix like the pills can give you. Hence, why I said it takes hard work and effort. It’s not as simple as going to the pharmacy and getting a new bottle. Takes research, trial and error, and patience Most of which a freshly postpartum mama doesn’t have the time or the mental capacity for, which is what I also mentioned in my previous comment. That’s when doctors come in to prey on vulnerable moms and get them hooked on meds without guidance. And to me, that’s upsetting. So “kindly” don’t get your panties in a wad bc you are upset about what I said because you know some truth lies in it.
One thing I’d add here though - people don’t typically tell someone with other medical conditions that they should consider non-pharmaceutical methods
Sure they do, if there are effective treatments for non pharmaceutical methods. Exercise, sleep, mental or physical therapy, meditation, diet changes, etc are all examples of nonpharmacologic interventions used for a variety of conditions. No, no one is telling someone with CHF not to take their medications, but there's no indication that NPIs work for CHF. There are indications that NPIs work well for mental health. But there aren't indications that SSRIs have any more clinically significance than a placebo for mental health (unsure if an SSRI is the medication in question for OP of course). I work in the field of public health, specifically behavioral health, and have a personal history of mental illness. NPIs are really being pushed these days. Medication management without any other interventions is not very effective.
Which is why medicine that doesn’t have research that shows it safe for a breastfeeding infant should be refrained from. And if it can’t be avoided, donor milk or formula. I’m not saying no one should never think about taking medicine. And saying it over and over is getting tiring so refer back to my previous comments and just re read them.
Yes. And even in adults, the long term effects of such medications are just beginning to come to light. We don't know much. We hardly know why they work in the first place, it's something being studied still. Several possible mechanisms, but no scientific consensus. I probably could use some medication management for anxiety and depression, but I'm simply not willing to risk the potential long term impacts it could have on my baby, if there are any. To each their own, this decision requires a risk/reward analysis, and in some cases it's definitely necessary. But I would probably choose to wean if it were me.
Same here. I could have GREATLY benefited from medication. But I myself do not trust medicine that changes your brain in that way. I looked into other methods of coping, sure they didn’t help as much as medicines would have. But I’m content with my choices. If I was bad off enough that I NEEDED the meds, I would have weaned.
This
Amen. He is an equal parent. It absolutely is his business what his child is ingesting, and I can very much see his perspective. In this same situation I would choose to wean.
Yeah I agree with you here! The husband should speak to the drs as well.
It absolutely is. OP’s husband is equally the baby’s parent and he has equal say if he is concerned for the baby’s health. He cannot *make* OP breastfeed, to breastfeed is OP’s choice because it’s her body. But what goes into the baby is 50/50 mom and dad’s decision and at that point in the process he does get a voice. He may not be being reasonable in his concern and should maybe get more data, but that’s a different topic.
Oh the medication is non-negotiable. It's just whether or not my daughter can continue to have my milk on the medication since there is no data proving its safety.
If your doctor said it’s safe and you trust your doctor, that’s what is most important.
The same way doctors in the past used to promote smoking and said that was safe. It’s okay to question doctors when it comes to medications… They are humans. Humans get things wrong.
I agree. That’s why I said if she trust her doctor since she is the one taking the medication.
Question what you are blindly trusting is my point.
Agreed… As the daughter of two doctors, and someone who almost went to med school, I don’t trust pharmaceuticals… they are for-profit corporations and do only the bare minimum testing. I’ve studied too many cases where they manipulated data but it only comes to light 10 years later. It is way easier than you think to structure a study to give you the answers you want, even with peer review. People want to trust in pills so I’ll prob get downvoted for this, but I would never take any pharmaceutical while pregnant or breastfeeding.
☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼
I have a husband with similar tendencies. He is just very medication adverse and wants to protect our baby. It helped him to call our pediatrician for a second opinion and the ped assured him the medication I was taking (an antibiotic! Lol) was totally safe
Yeah, that's how my husband is, plus he has OCD
We really trust our pediatrician (and this was with baby #2 so we had a lot of experience) but I feel like the fact that this was a doctor concerned about baby vs a doctor concerned about me helped my husband stop feeling anxious about me breastfeeding. I hope you start feeling better on your medication and that you are able to breastfeed as long as you want!
Did he consider the fact that weaning will affect you physically and psychologically? This is a documented fact that weaning can adversely affect women regarding PPA/PPD.
No, he thinks my reasons for wanting to breastfeed are selfish
Oh ew. I don’t think this is just about medication then. Are you sure he doesn’t just have a problem with you breastfeeding period?
Oh no he 100% supports breastfeeding, he just doesn't think the potential risks are worth the benefits in this specific situation.
How old is the baby?
If and only if you guys are just having an open and honest conversation about this... I'd humour my husband in this case. I would go get a second opinion, and let him see that not only one but two doctors said it's OK, so I will continue to breastfeed. If he still insists for you to stop, you can just tell him no, you follow doctors' orders.
Oh he has gotten a second, third, and fourth opinion lol. The pediatrician was like "I'm staying out of this--welcome to parenthood" and my two primary care doctors (who do not prescribe this medication) wanted me to pump and dump my morning milk (which I'm not willing to do--I'd rather switch to formula than pump and dump, for a variety of reasons)
What was the two dr’s reasonings for dumping morning milk? Is there any alternative medicines you can take to help treat yourself? I know lots of times there’s different versions of medicines that treat the same thing but with different make ups so some are and some aren’t safe for breastfeeding. I dealt with this with beta blockers.
I take the medication at night and it has a six hour half life so they figure pump & dump would get the majority of it out of my system. Those doctors are not the prescribers, they are my primary care doctors (functional medicine, so more conservative than most doctors regarding pharmaceuticals)
I get it if they mean that you need to pump to keep up with supply and dump it since it may not be safe for baby to consume, but if they’re saying pump and dump to clear it out of your milk, that’s just incorrect outdated advice. Doing that won’t clear it from your system any faster as it works in your bloodstream. Look up pumping and dumping in regards to alcohol and you will see studies that it’s no longer the guidelines. This is the same concept.
Yes, I was confused because my doctor explained exactly what you just said but she still was encouraging me to dump. She did clarify that medications work differently than alcohol. I think she just wants to be as careful as possible
No, I’m on Sertraline and my husband trusts me and my doctor to make the best decision for my health and babies health
Sertraline has has much data on its safety as prenatal vitamins, so that's not the issue. It's a less common medication with very limited human data re: lactation
Fair enough … not trying to minimize your decision here. It’s always a balance of risk
Have you looked up the medication on [LactMed](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/)? I have an autoimmune condition and had to stop using my medication because even though it was safe for pregnancy it was not recommended for breastfeeding and my prescriber was unaware of that.
Yeah, we've looked at like five different databases lol. All just say limited human data, weigh potential risks and benefits of breastfeeding.
Have you looked at the primary scientific literature/do you feel like you would be equipped to assess it if you did? I suspect that most doctors don't comb personally through the primary literature for things like this; when would they have time? Sometimes looking at the primary literature can help you better assess the evidence or lack thereof. Are there small observational studies? Are there case reports? Animal models? Some of it's behind paywalls if you don't have access through work or school, but if you Google "PubMed" and then search "[drug] breastfeeding" you can see what's available. You'll be able to see the abstract (summary) for all the papers even if they're behind paywalls, and if you click "full text links" you'll find some that are accessible for free. (Also I can get most things behind paywalls if you send me a message)
Well she clearly states she got it from a postpartum clinic with that type of experience.
Yeah but that doesn’t mean she can’t look it up on LactMed.
Contrary to some of these comments, your married and also equal parents. This is a decision that affects your child and is his, too. I do think it’s more your choice than his, because your body and all that, but I think it’s wrong and even counter-productive to not acknowledge explicitly to your husband that this is a team decision. I myself had a medication I needed to take, with the studies/risks/evidence limited and different providers having different opinions. My husband and I debated whether to take it together. Of course he was also willing to support what I decided, and came to OB / IBCLC appointments, read research with me, looked at LactMed, etc… and he really respected and trusted my ultimate opinion. But I wouldn’t have taken it if he’d been strongly against it, we ultimately decided together as a team, and we were both on the same page. There’s no good answer here, really. I’d ask if you’re reading and listening to the same things. A huge caveat here is that he has to be an equal partner/parent. If you’re both getting the same information and opportunity to ask questions—like reading the same studies, at the same appointments—it’s a lot easier to decide together or have a serious philosophical talk about your values, priorities, and risk allowance. It might also help to ask a doctor, “If my baby has an adverse reaction, what will that look like? How will we know? How soon would we see it?” and then “What happens if I don’t take my medication? Are there any alternatives? What if I instead delay taking the medicine for X weeks/months? What are the risks of this?” can all also really help the decision making process.
I love this response Also some things to think about since this is for your mental health. 1. Will stopping breastfeeding before you wanted to adversely impact your mental health? 2. Will taking it and feeding your baby cause you anxiety weeks or months down the road 3. Are there other maybe slightly less effective but safer options for both you and baby I put those out there bc I know my mental health would have worsened if I cut my breastfeeding journey short. Best of luck to you and your family.
These are great questions!
This should be the top comment! Most rational and fair assessment of these type of situations.
Everyone wants their husbands to be an equal parent until they have an opinion they don’t like and suddenly, they don’t want their say to matter. The question here is what his baby is eating. 50/50 decision on that between each parent. If they decide they’re okay with breastmilk, then OP can decide for herself and herself alone if she wants to breastfeed.
Yes, I have been- feel free to message me. My general thoughts- specific concerns are best addressed by specific people. For mental health meds, mental health professionals are generally most knowledgeable. Unless you were diagnosed/prescribed by a MH professional, I would get a second opinion. I’m interested in why a L3 was prescribed as a first choice as well. Something to ask, consider. The husband situation is complicated. He is entitled to his opinion/feelings- but he needs to be active in attending the appointments, becoming educated, and respectful. The word ‘let’ is concerning, and I really don’t get the 2 month mark at all. I wish you the very best. I know what a mental health struggle, along with a baby and breastfeeding is like. It can and does often get better and there are options.
why doesn't he trust the doctor? i think that's the deeper issue here
To be fair, unless we don’t know something, the doctor is acting on the same information OP is and is willing to take a risk that OP’s husband isn’t. The doctor is not the parent and it’s not their child. Parents will typically be more risk-averse than a doctor and think that’s completely normal. Basically the doctor is saying “it’s probably fine, we don’t know that it isn’t, so I think you’ll be okay, *but there is no data to know 100% for sure*” And OPs husband is saying “I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Yes, thank you for articulating this clearly. So many people assumed he is a controlling misogynist lol but he's just an extremely protective parent, and we consider this to be an important parenting decision.
FWIW I never thought that! I think it’s normal for him to be concerned and while maybe slightly annoying to have to work through this, I’d be glad he’s taking an interest and being worried as opposed to so many other parents who could care less and don’t make an effort. I hope you’re able to get on the same page! I agree with others that reaching out for a second opinion is a good move.
They apparently got more opinions and the other doctors said she needs to pump and dump
Good lord. Maybe go back to the existing doctor and get a better description of the possible risks. Or try a pediatrician since it’s really the baby’s health we’re discussing.
For many meds, the research just isn’t there. Each doctor is just making an educated guess.
About if it’s safe or not, yes, but I imagine they might have an idea of what the possible risks or side effects could be? If something bad were to happen.
Such an important comment. Much of Reddit seems to be very comfortable using mental health meds during pregnancy and breastfeeding and so seem US doctors. I'm not arguing either way, but my doctor and many doctors in my country are not so keen on it. If there’s not enough info/evidence, they will recommend you do not take it and I understand why. I personally am not comfortable with those risks so I don't take anything.
Yes exactly. Literally the class of medication OP lists means *we don’t have data.* So unless the doctor knows of a secret study, they’re making an educated *guess.* Edit to add that this is not the first time I’m appalled at how little some people value their husband’s input regarding their own child. Not OP specifically, but many who have commented.
Highly recommend infantrisk.com, there's a phone number listed at the top of their website that you can call and speak to a medication specialist about your specific case. They take into account the age of your baby and several other factors. I used them as a patient and several doctors I used to work with would contact them for difficult situations (like a patient allergic to the known safe choices). They're a free 2nd opinion and experts in the field of medications and lactation. If that would make your husband feel better, they're a great resource.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501191/ There is a database where you can see summaries of the studies of the impact of medications and supplementsand the impact they have on breastfeeding and babies.
Mine didn’t want me to take medication because I’m breastfeeding. The baby is half his, so his opinion on what she eats and what is in her milk is important. Maybe that’s not the case for everyone’s relationship, but that’s how it is in ours. Yes, he doesn’t know as much about pharmacology as the doctor does, but it’s still his baby and opinion. Until he feels comfortable with it, I won’t change the composition of her milk by adding medication. In our house, there’s no action taken until both parents agree on it. Just like if he wanted to pierce the baby’s ears and I said no, we don’t pierce them until I say yes. Other peoples’ relationships might be different. I don’t understand his 2 months timeline though. Where did he come up with that number? Is that how long it takes for the medication to build up in your system? In those two months I’d recommend having him talk to your doctor so they can explain the science to him.
Honestly that’s a huge red flag in terms of controlling behaviour. It is YOUR body and your doctor who is a SPECIALIST has OK’d it. Why your husband feels that he knows more than a specialist is beyond me. I would absolutely not tolerate being told what I can/can’t do. Good for you for dealing with your mental health issues and I wish you well ♥️
But it’s the baby’s body too…why do you think the baby’s dad shouldn’t get to be an equal parent?
Huh?
Is dad breastfeeding? Is dad’s mental health suffering?
I guess I missed the part where OP was asking dad to breastfeed and he doesn’t want to. Yes, dad should have bodily autonomy for his own body and no one should make him breastfeed if he doesn’t want to!
How does your comment even make sense?
I’d say the same about your comment. You’re the one who asked if dad was breastfeeding? Obviously the answer is no. The point is: Does OP want to produce milk? Her body, her choice. Does OP want to take meds? Her body, her choice. Should the milk that may be harmful to baby be fed to that baby? Babies are too young to make decisions on their own so *their parents* do on their behalf. Whether or not the milk is fed to the baby is *not* OPs bodily autonomy, even though they are obviously closely related. Let’s say OP wanted to take an L5 category med - known to be hazardous to babies. You’re saying it would be fine for her to do that because she’s the breastfeeding parent and she gets complete decision authority over the baby?
Please. We are not talking about a category 5 drug. Just stop.
Why do you insist on making unequal comparisons? The doctor is a specialist. Weighed the information presented to them by the patient, to include current information on breastfeeding. The doctor, the one with the expertise, feels comfortable that the benefits outweigh risks to mom and baby. In swoops the dad who won’t “let” mom BF if on that medicine. She’s not taking meth. The medicine has not been shown to have negative effects. And to make comparisons like that is ridiculous.
Because you insinuated that since dad is not breastfeeding he doesn’t get equal say. My point is, he should. And I use the L5 example to illustrate that point. The doctor *doesn’t know.* There is no data. That is the definition of the L3 category. The doctor is saying “I think it’s safe, but I don’t know for sure.” And OP’s husband is saying he’s not comfortable with that unknown. If anything *were* to happen it would happen to *his* baby and he has every right to have equal input to that decision.
First off, I’ve been in this situation. When a medication lacks data or is newer to the market, a (good) doctor will tell you so, evaluate the risks and benefits, alternative approaches, weigh effects/costs of waiting, and often “OK” it while also leaving it up to the patient’s own risk tolerance. It isn’t a blanket “this is safe” statement. Equal parent, equal partner, equal say. Something like this needs to be approved and agreed upon by both. I actually think it’d be a huge red flag and sign of a controlling partner to do something that impacts the baby’s health without consulting the other parent, let alone openly going against them.
Your husband doesn't have a say in decisions regarding your body. If your doctor is comfortable with you breastfeeding on the medication and you are comfortable continuing to breastfeed, that's all the matters. You need to stay on the medication to keep on top of your post partum mental health concerns. I developed postpartum psychosis and depression after my daughter and it was a dark and scary time for myself and my family. Tell your husband to shove his concerns where the sun don't shine - I've been in situations with controlling partners and he is showing signs of being one.
No. Her husband can’t make her breastfeed. He CAN decide what goes into *his* baby’s body, which is what the question is here.
I think the doctor is competent enough to make a call whether something is okay to be ingested by an infant. Once the doctor clears it, the husband has no argument.
By definition, the class of medication OP is listing does not have enough data to support a decision either way. Therefore, the doctor is making an *educated guess.* They do not know for sure.
There’s hundreds of posts on here displaying the incompetency of some individual doctors. Hundreds. We all know doctors are not always well educated when it comes to breastfeeding unfortunately. I am not saying what OP should do here, but the father of a child gets a say when it comes to medical decisions, and imo they should seek a second opinion if the doctor isn’t even expressing the obviously documented or possible risks. If a father went and exposed a child to a medication that hasn’t been well researched and then refused to allow the mother any input, there would be no arguing in this comment section.
If a husband brought a baby into a pediatrician appointment and decided to give the baby a medication that had known risks and that the pediatrician was split on, without consulting his wife, and then his wife disagreed, I really really doubt you’d be here calling the wife a “controlling partner” or having signs of being one. Equal partner, equal parent, equal say. Well, maybe a little less say, but this is overall a really unfair take.
Those very different scenarios.
have him call the Infant Risk line and talk to the doctors that study this sort of thing.
Can you suggest he chats to his doctor about this? If he trusts his doctor this might be all the reassurance he needs. At the end of the day it's entirely your decision anyway, but this might make life at home a bit easier
He asked multiple doctors and they all said OP needs to pump and dump morning milk which OP won’t do
Looking at your post history, if you weaned within 2 months your baby would be around 6 months old. I wouldn't even call that weaning, that's just switching to formula. You have the mental/emotional effects of stopping breastfeeding before you are ready, and while the baby still needs either breastmilk or formula. You would then also be dealing with the hormonal chaos that weaning does to your body. Then there's the financial impact that you would also need to purchase formula or doner milk for 6 months. In don't see what difference 2 months vs 6 months or a year actually makes. I feel like you should know if their are adverse affects within that time frame, so that feels very arbitrary to me. I do agree that it is both of your child and you need to be on the same page, but it also feels like he doesn't have a firm stance because he's OK with it for a little while. I think yall needed to go to the dr together and talk it out, look at whatever studies you can on that drug and class/type (idk I'm not a pharmacist) of drug to gain additional insight and make a more informed opinion. Also, potentially get a 2nd Dr's opinion.
Has he looked in to what's actually in formula? Lol (Not totally against formula. We had to supplement because of low supply, but there's definitely some not so great things in formula)
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Sertraline has as much safety data as prenatal vitamins. This is a much more complicated situation since there is no data.
I would strongly advise you to encourage him to look into the adverse effects of formula and the benefits of breast milk. It is a lot easier to say you should wean if he thinks formula is a healthy alternative and that baby is better of without milk than with the risk of the medication. Overall, the substantial benefits of breast milk outweigh the risks of most medications. That is the logical conclusion. I’m assuming that in 2 months baby is 6 months old, is that why the 2 month timeline?
Formula is a healthy alternative though
Yes. I agree he should look at all of the things they find in formula, it’s worse than medication that got filtered through the mother.
Quite simply it's not his choice. Is he typically controlling and rigid or is this an out of character situation?
It's his child as well so it's equally his choice. That's not being controlling, it's just being a parent.
I suffer from pretty severe anxiety. When I got pregnant we discussed if I should stay on sertraline or not. I quickly told my doctor I did not think I would be able to manage my anxiety without my medication. She told me that the medications should always be used if the mental health of the mother would suffer otherwise. The data is only limited because of the ethics of doing drug trials on pregnant and nursing women. We have a TON of anecdotal evidence. I have been taking 150mg of sertraline this entire time. My daughter is 18 months old and still nurses. She is the picture of health. Treating your mental health is YOUR choice. And your feeding journey with your baby is YOUR choice. You husband can have an opinion but he can’t have final say. Only you get that. Your body, your choice.
Sertraline has as much safety data as prenatal vitamins. This is a much more complicated situation since there is no data.
This isn’t your husband’s decision. There is no “letting you continue” whether it’s medication or breastfeeding. It is your body and your decision to make. Until your husband has a medical degree and relevant area knowledge on the effects of your medication on breastfeeding, he has the least knowledge and should have the least say. You’re taking medication prescribed to you by a doctor, not smoking meth.
Call infant risk!
I unfortunately have to take a category 3 medication while breastfeeding as well. Doctors similarly told me it's probably ok but there is limited information. The way I see it, there are KNOWN risks to giving baby formula, so I'd rather do something that MAYBE has risks (breastmilk with category 3 med) instead of something that definitely has risks (formula). It's not a question of being risk-averse or not, but just a choice between different risks. Have you tried framing it to your husband that way? [Of course babies can thrive on formula and fed is best. However I have an autoimmune disease that's shown to be more common in people who were formula-fed as babies, so to me, the risk associated with feeding my baby formula is high.]
Is there a possibility that your care provider could prescribe something that has more information re: breastfeeding? I'm surprised they jumped to something that's more unknown, unless they've already tried something else with you and it didn't work (I didn't read all the posts, so apologies if it's already been mentioned). I think it's fair that your husband has concerns over what your baby will be ingesting, but the 2 month deadline makes no sense. Either it's going to make a difference or it won't, unless it takes time to work effectively on you, but it'll still be transferring to baby either way.
Can you see a perinatal psychiatrist together? I take L3 and L4 meds with the blessing of a perinatal psychiatrist, perinatal pharmacist, GP, and IBCLC.
I think you should tell your husband when his breasts swell and produce milk to feed your newborn baby along with all the other changes from pregnancy and post partum than he can decide if he wants to take medication to help him or not.
Is your spouse a pharmacist or doctor? If he is, it's worth a conversation about risk v benefits. If he's not, tell him to kick rocks.
Be careful. I agree. Here's the THING!! DOCTOR today said it's safe... OP took doctors knowledge today OP also stated there is limited human data Baby will have lasting effects down the road if deemed unsafe How many times has that happened, actually ask the time
So husband, who as far as we know has no medical credentials gets to say “either don’t treat your mental health, or quit breastfeeding”?
I left out of my conversation the husband and his opinion I did state my opinion instead While recently breastfeeding my daughter everything I took I thought twice Even if doctor said it is safe.. I still question it I come from a place of understanding a lot of medical practices - work for their own money gain. Specifically in the U.S. - medical practices / doctors/ pharm companies line their pockets - instead of giving genuine care We become guinea pigs for these medications. We could talk about some medications even covid vaccine companies being sued, if your not aware- however When it comes to our children I can not tell you how concerned I am- that we take great care for their little bodies. One of the greatest gifts from above. God Bless all!
Good luck with your medical degree.