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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think drugs and breastfeeding don't go well together.

145 replies

Sushipaws · 30/01/2008 22:14

Now, I'm not a prude, each to thier own, I don't care if people want to get wrecked at the weekend, many of my friends do. But.....

I have just got off the phone to my mate who was out at the weekend with a girl I know. The girl had a ds about 5 months ago and moved away to be nearer her parents. She was up visiting for the weekend and had left ds with her husband. They went out on Friday and Saturday night. On the Friday night she took E and Coke but said she couldn't on the Saturday night as it wouldn't be out her system by the time she bf her ds on Sunday night.

I was really shocked, surely it takes longer than one night to leave her blood stream. I told my mate I thought the girl was an idiot and very selfish. My mate said I was over reacting and she knows a few mum's who have bf and occationally taken drugs.

Some expert advice needed here, would it still be in her system?

OP posts:
Octothechildherder · 30/01/2008 22:15

YANBU but would stay out of it tbh

MotherFunk · 30/01/2008 22:22

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WinkyWinkola · 30/01/2008 22:39

I thought coke stayed in the system that's why when they do random drug tests at work, they can pluck one of your hairs out to test it? Or am I wrong and it's an urban myth?

YANBU by the way. I don't think I'd take drugs anyway (bit old for all that malarky) but I don't think I'd take them if I was exclusively breastfeeding. Your friend obviously isn't though.

Why don't you suggest that she doesn't breastfeed for another day or two after her bender?

Mind you, I do enjoy the old glass of wine or three even when bfing. So shoot me.

jezzemx · 30/01/2008 22:47

Don't have any advice because it's too late she's already done it! but I'm with you on this one Sushi.

MotherFunk · 30/01/2008 22:51

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sweetkitty · 30/01/2008 22:55

I have a friend who did something similar she left her 6wo baby with family and went out partying took some coke but pumped her milk the next day and threw it away. I didn't ask her the details, as someone else said her baby her choice. There's probably things I do as a parent she would disapprove of.

PeachesMcLean · 30/01/2008 23:02

Hmm, now i'm no expert and have never given this much thought but remember once doing similar but with alcohol - ie expressing and throwing away for 12 hours afterwards (having read it took 12 hours to get rid).
However, DS turned out to have a milk allergy and I'm sure that if I'd had a stack of dairy products it would be 48 hours later that it showed in DS's poo (blood in his nappies). I went dairy free after that. Personally I would not take E or coke whilst breastfeeding.

Does it take longer to get rid of some things than others?

Reallytired · 30/01/2008 23:09

I think it is irresponsible take drugs if you have a baby, however the child is fed. People who take drugs like Coke or e don't deserve to have babies. Forget about the breastmilk, taking drugs can impair your judgement for a long period of time.

"Anyway, there are hundreds of mothers on prescribed medication who breastfeed. Its really all about the mothers choice of whether to take the risk of anything passing to her baby or not. And, as its her baby, it is her choice. "

MotherFunk, comparing a breastfeeding mother on prescribed medication to a junkie is ridiculous. With prescribed medication you are guided by a doctor who knows what drugs are suitable for breastfed mothers.

Unlike Coke, there generally are strong reasons for taking prescribed medication. I took anti depressants while breastfeeding for a brief period of time. The particular drug was licenced for breastfeeding mothers and my son experienced no ill effects.

Bottlefeeding is a risk. The risk of taking medication and breastfeeding is often less than the risk of bottlefeeding. A good GP can advise approipately.

Reallytired · 30/01/2008 23:12

I used to do research into the biokinetics of radioactive substances. Some of the substances stayed in people's bodies for years.

I am not sure, as its such a long time ago, but I think even water has a biological half life of about 10 days.

MotherFunk · 30/01/2008 23:31

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whydoesithavetobeme · 30/01/2008 23:33

Oh dear. Obviously I should've had an abortion then

Original poster
Sushipaws · 30/01/2008 23:35

She's not a close friend, just a friend of my mate who I've only met a couple of times on nights out. I don't want people to think this girl is a junkie, she's not, she is like many people who occationally take drugs recreationally at no harm to anyone. However I didn't think it was right to take them and bf.

Thats funny about the hair, but that would be in dead hair and not in your blood stream. I know cannabis takes 6 weeks to come out your system.

I have googled it but can't find anything about drugs and bf'ing.

I won't say anything to this girl (I probably won't see her), but I do hope the come down around a 5 month old teaches her it's not worth it.

OP posts:
Trolleydolly71 · 30/01/2008 23:57

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nappyaddict · 31/01/2008 02:06

i don't think it is wrong as such for breastfeeding mums to do drugs but they should leave a long enough time before breastfeeding again. according to this it takes 3 days. so maybe just mention oh did you know it takes 3 days for it to leave your system maybe you should leave it a bit longer before bfing next time.

nappyaddict · 31/01/2008 02:13

ok not sure why i thought 36 hours equalled 3 days

this might also be useful

WinkyWinkola · 31/01/2008 09:02

Ah, I wasn't at all sure about the hair + drug testing thing.

Alcohol I heard can pass through to breastmilk but at 1⁄100th proportion of what the mother has drunk.. . . .there's lots of misinformation flying about.

Taking drugs recreationally is now a norm for many people. So, it is worse to have a line or have a glass of wine if bfing?

WinkyWinkola · 31/01/2008 09:02

That should read one hundreth or 1% of what the mother has drunk. . . . . .

Chequers · 31/01/2008 09:16

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Chequers · 31/01/2008 09:17

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LadyVictorianSqualor · 31/01/2008 09:18

I personally wouldnt do it, but it has been said previously that smoking/drinking/taking drugs whilst bfing is better than not bfing.

MotherFunk, there are risks to bottle feeding, where the normal biological thing to do is breastfeed then the differences between breastfeeding/bottlefeeding become risks it's all about how it's worded, some people prefer to say the 'benefits' of breastfeeding than the risks of bottlefeeding, but either way I dont think the mother taking drugs on the friday and feeding on the sunday would affect baby (don't quote me on that though I don't know for sure)

Hulababy · 31/01/2008 09:24

I personally can't undertsand why anyone would want/need to do (illegal) drugs anyway regardless of if they have a baby or not, but there you go. Have seen too many of so-called "not addicts" and the effects TBH. Not for me.

But as for taking drugs and breastfeeding...well, I think people know deep down if it is a good thing to be doing don't they? They don't really need research and stats to tell them it is or isn't okay.

Trolleydolly71 · 31/01/2008 10:30

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Sushipaws · 31/01/2008 11:34

Wow, thanks for the links.

I do feel justified in called her selfish and an idiot. But I guess it's not really my business and if I chat to my friend who was out with her, I'll tell her about the info you've all provided me with.

Personally I can't wait till my dd self weans, then I can go out on a 5 day bender, take 30 pills, snort many grams of coke etc........ ha ha ha only kidding, I can't even drink one glass of wine without feeling tipsy

OP posts:
MsHighwater · 31/01/2008 14:15

I cannot sign up to the "her baby, her choice" thing when you are talking about illegal drugs. I think it's thoroughly irresponsible of her to take these drugs when she is bfing. I'm also not at all sure that bfing while taking illegal drugs would be better than not bfing, precautions or not.

WorzselMummage · 31/01/2008 14:30

I took a LOT of recreational drugs before getting pregnant with my daughter but i never would have taken them afterwards had i been breastfeeding, not in a million years !

its probably all out of your milk within 24 hours but thats not really the point is it.