to think doing coke and breastfeeding are incompatible?

[MrsBates]

Well, I know I'm not being unreasonable really but what are your thoughts? Was at a party recently and two mothers who are breastfeeding were taking coke. One says she is a 'bit naughty' to be smoking spliffs in front of her children but at least she and her husband only do it in the garden. One mum did say she is breastfeeding mainly to lose weight. Nice.

I wasn't a saint back in the day but now I have children - no way - and while feeding?! Still I do have too much wine sometimes and think that is sort of OK. Where do your draw your lines (you know the kind) about recreation of the drug kind?

[gagamama]

YABU. Giving DC breast milk laced with drugs is fine - I mean at least it wasn't a FRUIT SHOOT.

[blueshoes]

Exactly as you said, MrsBates. Well put. It is precisely these 'middleclass' mothers (who think doing an occasional line or two is naughty but ok) who would respond to a public health message about the serious dangers of coke+bf-ing but are currently falling under the health authorities'/HV's radar, with potentially tragic and long term consequences for their babies.

[MrsBates]

Since most of us agree - what do you think is most effective way to approach this and which organisations might be able to put something into practice?

[MrsBates]

gagamama - shooting fruit is fine so long as you don't share your needle.

[Mhamai]

I'm cynically amused at the mental image of parents leaving their dc safe with grandparents whilst they sojuorn for a twice yearly drugs fest.

[Mhamai]

"Ooh Mater will you be a poppet and take Tristan off my hands for a minnimum of 24 hours whilst I get off my tits? Tis the New year after all!

[Rhubarb]

"You are like those who go on anal sex threads and say "I've never done it but it's terrible because I know best" or some such.

I'd prefer to say that I've never tried it so can't say if it's pleasurable or not.

And if you don't see the difference, well, you will go on judging based on your ignorance, I suppose." I take it Cote that was aimed at me. May I ask if you have ever taken cocaine? After all, you seem to be quite opinionated on it.

Your view is like telling someone that if they have never been poor, they are not entitled to have an opinion on poverty. Or if they have never been a politician, they are not entitled to tell politicians how to do their jobs. Which is, frankly, ridiculous!

I'm not on this thread to justify why I dare have an opinion on something. I'm here as many others are, to voice a concern about taking drugs whilst breastfeeding.

I think everyone on this thread has agreed that is very bad.

You questioned one of my quotes about an ability to parent after drinking and an ability to parent after taking cocaine (I did mention cocaine specifically). I answered that query to the best of my ability and do not expect to suddenly be told that my answer is not valid because I have no first-hand experience of it. It's as valid as yours is.

[VictorianSqualor]

Why on earth is there all this 'pump and dump' bolleaux being rolled out?

Pumping and dumping is pointless except for relieving your own possible agony!

Breastmilk is like blood, it cleanses itself, and is constantly being remade, you can't suck out the bad milk and replace it with good milk.

I agree with oliveoil, btw, I think it's really childish to take illegal drugs and something which should be left behind once you become a parent.

[Rhubarb]

All drugs or just illegal ones? After all, tobacco, alcohol and caffine are drugs too and one could argue that in some cases, they are more harmful than some legal drugs.

After all, we all know that nicotine is highly addictive. Caffine can give you the shakes and alcohol is responsible for most ABH convictions.

It's probably safe to assume that any drug whilst breastfeeding is A Very Bad Idea. But fully agree that there should be a media campaign about the dangers of any drug whilst breastfeeding.

[CoteDAzur]

Oh yes, it's hilarious that parents should imagine going out once in a while and leaving kids with grandparents

What do you do?
(a) Never go out, even for a dinner
(b) Take kids with you to restaurants and have them sleep on chairs. Take kids to bars and check them in with the coats.

[FairLadyRantALot]

gosh, I am so naive about drugs and all that...but I thought that people smoke weed...
I thought coke goes up the nose????
Clearly need to educate myself about this...

[VictorianSqualor]

Illegal ones.
When you use any form of legal drug it has been tested and you know what it contains, the same cannot be said about illegal drugs.

Taking an illegal drug is like playing russian roulette. You could be highly allergic to something in it, it might even contain poison, who knows? And for what? Being off your face on coke isn't really a nice feeling once you grow up and stop taking it.

As for alcohol etc, Going out and getting pissed in a bar with some pals isn't the same russian roulette but if you have children then you need time to recuperate the next morning so shouldn't be getting in at 6am and dealing with the kids at 7am like people I know.

[CoteDAzur]

I'm not sure about breastmilk 'cleansing itself'. If that were the case, I am fairly sure I would have been given much stronger painkillers when squirming in bed postpartum, and then doctors would have been more forthcoming re antibiotics for the infected episiotomy.

[Rhubarb]

Ah VS, my wonderful dh does that for me. But then he gets to go out and stay overnight at times so we think it's even.

[NobodysPerfect]

I'd had a couple of lines the day before I found out I was pg. Once I knew I was pg I didn't do any more and I also stopped smoking.

I had a -regular- odd spliff when I bf.

DC is fine. I feel slightly guilty, but not much tbh.

[RhubarbEatsBiscuitsOnTheBog]

Surely it's much the same as having a glass of wine whilst bfing? I should imagine it's more dangerous to do these things whilst the baby is developing in the womb, but I think that breastmilk has the ability to filter out some toxins. Still not brilliant, but overall I'd rather see mothers breastfeed than not.

[VictorianSqualor]

Cote, breastmilk cleanses itself in the same way that blood does. Certain medications would affect a baby, others not so.

Obviously the stronger medication you are given, the more goes through you blood stream, and into your milk, which means it would take longer to be out of the milk.

Tiktok has talked about this hugely with relation to alcohol in breastmilk and how there is no point whatsoever in pumping and dumping.

[VictorianSqualor]

Well, IMO, then Rhubarb that is fine. DP would do the same for me. I just don't think someone who is suffering from a dreadful hangover or come down is the right person to be in control of children.

[chipmonkey]

But there is nothing to suggest the odd glass of wine while bfing does any harm while it has been shown that cocaine when bfing can cause harm.

Cote, what VS means is that for example, even if you don't "pump and dump" the level of alcohol in the breastmilk will reduce at the same rate as it reduces in the blood. So you don't need to rid your body of the contaminated alcoholic milk, your body will do that itself

Doctors can sometimes be fairly ignorant of what can and can not be taken while breastfeeding, btw. You get better info on that on Mumsnet! BTW I had a CS wound infection on ds1 and was given antibiotics with no ill-effects on ds1.

[chipmonkey]

Sorry, VS X posts!

[CoteDAzur]

Blood doesn't cleanse itself! Haven't you studied any biology?

That is what liver and kidneys are for.

[RhubarbEatsBiscuitsOnTheBog]

My blood is green and can dissolve metal.

[VictorianSqualor]

You know what I mean. You don't have to take the blood out of your body and throw it away until new stuff is made.

Blood (along with the help of other organs ) like breastmilk, is cleansed in your body, pumping and dumping is a big fat waste of time unless it is to keep supply stimulated.

[CoteDAzur]

No, actually, I don't know what you mean. Breastmilk does not circulate through the body and pass through liver & kidneys like blood.