Breastfeeding and AntiDs

[Justabitconfused]

Hi, Just after a little bit of advice please. I've recently been diagnosed with moderate bordering servere pnd when I cracked 9 months pp and took myself to the doctors. I've managed to cover it from everyone and have only told my mum by email since being diagnosed and to be honest, just do not want to talk about it, I feel like I've failed. Anyway, thats not why I'm here, sorry!

My question is this, I am very attached to breastfeeding, as is baby, but I have to now take 30mg or Citalopram. Doctor has advised me that it is fine to breastfeed with, but then went on to say that breastfeeding 4 times in the day was alot at this age so that has now made me wonder and a bit worried that the more I feed the higher dose baby gets and perhaps it was a hint to cut down?

Please help! I don't want to continue to breastfeed selfishly and harm baby, if I really have to switch to formula then I guess that's what I'll have to do, but I do not want to in the slightest. Any advice or experience of this would be greatly appreciated however small.

Many thanks

This gives details about citalopram compatibility. You can also contact Wendy Jones direct on the drugs in breastmilk helpline (on the link) if you have questions that aren't answered in the link.

Bfing whilst you have PND can mitigate the effects of the PND (section headed The Adaptiveness of Breastfeeding) (this is me speaking as someone who has had PND & PND-OCD and for me that was a huge reason to keep bfing) as bfing forces you to interact with the baby even when your depression would rather you ran away and hid from the world.

As you have found out, Drs don't usually know very much about normal bfing and I can safely say 4 times a day for a 9m baby is fine, twice as much (8 times) for a 9m baby would be fine too so try not to worry about how much baby is nursing.

All the best.

Hi justa, I've been there. I was diagnosed with Pnd when dd was 4 months. I also was very keen to keep breastfeeding but knew I had to take antidepressants. I contacted the breastfeeding network - a fAntastic service, who have a breastfeeding specialist pharmacist that u can call and speak to ( telephone no on the website) she advised me to take setraline ( as this anti d has the shortest 'half life' so stays in your milk for the shortest time) and said I can continue bfing and taking it for as long as I wanted. Dd is now 2 and I'm still feeding and still on setraline!
Good luck op, hugs

chocolatepuff - I have been on sertaline since Dec 2006 (I take it for OCD more than PND) and since then I have bf DD1 to 3.6y, and am bfing DD2 & DD3 who are 4y and 2y.

Do not feel guilty about medication.
GP talking rubbish about "times per day" to be feeding - that's why its called demand feeding Ignore!
Second the breastfeeding network suggestion, their drugsline is fab.
I'm on valafaxine, feeding my 2yo. Before that I was on fluroxotine. I have always been on an antidepressant, and my son is perfect. Hope you start to feel better soon, remember there is a mental health board on here too.x

Hi Ladies, sorry I havn't been back, our internet went down.

Thank you so much for the advice, its such a relief to know that others have breastfed through it too and that I am not selfish.

trushsweet thank you so much, they are really helpful links. I didn't mention to the Dr that we are also feeding during the night too, so thats why I was extra worried as 4 times in the day is the lowest, often more, and then there is 1-3 times per night.

chocolatepuff you talk about 'half life' in the milk, have you been advised to take it at a time with the biggest gap between feeds? I've not been and have taken it when I remember, but maybe I need to look at that?

sirboobalot (fab name) I didn't realise there was, I shall have a look at that board, thank you. I will also ignore the GP and continue to feed as and when demanded.