Breastfeeding and Ibuprofen 400mg

[crookmum]

Im after some advice please.

I have been given Ibuprofen 400mg from the doctors. He told me that I had to stop breastfeeding in order to take the tablets.

Do you know if this is accurate information, as I need to start taking them but my daughter who is 12 months is not ready for me to stop breastfeeding yet.

Thanks in advance.

Oh what a lot of bollocks. I take ibuprofen regularly and breastfeed. Unless your daughter is under six weeks or has a bleeding disorder he's wrong.

I also take ibuprofen and b/f - was told it was fine.

M/w told me when discussing c-section that they give ibuprofen and paracetamol as pain relief and didn't mention it wasn't compatible with b/fing (which since 75% of mothers commence b/fing suggests it's fine)

I had a c-section and was on ibuprofen, paracetamol and codeine from the hospital and they were all fine. And was told that if I had any pain once my prescription ran out then to use the ibuprofen and paracetamol over the codeine but only because codeine can cause constipation.

Just checked the remains of my ibuprofen from the hospital and it was 400mg (one tablet 3 times a day) so you're fine to take them and continue to BF

Thank you very much for all your replies

Please consider writing to the practise manager over this. It is ridiculously dangerous advice for a doctor to be giving out, and for a less well informed mother could spell the end of her breastfeeding relationship. It is ignorance in the extreme and needs correcting.

I was once in the pharmacy with a cracking headache and wanted to know whether it was OK to take ibuprofen while breastfeeding. The pharmacist said the official advice was to ask your doctor, but that it happened that his wife who was a consultant obstetrician had popped in on her way home and he'd go and ask her. Her verdict - absolutely fine. And obviously a 12mo who is eating solids is not going to be getting proportionally less than an unweaned ebf baby, which was what I had at the time.

crookmum, it's a real shame your doctor told you this. Glad you posted here

I support the suggestion to take this further. You don't need to be rude in your letter - but other women may hear this advice and stop, maybe stopping suddenly, and apart from the effect on the baby, the effect on the mother's breasts of stopping suddenly is not good (risk of mastitis).

You can check out the relevant factsheet at www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk, print it out and share it with the practice manager/doctor. It is referenced.