Would you take paracetemol while breastfeeding?

[hewlettsdaughter]

Feeling rough today so considering it. The notes that come with my packet say "Paracetemol will enter breast milk. No evidence has been shown that this is harmful to the infant". DD is 8 weeks (coincidentally she has her first injections this afternoon).

I'd be careful- but that's just me. I'm very cautious with paracetamol when pregnant/bfeeding a young baby (not so fussed once they're 6 months plus).

If I had a very high temp/flu/mastitis I would take it- otherwse I wouldn't.

What's making you feel rough, HewlettsD?

Don't know about paracetamol, but I think plain ibuprofen is okay (at least I queried it with the midwife for labour pains (paracetamol does nothing for me and can make me feel sick) and she said it was the drug they gave out routinely on the postnatal wards and as far as she was concerned it was fine when breastfeeding).

Could you take ibuprofen instead? I took it extensively (i.e. round the clock) for a back problem with I was breastfeeding dd. She's fine, and I was advised to take that in preference to paracetamol where possible. Having said that I did take paracetamol occasionally.

I took paracetamol when DS was very small - needed it to be able to function from the pains of gicing birth. And I think he's OK (seems to generally be an all right baby and has made it to nearly 7 months so far).

Oh, head like cotton wool, bad taste in mouth - probably coming down with a cold or something. I am cautious about these things too, Jimjams. I thought it would be interesting to know what others thought though.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! There were only 2 when I started typing that last post

Hadn't heard that ibuprofen might be better.

I took a lot of it at the beginning cos bfeeding was soo bloody painful. Still feeding DS2 (10m) and don't think twice about taking it for headaches, colds hangovers () etc
It's what I was given in hosp after both babies too!

took it both times when pg and feeding to no adverse effect.

Dino - the only reason I'm cautious is that there is a growing group in the States who link using it as a fever reducer with developing- yep you've guessed it autism. I haven't looked into the research -if indeed their is any- although autistic do do weird things with paracetamol- and we don't think that is what happened to ds1 (although he reacts so badly to calpol - or maybe the additives- that we avoid it anyway). But it just means I only use it if boys temps go about 40 and if I'm bfeeding then only if I really cannot function. Extra cautious- but I am paranoid.

A doc told me to use it the other week when I had a lot of pain, but I didn't (8 weeks at the time).

Of course its slightly daft because post section I'll be dosing myself up with codeine.....!

have always been told to take paracetamol and actually was prescribed paracetamol + codein for postnatally. There's also supposedly a link between long-term paracetamol use in babies and childhood asthma, but I think that referred to paracetamol given directly to the baby rather than minute amounts in breastmilk.

Poor you, HD. Hot honey and lemon, lots of fluids and rest whenever you can get it? I can't see that a paracetamol would hurt much - but not if it's going to make you anxious!

They keep going on about it in the Autism File dino but I haven't particularly followed it up. well I haven't at all......

Jimjams, mean meaning to mention to you. Have you been following the government coverup on Gulf War Syndrome? Someone in Defence ordered the destruction of research evidence that multiple vaccinations caused bizarre illnesses in mice - particularly severe osteoporosis - a common symptom in sufferers of Gulf War Syndrome. This was on the Today programme which had unearthed the original research papers, and there was someone very shifty from the government. The vaccinations were - I think for smallpox and anthrax, but it was definitely giving them at the same time that causes these illnesses. It made me think.

BTW I would take paracetamol if I needed it!

BTW I would take paracetamol if I needed it!

Yes
Take it, you need to be well

Hi hewlettsdaughter - yes, take the paracetamol and make yourself better. Ds2 was delivered by a section 6 months ago and I was prescribed paracetamol in hospital to deal with the pain ( that with an anti-inflammatory drug that I can't remember the name of). Hospital aware that I was BFing. They no longer routinely use morphine, codeine etc following sections apparently - don't know how this applies in other hospitals. Subsequently discharged 2 days later with anti-inlammatories and a big box of paracetamol!! Hope you feel better soon .

It's a magazine published by Jonathoon and polly Tommey- think that's their names- the parents of Billy tommy who was the first child to recieve secretin in this country.

it's a mix of the round up of latest research and parental contributions. Quite a few parents from the states mention paracetamol.

Aloha- gulf war syndrome has been treated simlarly to MMR. The Autism Research Unit at Sunderland have done quite a lot of work on conjunction with Gulf War researchers. The vets with Gulf War syndrome often/always (not sure) have IAG in their urine- which a lot of autistics have as well (ds1 has it). If you look here there is a new article about autism and gulf war syndrome. Which I haven't seen before so I'm off to read it..

Heck yes! I would take it!

I'm feeding dd2 at the moment and I also suffer from kidney stones (pregnancy induced but still bothering me a bit). SO since I've been feeding her I've takes : paracetamol, paracetamol and coedine, co-proxamol, ibuprofen, voltarol, temgesic and pethidine. And she's fine. Painkillers are mainly excreted in small amounts in the breastmilk, but usually in amounts too small to have any effect.

Hope you feel better soon!

I've taken it and dd is still alive to tell the tale (so to speak)