Breast feeding on quetiapine and fluoxetine

[catnaps1995]

Hi this is my first post and not sure I put it in the right place.

I'm just over half way through my pregnancy and already worrying about breastfeeding. I take 50mg of quetiapine and 20mg of fluoxetine for severe mental health difficulties. I say severe because I have a long history of being unwell and have had to go through intensive therapy and been in and out of hospital. It's a worry to me and family that my mental health will get unwell with the arrival of my baby girl and I'm at high risk of developing postnatal depression and other mental health illnesses.

Anyway just wondering if anyone has breastfed on these medications? They said it would be a good idea to begin with as it will help her have less withdrawal symptoms and only a tiny bit goes through the breast milk. I'm unsure though but I really am adamant on wanting to breast feed. I also want to breastfeed for as long as I can and I don't want to have to give it up unless I am ready to. Obviously I don't know how I wi take to breastfeeding as this is my first but I'd like to give it my best shot.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I don't have any first hand advice but didn't want to read and run.
I've had mild mental health issues so took fluoxetine for a few years but thankfully have been well enough to stop taking it through ttc and pregnancy.
I think you should definitely take advice from the professionals and just ask them plenty of questions. Motherhood is tough and it wouldn't be good for either you or the baby if you stop taking important medication or feel forced to formula feed. When your mental health is in a fragile state its important that you weigh up the risks not only to baby but also your state of mind.
I expect that there will be some people with more knowledge about the medical side of it soon who might be able to give you some better advice, but just make sure you look after yourself.

I’m afraid I don’t have any direct experience of your situation, but the Breastfeeding Network is an excellent resource for advice on all sorts of drugs: www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-factsheets/

The breastfeeding network has some factsheets.
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-factsheets/
There is also an email you can contact for advice on medication.

Hope that helps.

The breastfeeding network gave a ‘drugs in breastmilk helpline’, or at least they used to. It’s very worthwhile giving them a call.

Hi I breastfed on quetiapine, at 100mg at birth. Mixed fed a little at the beginning moved to ebf. Message me if you like.

The perinatal mental health consultant told me that I could breastfeed if I wanted to on 20mg fluoxetine, but not if I went higher than that. I've since needed to increase to 40mg. I feel very strongly that the most important thing for my baby is for me to be mentally well. I had horrendous antenatal depression with my first little boy and I just can't go through that again.