Has anyone had botox while breastfeeding?

[BananaHammock23]

First of all, I'm not looking for judgement! Just curious to know if anyone has had botox while breastfeeding.

My son is 10 months and has been EBF (he's obvs now weaning). I feel tired, old and generally hideous and I always feel 10x better when I've had botox. Just wondering what the actual risk is? Would it go into the milk? Surely it's the same as - for instance - drinking alcohol?

Anyone done it?

Hey - I have 3 children, I’ve breastfed them all until 1 (well my 3rd is 6 months old). I’ve had Botox whilst breastfeeding them all. They’re all totally fine. I use a very reputable lady in London - she told me it’s for insurance purposes - they can’t approve it for use whilst breastfeeding/ pregnant as you can’t test on those women but it’s absolutely fine (she’s also got 3 children and done it to herself throughout!). Go for it, and feel better, and do it guilt free. Being a mummy is exhausting, having a helping hand to not look as haggard as we feel is greatly appreciated! X

Hi there, apologies for digging up an old thread but I wondered whether you went with the botox in the end? I am combo-feeding a 3 month old but desperately 'needing' a bit of botox in the forehead to combat my ever-growing frown lines. I just wondered whether you did it in the end and whether your baby was OK? X

There is no information on whether BOTOX is excreted in human milk. The use of BOTOX during breast-feeding cannot be recommended.

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/859/smpc#gref

The PP's "reputable lady" in London is absolutely wrong about the "insurance purposes".

Botox can only be legally prescribed by a medical professional, and that medical professional is responsible for the safety of their prescribing.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/botox-injections/

Just wanted to come back to this thread for others searching! I had Botox when DS was 14 months and still breastfeeding regularly. I had one area of Botox - so a very small amount - at midday and didn't feed until bedtime. It was fine. I did a lot of research and decided to go ahead with it. No regrets.

Did you go for Botox in the end? I’m still breastfeeding 10 month old and I’m missing my Botox - feel so haggard and hair still falling out - need a lift and refresh badly!!!

Hello! Thanks to all who replied :)

I ended up feeling so guilty following the botox I had when Neve was 3 months old. As a result, I decided that formula fed beats any risk and so pretty much gave up the formula (I had been struggling with breastfeeding anyway for various reasons).

However, I've had botox once since and I've noticed that since having a baby my body seems to be resisting it, therefore the results are very disappointing. I wonder whether it could be a normal thing and worth considering for anyone else in a similar position.

Hey - am still feeding my 13 month old, have had Botox with all 3 of my kids since they turned 3 months. The oldest is 12, he’s not grown any extra appendages yet.

it’s totally fine. Go for it, guilt free and feel better about yourself! Being a mum is exhausting! X

Well I'm a long time breastfeeder and Botoxer 😂

I never had it when I was breastfeeding my children, mainly because my nurse wouldn't do it - and she's the only one I'll let anywhere near my face.

I think there was a study on this. They monitored women who had actual botulism, not just Botox in their forehead. Nothing got into the breast milk for any of those women so there should be no issue with breastfeeding and Botox.

I had Botox while breastfeeding. It's fine

And yet, it is specifically contraindicated in breastfeeding women.

This isn't strictly accurate - the manufacturer doesn't make a recommendation in either direction.

OP, here's an assessment of the risks for you to make your own decision from:

www.infantrisk.com/content/botox-injections-and-breastfeeding#:~:text=To%20summarize%2C%20it%20is%20unlikely,low%20risk%20to%20the%20infant.

It is absolutely accurate. The SPC says:

Breast-feeding
There is no information on whether BOTOX is excreted in human milk. The use of BOTOX during breast-feeding cannot be recommended.

They cannot recommend using it in breastfeeding women because you’re not allowed to do tests on breastfeeding women and therefore they can’t complete a study!! It is regularly prescribed to pregnant and breastfeeding women for the treatment of migraines, which obviously wouldn’t happen if it was dangerous.

Having had it through 3 kids feeding all of them and they’ve all survived, I’m a fairly good study that it’s ok!

Yes I know how medicines licensing works.

Botox is not licensed for use in breastfeeding women.

The poster asked if anyone had had it, and if it was safe. I was simply pointing out that the reason it’s not listed as safe is because they can’t do a study on breastfeeding women, but that it is prescribed for non cosmetic reasons, and as you can see from this thread - many of us have had it whilst breastfeeding and everyone appears to have survived!

You have no idea whether it's safe, because anecdote does not equal data.

True true. I shall lie awake at night and worry that my kids will grow a second head any moment.

I have had botox injections today to make me feel better about myself but now I'm frightened to feed my son as I promised the nurse I had stopped breastfeeding In order for her to give me the treatment. Problem being that I was SO not ready to stop breastfeeding my 3 month old and I'm absolutely devastated, I did not expect to feel this way about stopping. I feel guilty and so so sad. He's had nothing but formula since I got home ftom the botox clinic(14 hours ago) but I can't sleep or eat or stop crying I want to breast feed him so bad but so scared. Please reassure me its OK!!

@Mummysoph88 I did exactly the same as you - same age, same fib to the practitioner, same overwhelming guilt immediately afterwards. I breastfed my baby later that day - absolutely no problems at all. We are still breastfeeding together two years later. But I didn’t go back for another botox - like you, I was SO upset at the choice I made. I look bloody ancient at the moment. Looking forward to the day when I can go back ..

he’s not grown any extra appendages yet

they've all survived

grow an extra head

I'm all for women choosing what to do with their own bodies but just so we're all informed. We can't ethically do research on pregnant and breastfeeding women so there isn't any reliable data because you can't have a control group and double blind studies. Which means you're relying on anecdotes. By their nature these are only women who can report immediate, obvious defects. Anything delayed or subtle would be entirely missed.

If, for example, it makes your child sterile, or develop cancer in their 30s or lose 20 IQ points... you wouldn't know.

However, there's no research on broccoli either. We all assess risk with our own measures. Just please don't rely on MN anecdotes to tell you there is NO risk.

@AuntLucy thank you for replying, you made me feel slightly less guilty 🙂. I have read that botox is unlikely to have any crossover and that it in a person's system for 3 or so months so I feel like pumping and dumping for 2 weeks would have no impact...its either take the risk or stop feeding all together! I think I will breast feed him again today! Damn society and the media for the way it makes women feel the need to look perfect..I would never do it again no matter how tired I'm looking, the guilt is horrid!

@MrsTerryPratchett thank you and of course I realise what you are saying is right. I would not and should not take advice from a non scientific/medical source.

I just feel right now like all the advice available from reputable sources points to low risk, also the way I feel right now about not feeding my son any more is making me really want to believe everything I see here. I don't want to be swayed to take a risk because of my emotional state right now.

Honestly, if you've already had it, feeling guilty won't do anything except keep you up at night. Might as well just accept it is what it is.

So hard. I chose not to. Didn’t want it to impact in anyway. But you know there are a lot of other impurities in the world that as a woman you absorb eg even lead from air pollution goes into breast milk etc so actually on top of that what’s a little Botox. That’s what I told myself but I still didn’t.