When I was pregnant with The Munchkin, I was lucky enough to have a pretty uneventful pregnancy. I never got morning sickness, I didn't have too much by way of sleep disturbances, I felt pretty energetic throughout. As I said, very lucky. Pretty much the only weird thing I had was the occasional urge to dry retch when I brushed my teeth. Weird, right?
There were times when I almost forgot I was pregnant, and was only reminded when I looked down at my ever-growing belly. But when you are pregnant, there's suddenly a whole bucketload of new things you need to think about, and not just in relation to decorating the nursery.
It would be lovely to think that pregnant and breastfeeding women never get sick and never need any medications, but unfortunately, this is just not the case. Long-standing conditions such as asthma and epilepsy still require treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Then there's the usual bugs and viruses that we are all still susceptible to. And don't forget that we are not just talking about prescription medications. There's also medications that you buy over-the-counter at your pharmacy and herbal and complementary products. Even medications that are in creams or ointments, in nasal sprays or eyedrops or patches can be passed across to your baby.
Medications taken by pregnant women can pass across to the baby via the placenta, just as the baby receives nutrients. Some medications can actually affect baby's development or cause miscarriage.
In addition, medications taken by breastfeeding women can pass across to the baby via the breastmilk. This may cause baby to have symptoms of drowsiness, difficulty settling, cause vomiting or diarrhoea or may affect baby's suckling reflex, making feeding difficult.
So how do we know what is safe and what isn't? This question is slightly more complicated than you would expect.
As a general rule, pharmaceutical companies don't test their medications in pregnant or breastfeeding women. For that reason, pharmaceutical companies are usually reluctant to emphatically state their medications are safe. Information about the potential safety of medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding is usually extrapolated from studies in animals such as mice. There are, however, groups worldwide which collate information and look for trends and your pharmacist and doctor will be able to access this information for you.
Some general rules which can help if you do need to take medications whilst pregnant or breastfeeding are:
As a general rule, pharmaceutical companies don't test their medications in pregnant or breastfeeding women. For that reason, pharmaceutical companies are usually reluctant to emphatically state their medications are safe. Information about the potential safety of medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding is usually extrapolated from studies in animals such as mice. There are, however, groups worldwide which collate information and look for trends and your pharmacist and doctor will be able to access this information for you.
Some general rules which can help if you do need to take medications whilst pregnant or breastfeeding are:
- Always remind your doctor and pharmacist you are pregnant or breastfeeding so they can check the safety of any medications. Don't forget to mention over-the-counter and herbal products.
- Consult your doctor or pharmacist before suddenly stopping any medications.
- If you are on long-term medication and planning to start a family, discuss this with your doctor and pharmacist before getting pregnant. It may be wise to switch to another medication which is safer in pregnancy.
- If you do need to take a medication whilst breastfeeding, chat to your pharmacist about the best time of day to take it and keep a close eye on baby for any adverse effects (e.g. drowsiness, irritability, change in bowels).
- Limit or avoid alcohol if pregnant or breastfeeding. Click here for a leaftlet produced by the Australian Breastfeeding Assocation titled "Alcohol and Breastfeeding: a guide for mothers".
- Limit or avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks).
- Avoid recreational drugs.
- If you are a smoker, there's never been a better time to quit! For more advice on quitting, pop into Terry White Chemists Berwick for a chat with our pharmacists and ask for our Self Care card on Smoking. Quit Victoria also has a great website with heaps of information and advice.
References and further reading
- Medicines and Breastfeeding Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published July 2008
- Smoking Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2010
- The Royal Women's Hospital Victoria website
- Quit Victoria website
- Australian Breastfeeding Assocation website
- Pregnancy and Drugs Fact Sheet - Better Health Channel, published October 2009 (accessed online 3 September 2011)
- Pregnancy and Smoking Fact Sheet - Better Health Channel, published February 2010 (accessed online 3 September 2011)
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