Anxiety does not appear in your life waiting for the best moment to treat it, the opposite usually happens. That is why it is common to find that urgently needs to be treated in the middle of pregnancy or even when the baby has already been born. And in this situation our doubts focus on anxiety medications. Can I take anxiolytics if I’m breastfeeding? This is one of the questions we ask ourselves regarding anxiety and breastfeeding.
Anxiety while breastfeeding
We know that neither pregnancy nor the first months of your baby are the best time to deal with mental health. All your efforts are aimed at reorganizing your life based on new priorities: the well-being of the baby. And especially if it is your first child, reality hits you, turning the illusion of this new life into fear of not doing it well.
It is not the best time, but anxiety disorders do not usually present at exactly the best time, so we will have to work with what we have. And what we have on hand is that you are breastfeeding your baby but you also have to overcome anxiety. Although the treatment for anxiety should be primarily psychological, sometimes the use of drugs is necessary.
The famous and feared anxiolytics. As effective as dangerous due to the risk of addiction. And what about your baby? You have opted for breastfeeding because you want to give it the best, but can you take anxiolytics when you are breastfeeding?
Take anxiolytics while breastfeeding, yes or no?
If during lactation you have to take into account your diet because everything you ingest goes into the milk that your baby is fed with, it is normal for you to worry about taking anxiolytics when you are breastfeeding. The drugs do transfer into breast milk, that much is clear, but at very low levels. Do you want to know what the ideal situation would be? That you did not take any medication and that you had a healthy and varied diet.
Do you want to know what the real situation is? That you have to take anxiolytics because you have an. So it’s time to inform you very well. And we are not doctors, so consult not only your family doctor, but also your psychologist or psychiatrist if he/she was the one who prescribed the anxiolytics, the pediatrician and any medical professional who can clarify the doubts.
Some anxiolytics have a very low risk of transfer to breast milk, so it will be a matter of choosing the one with the least risk for your baby. Also, don’t be obsessed with the fact that you are not giving your baby the best, because the best thing for your baby is that you are well and in the best condition and if that happens because you take drugs for anxiety, then you have to accept it. Of course, always combining the taking of anxiolytics with an adequate psychological intervention.
Each professional has their own criteria regarding anxiolytics. Some will change your medication, others will recommend that you stop taking the medication gradually and others, on the other hand, will suggest that it is best not to breastfeed your baby. The choice is yours and it is difficult, that is why we insist that you consult all the doctors you can, that you ask for second or third opinions and that you get in touch with other mothers who have gone through or are going through the same situation.
But do not forget the most important thing in all this. It is true that the drug will reach your baby’s diet in one way or another and that it is not the most desirable, but the risk of it negatively affecting it is very low. However, do you know what your baby needs the most? Mentally and physically healthy mothers so that she can receive if not the best milk, yes the best love, the best attention and the best care.
