PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When a woman is pregnant, the medications she takes must be closely monitored by her physician to avoid harm to the fetus. That conversation needs to continue after the baby is born, when a woman is breastfeeding. However, there are some key differences between the time before and the time after the birth.
During pregnancy, there is essentially a direct transfer from mother to fetus and, depending on the number of weeks a woman is pregnant, there are major developmental stages of growth.
When a woman breastfeeds her baby the breast milk is affected by everything she consumes, but concentrations can vary. In addition, the baby's gastro-intestinal tract also processes the breast milk, which can reduce concentration even further.
Nevertheless, an ongoing conversation between a new mother and her doctor and/or pharmacist can be very helpful.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
