# Sleeping pills while bf'ing



## guestmama9920 (Nov 23, 2007)

I've gone 6 months now with insomnia, I have GOT to get this sorted. What meds are safer while BF'ing.

The doc doesn't want to give me anything cause I am breastfeeding, but baby isn't going to wean anytime soon but I HAVE to sleep even a few days a week. She is 12 months BTW.

Would a small amount of something like valium be that bad?

The other drugs he has offered have horrible side effects


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## Heba (Sep 24, 2004)

I have no experience of Valium while breastfeeding; perhaps some of the other mamas here have.

Hale lists it as L3 (=moderately safe). Pediatric concerns = "some reports of lethargy, sedation, poor suckling have been found."

If you're actually in the UK, you could ring or e-mail the Drugs in Breastmilk Helpline run by the Breastfeeding Network for more info (they may be able to suggest alternatives to consider). Contact details here:
http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org....reastmilk.html


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

I wouldn't use a benzo. I'd use something like Ambien. Make sure you are NOT cosleeping while on any sedatives. It's among hales 'approved' choices.


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## KoalaMommy (Apr 7, 2004)

Valium is relatively ok while nursing, I was also given ambien while nursing but it did nothing for me. If you needed a benzo, something with a shorter half-life, like Ativan would be better. Valium is a 30-hour, and Ativan is 17-hour.

Have you tried melatonin? It has been studied for safety in children as young as 6 months and found no adverse affects. Plus it doesn't knock you out so completely that if you needed to, you couldn't wake up if you were needed. If you took the sublingual form right after nursing your babe for the night, it would most likely be out of your system anyway before you needed to nurse again. You can get it in the health food store.


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## guestmama9920 (Nov 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mysticmomma* 
I wouldn't use a benzo. I'd use something like Ambien. Make sure you are NOT cosleeping while on any sedatives. It's among hales 'approved' choices.

My mum is addicted to Ambien, and the stuff gave me the creeps, I was seeing stuff.

I'm happy to co-sleep with taking a very small dose of a sedative, I know how it effects me and to be honest just being over tired is more dangerous IMHO.

She's also 1 year vs 1 week. If I even move the wrong way the kid wakes up screaming. Trust me, I'd hear her if she cried.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KoalaMommy* 
Valium is relatively ok while nursing, I was also given ambien while nursing but it did nothing for me. If you needed a benzo, something with a shorter half-life, like Ativan would be better. Valium is a 30-hour, and Ativan is 17-hour.

Have you tried melatonin? It has been studied for safety in children as young as 6 months and found no adverse affects. Plus it doesn't knock you out so completely that if you needed to, you couldn't wake up if you were needed. If you took the sublingual form right after nursing your babe for the night, it would most likely be out of your system anyway before you needed to nurse again. You can get it in the health food store.

I was told melatonin was a big no no to. Do you know the half life of clonzapam? I've had that before.

I found the Valium wore off on me in a few hours, I use to take .25 -.50 of a mg too. Not like I was taking 10 mgs or anything.

Many of the other drugs I have been suggested to take just have worse side effects than maybe making the baby a little sleepy. KWIM?

Again, let me stress I've gone with 3-4 hours of sleep a night for 6 months, I need to try something.

The UK doc gave me codeine which worked for a while but stopped. Maybe cause I take it for headaches?


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## guestmama9920 (Nov 23, 2007)

About Ambein

Quote:

Never take this medication during your normal waking hours, unless you have a full 7 to 8 hours to dedicate to sleeping. Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making phone calls and later having no memory of the activity.
That doesn't sound to good to me!


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## Heba (Sep 24, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Britishmama* 
Do you know the half life of clonzapam? I've had that before.

Clonazepam? Half life = 18- 50 hours (Hale, 2008 _Medications and Mother's' Milk_ p225)

If it would help, I could send you full information from Hale on any drugs you are considering. Just pm me with an e-mail address.

Did you try the BfN drugline? I'd be happy to contact them for you, but it might be better if you go direct as you know what questions you'd want to ask. But they can only deal with drug regimens used in the UK.


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## NizhoniTwice (Sep 13, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Britishmama* 
About Ambein

That doesn't sound to good to me!


Really think hard about Ambien. I took it a few years back and unless you fall asleep right away it can be dangerous. I once was unable to sleep after taking it and sang some opera arias out the window (with good volume and with my mom and sister trying to get me to stop to no avail). I never took it again. And would never ever ever take it if cosleeping with an infant.


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## guestmama9920 (Nov 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LorenaAZ* 
Really think hard about Ambien. I took it a few years back and unless you fall asleep right away it can be dangerous. I once was unable to sleep after taking it and sang some opera arias out the window (with good volume and with my mom and sister trying to get me to stop to no avail). I never took it again. And would never ever ever take it if cosleeping with an infant.

don't worry I won't take it either. Once I couldn't sleep and swore the keyboard was eating my fingers.

I know how the other stuff effects me hence why I'd rather use that, sounds silly but I like drugs I know









Also my mum has offered that Ambein crap to me for months, I'd rather a glass of wine

Maybe that is an option? Or would wine be worse? Says the one who can't sleep while baby is fast asleep next to her


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## sherrylouz (Sep 17, 2009)

You can use melatonin but If you want natural way, you can drink a glass of milk before going to bed.


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## inkedmamajama (Jan 3, 2003)

you could try benadryl, unisom, melatonin

those would all be fine when nursing a year old child, and i dont say co sleeping is out of the question-but i would have another person around to let you know if you slept well, make sure you dont sleep through baby, etc...

and a glass of wine is totally fine


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mysticmomma* 
I wouldn't use a benzo. I'd use something like Ambien. Make sure you are NOT cosleeping while on any sedatives. It's among hales 'approved' choices.

i disagree. benzos for me were far more effective than ambien, and without the unpleasant side effect ambien gives me of hallucination. by the by, both are safe for nursing mothers when used in moderation; you just have to find a doctor who will prescribe it. it helps if you agree to pump and dump and/or not feed for a certain number of hours. but they're not at your house to see that you're doing that









of course, ambien may be a great option for you. is your insomnia anxiety driven? has it just started after your birth? could it be PPD or PTSD?

ETA: i took ativan, .5 mg but sometimes as much as 2 mg. i had PTSD. i did co-sleep but made sure DH was in the bed, and before i knew how the drug would affect me, he slept next to DD.


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## ShwarmaQueen (Mar 28, 2008)

Personally, I'd rather night wean (with baby in a different room) than take a medication to sleep. It's pretty normal to have sparse sleep while nursing, even at 12 mos. I don't remember sleeping more than 3-4 hours until DD was night weaned, which was at about 15 mos.

Meds and cosleeping are just too dangerous IMO.


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShwarmaQueen* 
Personally, I'd rather night wean (with baby in a different room) than take a medication to sleep. It's pretty normal to have sparse sleep while nursing, even at 12 mos. I don't remember sleeping more than 3-4 hours until DD was night weaned, which was at about 15 mos.

Meds and cosleeping are just too dangerous IMO.

it sounds like the OP's problem is not the baby waking super frequently to nurse, but her own insomnia. at least that's how i read it.


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## ShwarmaQueen (Mar 28, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *readytobedone* 
it sounds like the OP's problem is not the baby waking super frequently to nurse, but her own insomnia. at least that's how i read it.

Yah, I guess I just assumed that the babe is still nursing at night. I had the same insomnia she described until DD night-weaned completely, it seemed to "fix" some sort of hormonal thing, I assume.


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## estercita (Apr 27, 2009)

I started out using Ambien while BF & then switched to Remeron (mirtazapine) b/c Ambien wasn't working. I took Rem. every night for 4-5 weeks while LO was 4.5 months old & then took it about every other night for a month, & now only need it a couple times a month. I never noticed any side effects in my daughter, even though at times she was nursing once at night. All of the case reports show that very low levels are transmitted through breastmilk. See e.g. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/si...temp/~RdPeh4:1

Readytobedone & others assured me that once the Zoloft kicked in I'd be able to sleep again on my own...and it was true! I'm now sleeping 8 hours again without meds almost every night. You will get through this once you find the right combination of meds!!


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## guestmama9920 (Nov 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShwarmaQueen* 
Personally, I'd rather night wean (with baby in a different room) than take a medication to sleep. It's pretty normal to have sparse sleep while nursing, even at 12 mos. I don't remember sleeping more than 3-4 hours until DD was night weaned, which was at about 15 mos.

Meds and cosleeping are just too dangerous IMO.

I'd rather never sleep than night wean or not sleep with my baby to be honest.

Her waking doesn't bother me, well it does but that isn't my *problem*. My problem is her being sound asleep and me staring at the walls vs sleeping too.

I have had a bit of luck with codeine which I have taken for horrible headaches anyway. She doesn't wake any less (or me ) if I take it.

But I'm still on the whole not sleeping.

Maybe I should try the wine idea, would 1 glass be OK? Haven't had wine in ages!


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## ZoraP (Jun 11, 2009)

If I were you, I'd try the glass of wine first! Really, one (not more!) glass of wine before bed will not be harmful to you or dd -- if it relaxes you enough to get some sleep it seems like a better solution than all this heavier stuff.

Too much alcohol is known to actually interfere with sleep, so I'd keep it very moderate.

I also suggest getting more physical exercise during the day (preferably outdoors, so the sunlight helps your internal clock set itself). This helps me sleep at night. Of course having a routine and going to bed and getting up at the same time every day is good, too. Make sure you're not getting caffeine in your system too close to bedtime, too.


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