# Have you had a bad experience bfing whild taking bacrtrim?



## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

Help! I need to take bactrim for a uti, and it's going to interfere with bfing.....maybe. OBGYN says it's safe while bfing, pharmacist says it's not because ds (7 wks) can get jaundice, and pediatrician isn't sure. Ped says that if I want to keep nursing, just watch for yellowing, but she suggested that maybe I stop nursing for the weekend because if he starts to show signs of jaundice on Sunday he'll have to go the emergency room since no labs will be open to test his bilirubin levels. So, that would mean pump and discard my milk for the next two days and give him formula, and then start nursing again on Monday. She looked up some info online for me, which said that he shoud be 2 months before nursing w/bactrim. Since he's 9 days away, she said that the chances of him developing jaundice are slim, but the risk is still there. If I decide not to nurse at all while taking the meds, it's for 7 days. So, it's my call.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do. I have to take this medication no matter what and I can't get anything weaker because my infection is so bad. I don't want to endanger my son, and I don't want to be a stubborn head about using formula because of my pride. But, I wasn't even comfortable yet with the idea of pumping some milk to leave him with my mom for a couple of hours, so 7 days, or even just the 2, is really scary.

If anyone has any advice or experience bfing with this med, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!!!


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## dillonandmarasmom (May 30, 2005)

I had a similar experience. I got 2 UTI's within a month of having DD and was on two different meds. I think bactrim was one of them. I can't remember the other...anyhow the frustrating thing was how ademant I was about EBF'ing and the doc (which was not my usual) seemed to only half listen.









The pharmacist was the one to tell me I shouldn't bf, so I called back the doc to *inform* her...geez, why don't they all have the same info???
I ended up getting one that was pretty strong, but was able to still feed dd. She got the runs once, then was fine.

I don't know if this helps at all...have you tried homeopathic rememdies?? Tried cranberry pills?? Drinking tons of water?? Cutting out sugar, caffeine?? The thing that takes the sting away for me pretty successfully is a tablespoon of baking soda in water, and drink it down. It helps bring the ph in your urine back to normal so it doesn't burn you.









Good luck and rest mama!


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## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

I was going to go the herbal route, but when my midwife got my test results back, she said I NEEDED antibiotics for sure, and I know that she would only say that if she really, really thought it was the case. My bacteria levels are aparently really high.

I don't understand why they don't all have the same info either. Thanks for your encouragement!

Oh, yeah- how can poop be any runnier than bf poop anyway?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I'd nurse.










hope you feel better soon.

-Angela


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## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

Dh and I talked for a long time and we decided that I would take the meds, keep nursing, and we would just pray for our son's health to be protected. I feel good about the decision. My OBGYN (well, the nurse practioner, actually, who is the one I saw) told me very confidently that she wouldn't precribe something for me if she thought there was a chance it would harm my child. This makes me feel pretty good, even though that was after she had subtley lectured me about the dangers of delivering a baby with a midwife out of the hospital!









Hopefully my only updates here will be good ones!







:


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## snowbunny (May 25, 2005)

I was just dxed with a UTI and given bactrim, which I refused because the bottle clearly was labeled with "do not take while breastfeeding" and the gave me cephalexin instead.


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## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

The only things the bacteria in my infection is sensitive to is bacrtim and cipro.







Bactrim is the lesser of two evils.


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## LoveChild421 (Sep 10, 2004)

I would nurse and watch him closely for signs of jaundice- I would rather have to go to the ER for tests if he does seem to have symptoms than stop nursing for 7 days. Since he is still quite young it might really affect nursing- he might get used to a bottle, your milk supply will probably go down (since pumping is never as effective as a nursing baby at draining the breast and you probably won't pump as often as a baby would nurse).

Also, I used to get UTIs often and I found the only thing that made me stop getting them was to take probiotics (good bacteria like acidophilus which is in yogurt). Since you are BF I would also give the baby some infant probiotic powder since the antibiotics passing through your breastmilk might destroy some of his gut flora. you can get probiotics at any Whole Foods or natural health store.


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## Belleweather (Nov 11, 2004)

nak

I just finished a course of bactrim for the same reason -- UTI that wouldn't respond to anything else. Aparently, the warning about not taking while BF is from the manufacturer, while the AAP says it's safe which might be part of why you're getting two different stories. Anyway, we took the drugs, I nursed throughout, and although my two week old was fussier because of them messing with the flora in his gut, we're both fine after a some probiotics, and he never showed a sign of jaundice.

Frankly, if it's bad enough that you're getting bactrim, it's not something you want to mess around with. I'd take the drugs and nurse, and re-evaulate if there's a problem. You're no good to yourself or your baby if you let this turn into a raging kidney infection, you know?


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## snarfywarning (Dec 11, 2005)

Aww pumpkin. I say... he is only 9 days away...He is big and healthy and cute and perfect...so... nurse. You would give yourself a heart attack if you gave him formula, which can't be good for him....









p.s. I LOVED seeing you this week! I have some cute pictures I am gonna put up on my fotki soon.


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## Icequeen_in_ak (Mar 6, 2004)

I had multiple kidney infections after my dd was born and I went through the goat rope of doctors continually telling me to stop nursing while on the medications. I'm so incredibly happy that I found Dr. Hale!!! I trust what he has to say before any of these other idiots that have spent a milisecond learning about lactation in their schooling. (sorry... a little pent up agression towards the medical field at this point







)

His book is awesome and I recommended it enough that my OB/GYN actually HAS it now! and his website is also very informative http://neonatal.ama.ttuhsc.edu/cgi-b...s&access=guest

I refer there whenever anything has been prescribed to me.


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## jenP (Aug 22, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Icequeen_in_ak*
I had multiple kidney infections after my dd was born and I went through the goat rope of doctors









T
"Goat Rope," what an unteresting phrase. Do you know its derivation?

Jen


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## Icequeen_in_ak (Mar 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenP*







T
"Goat Rope," what an unteresting phrase. Do you know its derivation?

Jen

never thought I'd be explaining that one, but here ya go:

Dictionary definition for "goat-rope"
goat-rope n. a messy or disorganized situation. Also goat roping, goat rodeo.
Categories: English


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## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

nak

i was given bactrim the day after dd was born for a kidney infection. it wasn't the right antibiotic though so i was only on it for 4.5 days. The doc said it would be fine for bfing and i actually had more trouble with the ampicillin that was the right one... it gave her terrible, painful gas. i didn't notice anything with dd while on the bactrim though. and i was at the very beginning trying to establish bfing. we did get thrush after being on antibiotics for 15 days...

love and peace.


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## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

Thanks for all of your help and support everyone. I've been on Bactrim since Friday night, and everything is going just fine!







Ds and I are both taking acidophilus too.

I'm really glad that we decided to just go ahead and nurse. That was my gut instinct anyway, but at first I got freaked out about the whole jaundice thing. We've been bonding so much the last few days when we nurse, and I would have been missing all of that! He's been wanting to play, and he stops nursing to look at me and coo and smile, and I just think, man I love this.


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