# CAT scan and breastfeeding



## rose_bud79 (Jul 21, 2005)

I'm having a CT scan in the morning and I'm bf my 4 month old. They told me at the office that it's safe to keep bf. I have to drink two bottles of something called Barium Sulfate Suspension. Even though they told me it's safe, I'm just not sure I'm comfortable bf my baby. But, he doesn't take a bottle, especially from me and I have to work hard to keep my supply up.
Uh, babe's waking up! Any advice on this?


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

It seems health care providers generally err on the side of caution. So if you were told breastfeeding is okay, I'd go with that. You can look it up for yourself, of course. Barium sulfate may not even pass into breastmilk at all.


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## ShwarmaQueen (Mar 28, 2008)

A friend just went through this with her (then) 2 mo. The LC at the hospital said to pump immediately before drinking the barium sulfate, pump & discard the next feeding after the scan, then go back to normal. HTH.


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## kiara7 (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:

Redi-Cat is just *barium sulfate.* It's not even absorbed orally. It just stays in the GUT. I wouldn't worry about using it and breastfeeding at all.

Tom Hale Ph.D.
http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/discus/me....html#POST5419


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## mjg013 (Jul 29, 2008)

In my experience I was told drinking it breastfeeding is safe but you should pump and dump for 24 hours after having a contrast dye injected.


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## kiara7 (Feb 14, 2008)

http://www.acr.org/MainMenuCategorie...thersDoc1.aspx

Info on Contrast Dyes. Less then 1% is transferred into the milk and less then 1% of that is absorbed by the infant.


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## foreverinbluejeans (Jun 21, 2004)

Barium sulfate is *not* a contrast dye. It is something chalky that makes your digestive system show up on x-rays. It has no effect on your milk. There is no reason to pump and dump (there almost never is).


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