Antidepressants' Effect on Milk Production

by | 8 comments

MedPage Today reports on a small study that found "women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants may experience delays in postpartum breast milk production …" Delayed in this instance means more than 72 hours postpartum. Read more here.

also, click here for more information on breastfeeding and depression.

8 Comments

  1. Pamela @ 2 much test
    Pamela @ 2 much test on January 30, 2010 at 11:30 am

    I must chime in on this one. Simply because as of this Tuesday, I am 11 months strong with breastfeeding my son. This is one of the biggest accomplishments in my parenting "career". I've been taking Zoloft for about 9 months. I've had zero problems in the milk development department! You CAN do it all!

    Reply
  2. Stephanie
    Stephanie on January 30, 2010 at 1:47 pm

    I have also been on Zoloft and have not had any problems breastfeeding my daughter–if someone is concerned, there are many women that have seen wonderful results in an increase in milk production by drinking "Mothers Milk" Tea–you can find it on amazon.com–hope that helps someone!

    Reply
  3. Carrie
    Carrie on January 30, 2010 at 5:32 pm

    I can't help but wonder how much of the delay could be attributed to how well their depression was being managed by the SSRIs, especially given that they had just given birth to their first babies?? Depression, anxiety and stress can all play a role in milk production, let down, etc.
    I've nursed 2 babies now on Lexapro. One for 14 months. The other for almost 4 months…..and hopefully many, many more.

    Reply
  4. Pamela
    Pamela on January 31, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Oh, and Fenugreek… if you don't mind smelling like maple syrup!

    Reply
  5. Laura
    Laura on January 31, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    My milk took 96 hours to come in with both children. With my first, I wasn't on any meds, and the second I was on welbutrin. I've noticed no difference since then and have a happy 4 month old in the 90th percentile for weight. When I left the hospital, I was told it was normal for milk to come in after 4 days. 72 hours may not be realistic for all women, not just ones on PPD meds from what I can tell.

    Reply
  6. Katherine Stone/Post
    Katherine Stone/Post on February 1, 2010 at 5:11 am

    I think all this study indicates is that more research is needed. There are plenty of women on meds whose milk comes in during the right range of time, and women who aren't on meds for whom it doesn't and vice versa.
    I do think, though, that it would be good for a woman to know about this so that if her milk is delayed she'll know it may be due to medication and not because she's a breastfeeding "failure".

    Reply
  7. Katherine Stone/Post
    Katherine Stone/Post on February 1, 2010 at 5:11 am

    I haven't seen any research on that but if I do I'll let you know!

    Reply
  8. Katherine Stone/Post
    Katherine Stone/Post on February 1, 2010 at 5:12 am

    Glad to hear it's working out so well for you Pamela!

    Reply

Tell Us What You Think

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.