Zoloft and Breastfeeding
Zoloft has been the most popular
antidepressant medication used by new mothers because of studies
that show lower concentration of Zoloft in the breast milk. But
moms committed to breastfeeding are often skeptical about taking
any kind of drug not supported with long-term studies.
Other treatments should be the first line of defense (we offer
extensive information here on targeted nutrient therapy). However,
if you are here because you are developing a strategy to reduce
your baby’s exposure to Zoloft, read on.
Peak Concentrations
of Zoloft and Breastfeeding at Low
Concentrations
In developing your strategy, understand first that when you take
your daily dose of Zoloft, it will enter your bloodstream, the
levels will gradually build, and then the levels will decline. What
you want to do is try to get baby’s feeding schedule to line up
with the low concentrations of Zoloft in your blood.
According to a study in the 1997 American Journal of
Psychiatry,
Zoloft will peak in your milk at 7-10 hours after your dose.
If you are lucky enough to have a baby who sleeps through the
night, you could take your dose about two hours before bedtime (or
even at bedtime) and let baby sleep through those peak
concentrations of Zoloft. Ideally you would begin breastfeeding
about 14 hours after the dose.
That is a very long time, but look at the actual study. Note Figure 2 on page 1258. Not
breastfeeding during 4-12 hours after your dose is your next best
strategy.
Non-Sleepers
I am well aware that there are many babies who don’t sleep for more
than a couple of hours. I have many hours of sleep loss to prove
it.
If that’s the case, you’ll be nursing in the 7-10 hour peak time
and in the 4-12 hour range. One way to manage this situation if you
want to reduce baby’s exposure is to keep these breastfeeding
sessions short. During peak concentration, have short nursing
sessions where baby primary gets fore milk.
There are higher concentrations of the medication in the hind
milk.
The hind milk is the milk that our bodies produce several minutes
into the nursing session. The first milk that comes out is more
watery, the low fat version of human milk. The hind milk is the
whole milk. If baby is loaded up with milk during lower
concentration periods, baby might be content with a short nursing
session and a little fore milk at peak hours.
Scheduling my baby is
going to drive me crazy
I know. It might be better to forget all of this information. But
for people who are interested, I have provided it. Not all moms and
all babies fit into the schedule that this research suggests.
Quit
Breastfeeding?
Don’t entertain the question. Just because this article focuses on
reducing baby’s exposure to Zoloft, the most important thing for
baby is to receive your milk. Your milk has the nutrients your
growing baby needs and you are providing immunities to disease to
that young person. The reason Zoloft is so often recommended for
breastfeeding mothers is that only trace amounts of the medication
make it into the milk. Forge ahead!
Improving my
depression
If you are struggling with depression, consider your nutrient
status. Improving your nutrient status will alleviate your
depression. Depending on other circumstances in your life, nutrient
therapy may take care of your depression in pregnancy
altogether.
Look at your Omega-3 fatty acid and B-vitamin
intake. These
deficiencies are common. Our need for Omega-3s and B-vitamins is
higher in the third trimester of pregnancy and during breastfeeding
than at any time in our lives.
Have your doctor check your iron. You may need to take a prenatal
vitamin with iron, but you should also increase the iron in your
diet. We have extensive information on iron rich foods in our downloadable e-book.
Best of luck.