Opiates present in human milk?

[Beth]

Is there anyone who knows ANYTHING solid about the presence of opiates in breastmilk? I have been a milk donor for some time (to HIV + babies- human milk is literally the difference between life and death for some of them as opposed to artificial infant formula) but now that I have a constant stream of opiates in my system, is it safe?

I have heard SO many conflicting opinions that I just don't know. So maybe if any of you ladies who have been pregnant/nursing while on opioid meds and have info from your doctors, you can let me know. Right now I just pump & pour it down the sink, but there are so many babies in need out there...if it's safe for me to donate again I would really like to.

[cindi]

What a DORK I can be sometimes.....I'm sorry  I didn't even see your comment to me....4 years since your mom died,,,I can't even imagine not seeing my mom for 4 years..6 months is hard enough...I have been really having a difficult time the past week  I hired someone to take all her stuff out of the house...except the stuff we are keeping....my sister came up to help me do it and like 2 bigs jerks all we did is walk around the house crying and keeping everything....it did us no good...so today i had to go over and "inspect"  everything which was so difficult...my mom's entire life,,her belongings etc..all gone..my childhood memories gone...everything in a dump...it seems so freakin final..now the headstone...the sooner I get the hell out of Ohio the better off I'll be....how are you doing?  do things really get easier?  please tell me they do,,,please tell me the daily and nightly crying stops...the emptiness goes away   never will her memory fade but it still all seems so new....Thank you for thinking of me...it helps to have friends like yo that care and understand...Love to all     cindi

[susanlea]

I don't mean to bust in on this thread. I had left you a post on June 3rd futher down the lineup. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Monday was 4 years ago my mom died. I thought about you all day, please let me know how your doing......Love Susan

[cindi]

I really don't think that the amt of opiates in Breast milk is as high as the bloodstream of course it does depend on much you have taken,,therapeutic doses?  I suppose it's 6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other..hmmm I did nurse Jenna for about 4 weeks and I wa taking darvocet and she was fine..my OBGYN said it was ok  not alot was passed through the milk...i don't know what to say now...maybe there is a website you can go and check it out....i can look for you if you want to send me yur email      mine is ***@**** yes, I was given pitocin...both times I was induced..it was horrible..the first time i had a vag delivery the 2 time he was a section    i went home became massively infected,,dehisced,,,the works  i was damn near close to sepsis.....in bed for a month    trips to be packed every other day  the the HH Nurse came and packed me BID...what a mess....needless to say I am done    these loins of mine will spew forth no more life as long as I can help it  plus I am pushing 41....LOL    this would be interesting to persue....good luck and I'll see what i can come up with on my end...can you see the nurse in us????  LOL    Love to all   cin

[niccee]

My sister in law just had a baby 2 months ago. She had to have major surgery last week and the doctor told her the pain meds that he was going to give her would be secreted in the breast milk. I am not an expert so I don't know how much would be to much. If you don't mind telling me. What exactly is involved in being a breast milk donor? It sounds like a wonderful thing to do for a sick baby. How generous of you. I hope you don't have to stop.

[Beth]

Cindi- OK, so opiates are excreted in breastmilk. Next questions is- since formula is so harmful anyway, is one worse than the other? I know that breastmilk increases antibodies that will give the baby a lower risk of most cancers, obesity, and a higher IQ. So is jeopardizing all that to a baby who is already sick more harmful than a small amount of medicine in his/her system? I have one supposedly "world renowned" doctor telling me that the amount excreted in the milk is so small that it's only a miniscule amount of what the baby would have in his system if her were being perscribed the meds for some condition. Then I have another doctor saying that the amount of opiates in the breastmilk is as high as in my bloodstream. I don't really believe this, since I know a couple of people who have been on serious meds, nursed anyway, and their babies are now fine, bright young children. But I still worry as to what the right descision is....sigh

And here's a question (off topic) for your c-section birth, did they give you pitocin? I am an avid researcher of birth and labor stats and I am noticing that about 80-85% of section births were originally given pitocin. This tells me that pitocin needs to be replaced with good old nature- let the body do the job whe it's ready! As a nurse, I would be interested in your opinion on this subject.

[cindi]

as far as I know opiates are excreted in breast milk...it can mae the baby lethargic etc...at least this is what I have been told in nursing school and while I was nursing,my own babies..as a matter of fact I had a very bad c-section with my last baby and I was on some heavy duty meds and for that reason was unable to nurse...,,.cindi