Contents:
- Medical Video: Medical School - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
- Can mothers with lupus breastfeed normally?
- Can lupus be transmitted to babies through breast milk?
- Which should be considered before breastfeeding if you have lupus
- Your health condition
- The medicines you consume
- Baby's health condition
Medical Video: Medical School - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Breast milk is the best food for newborns because it is easily digested and contains various nutrients that your child needs. Maybe you already know this and want to try to get your baby to get exclusive milk. However, for those of you who have lupus, you certainly have their own anxiety about this.
Can you give exclusive breastfeeding even if you have lupus? What should people with lupus do when planning to breastfeed their children?
Can mothers with lupus breastfeed normally?
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that makes your body deceived and considers the body's normal network as an enemy. So, in people who have lupus, healthy organs will be attacked by their own immune system and cause tissue damage.
This can be a problem for mothers who plan to give exclusive breastfeeding to their babies. Because, the mother's body is susceptible to various inflammation due to being attacked by her own immune system.
However, that does not mean you cannot produce milk. Just like other healthy mothers, of course you can produce breast milk normally. Even the quantity and quality of your milk is no different from a healthy mother - this also depends on the eating patterns of each mother.
Can lupus be transmitted to babies through breast milk?
If you have heard that the prohibition of breastfeeding lupus patients due to the risk of lupus will be transmitted to infants through breast milk, then this is not true. Because, lupus cannot be 'flowed' through breast milk to make the baby experience lupus too.
Indeed, lupus cannot be transmitted through breast milk, but your breast milk may contain some of the ingredients you consume. The medicinal substances contained in breast milk can be harmful to the health of the baby.
But don't worry, because there isn't too much drug content transferred through breast milk. This is evidenced in a study from Duke University proving that drugs consumed by people with lupus are generally quite safe for babies. This study states that medicines are safe for mothers who are breastfeeding, namely:
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Azathioprine
- Methotrexate
- Prednisone
Which should be considered before breastfeeding if you have lupus
If you plan to breastfeed and give your baby exclusive breastfeeding, then there are some things that you should pay attention to, so that the quality and quantity of the milk you produce is still good, namely:
Your health condition
After giving birth, one of the symptoms you might feel is a rash on the skin and a very bad feeling of fatigue. Of course, this condition is your challenge in the first few weeks of giving a baby breast milk. Therefore, you must maintain a diet and make sure the food you eat can be used as energy for the body.
The medicines you consume
Indeed, in general the drugs consumed by people with lupus are safe for babies, but it is better if you disclose to your doctor about the breastfeeding plan that you will do. So that your doctor will adjust the medication you have to consume.
Baby's health condition
Most babies born to mothers with lupus are born prematurely. Of course this condition will make it difficult for you to give milk to the baby. Premature babies will find it difficult to suck the milk directly from the mother's nipple, so you can pump breast milk and store it in a milk bottle. This makes it easier for the baby to drink milk, because sucking from the milk bottle is easier than the mother's nipple.
