Breastfeeding and medication for long-term conditions

In each general practice there will be women who have a chronic medical condition but who are also breastfeeding their baby. However, we may not know who they are. Contacts with mothers have shown that they may forget to tell their health practitioners. This has been particularly true with increasing numbers of video calls. It is also anecdotally true, according to social media groups, when women are continuing to offer breastfeeds alongside appropriate solid foods to older toddlers and children. Some women may wish to avoid conversations when they anticipate possible criticism, even though this concern may have no foundation at all. How we, as healthcare professionals, have fed our own babies, if we had them, may influence our feelings. Nevertheless, breastfeeding is a health promotion issue and not just a matter of providing milk for babies (Renfrew and Hall, 2008). None of us can know everything, but we can take opportunities to increase our knowledge in areas which are important to families but in which we lack experience.