IUI Medication and breastfeeding

[Guest]

Dear Dr Hale

Happy new year!
I have a patient who has a 16 month old girl and is still breastfeeding once during the day and a couple of times at night. She has tried to wean but her little girl is still very attached to it. Unfortunately her husband is HIV+ and needs to do sperm washing and she will need to undergo medicated IUI to try for another child. My patient understands that the medication might suppress her milk which is not an issue she's just worried about the side effects and health factors which might impact the child either now or in future.
I really hope you can reply as my patient is extremely depressed about this at the moment they would wait until daughter weaned but unfortunately due to husbands health they don't have much time before he might need to start using medication

Thank you ever so.much

Sandra

-Clomid
-Menopur (injectables)
-HCG (injectbles)
-progesterone suppositories

Much appreciated
Sandra


Thank you

[mmilla]

Dear Sandra,
Happy New Year to you as well. With regards to the medications you listed (Clomid, Menopur, HCG, and Progesterone), these have not been shown to have adverse effects in breastfed infants. Except for Clomid, they are all hormones that are naturally present in the mother anyways. Further, given the child's age, this mother's milk supply is probably minimal. As you already know, the use of these medications can suppress milk supply and the mother should be aware of this. We worry that breastfeeding might reduce a mother's chances of getting pregnant and she should take this into consideration. Hope this information is helpful.
Maria Milla, MD
InfantRisk Center

[Guest]

Dear Maria

Thank you ever so much for your reply it is extremely appreciated! Patient will be going ahead with IUI and breast-feeding :-)
Best regards
Sandra