Are you a new mom? Then it’s important to pay particular attention to what skin-care products you are using. When you’re breastfeeding, anything you put on your skin or eat or drink can potentially be passed along to the baby in breast milk.
These ingredients get into breast milk via the mother’s blood circulation, even by absorption through the skin. Newborns may be more affected more by this than infants six months or older. Though the quantity excreted in a mother’s milk is usually not more than 1 to 2 percent of the amount ingested by the mother, it is still advised to make sure your products are safe. You can consult your doctor for this. Or we can help you with safe and dermatologist-verified skin-care in the CureSkin app.
It’s important to know which topical products are safe to use during breastfeeding and which should be avoided. Avoid OTC (over-the-counter) products. These are products that are commonly available for purchase without supervision. But their contents may not be safe.
Take for example, sunscreens. The choice of sunscreens is a big deal when it comes to skin care for breastfeeding mothers. Sunscreens are generally safe to use, though some studies have suggested that some chemical-based sunscreens can be dangerous when breastfeeding. If your sunscreen contains chemicals like oxybenzone or retinoids, they are not safe when feeding.
Download the CureSkin app for getting the safe and correct skin-care regimen for you. This app provides new-mom and pregnancy safe regimens. Your individual regimen are verified personally by a dermatologist before they are given out.
Specifically, please note:
- Don’t take any products which say extra-strength, long-acting, or sustained-release formulas. Take only if necessary and after consulting with your doctor.
- Avoid aspirin. Don’t take any aspirin or aspirin-containing products while breastfeeding. Aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding in your baby due to its blood-thinning effects.
- Topical retinoids such as Retin-A (tretinoin), tazarotene, and adapalene should not be used while pregnant or breastfeeding. Non-prescription retinoids such as retinol should be avoided as well.
- Avoid antihistamines (usually contained in anti-allergy products) or use sparingly. These ingredients may decrease the milk supply. Always use non-drowsy formulas.
If you are taking any medicine or product, suggested by a doctor, it is important to take a few additional precautions, when using them
- Just make sure to wash your hands after applying / using the product or medication. Make sure your baby’s skin doesn’t come into contact with the treated areas.
- Take medicine right after you breastfeed. The highest concentration of the drug is in your bloodstream immediately after taking the medicine. This is called the “peak level.” After that, your body begins breaking down the drug until it is eventually cleared from your system. By taking the medicine right after breastfeeding, smaller amount will pass to the breast milk compared to if you took the medicine before breastfeeding.
Remember, always read the drug Facts label before taking any medication.
To summarise
As a new-mom who is breast-feeding, please:
- DO NOT buy over the counter pain-killers like aspirin
Aspirin or aspirin-containing products have blood-thinning effects which pass on to the baby during feeding. This may increase the risk of bleeding in the baby. - DO NOT treat common cold and cough by buying medications yourself
Most of the drugs available for cough and minor allergies contain antihistamines. These antihistamines may decrease milk production. - DO NOT use skin-care products from the supermarket
Skin care products available in the supermarket may contain unknown ingredients and non-prescription retinoids. These should be avoided during pregnancy and breast-feeding. CureSkin app can help give you the right regimen that is absolutely new-mom and pregnancy safe. - DO NOT take your medication at wrong time.
About 1 – 2 % of medication / product in your blood can be transferred to the baby during feeding. Always remember to feed the baby before taking the medicine. - DO NOT choose the wrong sunscreen
While sunscreens are very important, some sunscreens may contain chemical ingredients that can affect the baby. So, it is important to consult a doctor before using any. CureSkin app will help give you here.
Download CureSkin app by clicking here