Treating UTI while Nursing
Q.
I got a urinary tract infection after delivering my daughter. Since I am nursing her, I was told I could only take a certain antibiotic, and that if it did not work I would have to take another medicine that would not allow me to continue to nurse. Because I have strong feelings on nursing, I chose not to seek additional help after the initial antibiotic did not clear up the infection. Three months later, the kidney pain was too much to stand any longer. Now I've been given the same antibiotic again for the same problem, without getting an exam. I'm worried that perhaps I am damaging my kidneys by not aggressively treating the infection. Since I want to nurse for a year, how much of a risk am I taking by not taking the other medication for nine more months?
A.
This situation can become quite serious. First, you should not only have a urine dipstick done in your doctor's office, but also you should have the urine sent to the lab for culture and sensitivity (to see exactly what grows and what antibiotics it will respond to). You should also have an exam. If indeed you have an infection that requires the use of an antibiotic that is not safe to use while nursing, then you should take that antibiotic. Left untreated, a simple bladder infection may progress to a more serious kidney infection, which, left untreated, can make you extremely ill -- hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics are not unheard-of in this situation, and permanent kidney damage may occur in extreme cases. Even if you have to take an antibiotic that precludes nursing, you can pump and discard your breast milk. If you have stored some breast milk already, that can be used to feed the baby, via a bottle, until you can nurse again. If you do not have any stored breast milk, or not enough stored, you can use formula temporarily. If you continue to pump and discard while on the antibiotic, then your milk supply will not diminish, and you will be able to take up where you left off. This is a "best of both worlds" solution.
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