Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Can't live without it! Great for pregnancy, too! November 8, 2008
Dr. Hale's work has saved so many breastfeeding relationships from well-meaning but uninformed medical advice. As a nursing mama, I can't tell you how many times I've encountered the old "pump & dump" instructions, or even been told outright to wean my children. Thanks to Hale's guide, which fits perfectly in a diaper bag or vehicle glove box, I can do my own research right on the spot during medical appointments, and show doctors firsthand that a medication is either safe or can be substituted with a breastfeeding-friendly replacement with equal healing value.
Medications are listed in easy-to-find alphabetical order, including a quick index of common/generic/brand names. A classification system will show at a glance any warnings and allow the mother to see specific risks (with clinical studies referenced) during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is a risk-based rating which allows mothers to see to what extreme a medication may be at risk - you might not choose a specific drug if you are pregnant or nursing an infant, but it would fall into a safer category for a nursing toddler, for example.
Not only is Hale's guide invaluable when it comes to prescription medication, but he includes hefty sections on common OTC medications and even herbals. The OTC (Over the Counter/non-prescription) section includes just about everything imaginable for colds and flu, allergies and more. I am SO grateful for the years of nursing we've been blessed with that Dr. Hale has helped make possible, without having to rely on outside advice but instead going straight to the most respected expert in this field.
So grab a copy for yourself or someone you love, as early in pregnancy as possible. Bring it to your birth, every medical appointment, and keep it handy during travel. Let your friends know you have a copy and can help look up medications if they ever need help. When you're done with your copy, please pass it on to a LaLeche League leader or hospital Lactation Center in your area and it will be helpful to hundreds of other families, too! :)
Professional book for LC's, MD's and nurses. September 5, 2008
It's a very good book for use as Lactation consultunts, MD and everyone else that works with breastfeeding mothers.
A MUST HAVE for all pregnant or nursing mothers!! May 24, 2008
AWESOME book!!! I use it constantly. I've also compared the info in the book with what my pediatrician and a lactation consultant recommend and found that the info in the book corresponds with both.
Every Breast Feeding Mother should own this book! May 19, 2008
This book should be a required book for breastfeeding mothers. In our world of unedicuated medical professionals regarding breastfeeding, all mothers should be armed with this book before they see a doctor- that way you KNOW for sure if the medication really is safe, or isn't. Too many doctors will tell a mother to stop breastfeeding during medication, or to pump and dump- and that is bad advice all around. There are TONS of medications that are safe for use during breastfeeding and we need to arm ourselves and teach our doctors so that we ALL get the best treatment. GET THIS BOOK!!!!
fantastic resource March 2, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a pharmacist, this is absolutely the first book I turn to for any question about medication and breastfeeding. It's very readable, and has both the quick, "bottom-line" recommendation and an explanation of the quality and quantity of research that led to that conclusion. I recommend it to anyone in the medical field who might encounter a breastfeeding patient as well as any woman who is currently breastfeeding or plans to in the near future. The author's website ([...]) is also useful.
If the answers you're looking for aren't here, or if you're looking for detailed recommendations about medications in pregnancy, try your local teratology information service (www.otispregnancy.org). Most of them accept calls from both the public and health care professionals, many of them handle both lactation and pregnancy questions, and it's free to call and get information. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but I've found them a very useful resource that doesn't seem to be very well publicized.
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