ABSTRACT
The sheer number of medicines on the market poses dilemmas of prescribing for lactating women. The last time that approximately 80% of women in the UK initiated breastfeeding was in 1926 to 1939. The difference in prescribing habits since then is enormous. That was an era when antibiotics were being developed; there was no expectation of a ‘pill for every ill’. Now we expect that all symptoms can be alleviated by taking a drug. We are aware that prevention and treatment of many more chronic diseases are possible and many women with complex medical needs are able to consider 62pregnancy and lactation as safe options. Most drugs pass into breastmilk but generally in very low levels and very few drugs are totally contra-indicated for use during breastfeeding.
