Parents, Children and Family

Dear all,

I feel really sad as I was recommended to stop breastfeeding due to new lesions. I don't feel new symptoms, rather sometimes a flare-up of the old ones. As I am in a study which is looking at MS and pregnancy, I had MRI without contrast and they found a new lesion three months after giving birth. However, it was not clear how old the lesion was as I didn't have any MRI for 1,5 years. Now another three months later, there is another lesion (a large one) and the research center as well as my neurologist recommend to go on copaxone again. I know that some do breastfeeding and copaxone but I prefer not doing that. Now I am trying my baby to get used to the bottle which is slowly working out. I am so sad though to not be able to breastfeed any longer after six months now. But I am not sure what may happen if I take the risk and continue to breastfeed. Has anyone been in the same situation?
Would be happy to hear your experience! Thanks and best regards!

Hi
I'm sure I've read posts in the past from other mums in a similar position re breastfeeding and copaxone. If you've not had any replies I'll try a search tomorrow and add the links to your post here.
Have you been able to look after you too during this busy time being a Mum. Can you fit in your meditation breaks.

Dear Kara,
I am sorry that I can’t contribute any personal experience, but by chance I stumbled upon the following abstract today and was wondering whether this might be interesting to you:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26322399
(Hellwig et al., Exclusive Breastfeeding and the Effect of Postpartum Multiple Sclerosis Relapses, in: JAMA Neurology 2015 Oct.; 72(10): 1132–8)
To my regret, it is not really to the point since the comparison was between women who exclusively breastfed after giving birth and women who breastfed plus used formulas (no disadvantage for the exclusively breastfeeding mums!), but my takeaway from this study would be nevertheless, that breastfeeding is modestly protective. (??? I have no medical background!)
As all the researchers of the study of the aforementioned abstract are located in Germany, you may perhaps try to contact them directly and ask them, whether they could offer any assessment of your case or advice?
On the other hand, since you are enrolled in a study, the people who conduct the study should be well informed and know all respective studies quite well. I would ask everyone whom you can get hold of (as many people as possible!) all your questions. Get on their nerves! This is important for you!
There is also a psychological effect: Breastfeeding certainly contributes to your happiness. But whether you are happy or less so undeniably influences your immune system.
What a difficult decision to make! I wish you much luck in tapping more sources of information and finding a decision you will feel comfortable with!
Best wishes
Zoë

I've been on Copaxone before, during and will stay on post pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Plenty of other moms have done the same. I am in a study also.

Also, I am unaware of what "risk" you are referring to by breastfeeding on Copaxone.

Thanks everyone for your replies and sorry for my late reply! I decided to stop breastfeeding, it was really hard but as for me breastfeeding and a medication did not feel right. No one could confirm that Copaxone does not get to the baby. Two of three neurologists told me they would also not do it (their personal opinion), all of them being experts for pregnancy and MS. I did seven months of breastfeeding, better than nothing and I really missed it a lot for some time, but now I feel better about it and my baby accepted the bottle quite well in the end. Considering I had two lesions on the first six months after birth, breastfeeding did not have such a protective function for me, too bad! But yes, it was really hard to take care of myself during that time as my baby wanted to be breastfed all.the time during the first months and was kind of living attached to me all the time and did not sleep a lot. Now, things have changed and I will go back to doing more yoga and meditation! I also changed the medication and decided to go on Tecfidera as I was excited about the idea of not having to do injections. Hope it will help! Once again thank you and take good care of yourselves as well!

Hy

I do not have medical study or report but breastfeeding is important for your child, you can always use baby formulas on the side as well and slowly shift him to the formula completely. There are lots of brands of baby formula brands out there that i believe are pretty good!

Thanks