Planning a baby - breastfeeding

If you take anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and you want to breastfeed, it is advisable to discuss this with a medical professional before your baby is born. This may be an epilepsy specialist, epilepsy nurse or midwife. It is advisable to seek advice, because AEDs can pass into your breast milk, which you will then give to your baby.

Some AEDs may have very little effect on your baby and there is no reason why you can’t breastfeed while taking them. Other AEDs may cause problems for your baby, such as excessive sleepiness (which may lead to difficulties in feeding) and allergic skin reactions.

Your medical adviser will help you to decide what is best for you and your baby. You will need to consider the benefits that are associated with breastfeeding and the risks that are associated with the anti-epileptic drug(s) that you are taking.

Further information about breastfeeding and anti-epileptic drugs is available from the Epilepsy Helpline.

If you do breastfeed, it is likely that your nights will regularly be broken. If lack of sleep is a trigger for your seizures, you may need to arrange for someone else to give some night feeds by bottle. Another solution would be for a friend or family member to give you a daytime break, so that you can catch up on missed sleep.

When you are feeding your baby yourself, you might find the safest way to do this is while sitting on the floor with your back leaning against the wall. This way your baby is less likely to be at risk of injury, should you have a seizure.

Last updated: October 2007