Anesthesia, analgesia and sedation during lactation is known to be safe in most clinical situations. Previously, standard advice was to pump and dump, however current evidence indicates that most classes of medications are safe.^1,2 Most mothers who undergo general anesthesia or sedation may safely resume breastfeeding as soon as they are awake and can safely hold their baby. The following statements support breastfeeding after anesthesia:

The 2019 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)’s “Statement on Resuming Breastfeeding after Anesthesia”¹

An editorial from 2018 called “Pump and Dump: Anesthesiologists Lead the Feed”³

The 2017 Infographic from the ASA entitled “Anesthesia & Breastfeeding: More Often Than Not, They Are Compatible”⁴

Per the ASA’s statement and infographic, “A general principle is that a mother can resume breastfeeding once she is awake, stable, and alert after anesthesia has been given”.^1,4 This principle was also used in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) protocol.⁵

If there is concern about exposure for a particular infant with prematurity or another underlying medical condition, especially with regards to opioids, milk can be expressed in the recovery area and stored for later administration. If additional high doses of opioids are used postoperatively with the parent of a high-risk infant, the lactating parent can continue to express and save milk. This milk can be used when the infant is older or mixed/diluted with unexposed milk to decrease the amount of medication exposure.

During anesthesia, a variety of medications from different classes may be used in combination. Anesthesiologists may hesitate to recommend resumption of breastfeeding after anesthesia due to the number of medications administered. Medications for anesthesia and sedation are almost always given via the intravenous route and demonstrate very little oral bioavailability.  Therefore, even if small amounts of anesthetic agents reach the milk compartment, most will exert little to no effects on the nursing infant. Further reading on the relative infant dose (RID) can be found in the ASA statement.^1,2,5–11 For more information on how medications enter human milk, please see the section on Pharmacology FAQ.

ABM Clinical Protocol #15 includes further details about a breastfeeding plan that addresses specific challenges in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods.⁵ For more detailed information and references on specific medications, please refer to LactMed, e-lactancia, Infant Risk, or Mother to Baby.

Local anesthetics are considered safe, and their use should be encouraged as a way to decrease the need for additional analgesics. These are used for local infiltration, regional anesthesia, and increasingly as intravenous adjuncts.

These are large, polarized molecules that do not transfer easily into milk and are not well absorbed via the oral route.^5,12 There is no absolute indication to pump and dump.

Hypnotics are used to induce anesthesia.

These medications have a brief plasma distribution phase that limits their transfer into milk and they have limited oral bioavailability. While infants should be monitored for sedation, there is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

Ketamine does have limited oral bioavailability. While some evidence indicates that its short-term use in nursing mothers does not adversely affect breastfed infants, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s protocol advises prudence and close monitoring of infants after using larger doses of ketamine.^5,13 While infants should be monitored closely for sedation, there is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

Midazolam (Versed) may be used before or during anesthesia. It is a short acting benzodiazepine with low transfer to breast milk. There is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed. For more information on other benzodiazepines, see the sections on Sedatives and Sleep Aids and Antiseizure Medications.

Inhalational anesthetics are used to maintain general anesthesia during surgery.

These medications are used to maintain general anesthesia during surgery. These agents diffuse freely into and out of plasma, but all have brief distribution phases and no oral bioavailability (5, 14).⁵ While data is limited for this class of medication, there is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

NMB agents are used to facilitate endotracheal intubation and to maintain optimal surgical/operating conditions.

These medications are mostly distributed in the extracellular fluid compartment, have low lipid solubility, and poor oral bioavailability (5, 14).⁵ There is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

Dexmedetomidine can be given as an infusion or as a bolus and has anti-anxiety, anesthetic and analgesic properties. Evidence suggests that its transfer to breast milk is minimal and does not pose a risk to the infant.¹⁴ There is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

Fentanyl and Hydromorphone are both routine medications during anesthesia. While infants should be closely monitored for side effects such as sedation, there is no absolute indication to pump and dump one the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed. For more information on opioid medications, please see the section on Pain Medication.

These medications are used to safely reverse the effects of NMBs.

These medications are used to reverse the effects of NMBs. There is no absolute indication to pump and dump with these medications once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed. Other anticholinergic medications have been shown to reduce prolactin in non-lactating individuals so there is a theoretical risk to milk production, but no data exist on the effects of glycopyrrolate and atropine on lactation. Infants should be observed for side effects and lactating parents should be monitored for changes in breastmilk production, particularly with regular or chronic use.

Sugammadex is a newer reversal medication with a different mechanism of action that does not require concurrent administration of an anticholinergic, and it also appears to be safe.^5,13 There is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

Nausea and vomiting are the most common post-operative side effects of anesthesia and may significantly impact a patient’s ability to breastfeed.

These are the most commonly used medications during anesthesia and immediately postoperatively as anti-emetics. There is no absolute indication to pump and dump.

These are additional rescue medications. While they may cause maternal sedation, there are no reports of infant ill effects from breastfeeding.⁵ There is no absolute indication to pump and dump once the parent is alert enough to pump or directly feed.

• Scopolamine: There are no case reports of negative infant outcomes with the use of scopolamine as a one-time dose for conscious sedation in a lactating parent. Expert consensus is that the risk to the breastfed infant is minimal from a single dose of scopolamine.^5,16 However, due to a variable oral bioavailability¹⁵, the infant’s systemic exposure to scopolamine in breastmilk may occasionally be significant, particularly with more chronic use. Observe the infant for signs of anticholinergic effects such as fever or tachycardia after the use of scopolamine. Other anticholinergic medications have been shown to reduce prolactin in non-lactating individuals so there is a theoretical risk to milk production, but data on the effects of scopolamine on lactation are limited. Infants should be observed for side effects and lactating parents should be monitored for changes in breastmilk production, particularly with regular or chronic, but there is no absolute indication to pump and dump.

This is another common prophylactic and rescue medication that readily enters breast milk. Its impact on infant and child development is mixed. While there is no absolute indication to pump and dump, caution may be warranted in breastfeeding dyads. Breastfed infants should be closely monitored and providers should engage lactating individuals in shared decision making regarding the use of this medication.^17,18