Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates Antidepressants and Breastfeeding: Safety Considerations
Dec 12, 2025
Dr. Lauren Osborne, a perinatal psychiatrist from Weill Cornell Medicine, dives into the intersection of antidepressants and breastfeeding. She reassures listeners that most psychiatric medications are compatible with nursing mothers. They discuss how postpartum women often respond more quickly to treatment and the importance of selecting medications based on prior successes. Dr. Osborne highlights the factors influencing how drugs enter breast milk and stresses that maternal treatment needs should take priority, especially for vulnerable infants.
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Prioritize Maternal Treatment Over Milk Fears
- Reassure breastfeeding patients that most psychiatric medications are compatible with nursing and can be used safely.
- Prioritize the mother's need for effective treatment and her prior medication response over theoretical milk exposure concerns.
Continue Effective Pregnancy Meds Into Lactation
- If a medication worked during pregnancy, generally continue it during lactation rather than switching for lower milk transfer.
- Remember that infant exposure via breast milk is usually less than fetal exposure across the placenta.
Faster Antidepressant Response Postpartum
- Studies show sertraline can act quickly in postpartum depression, with some responses within the first week.
- The postpartum brain may respond faster to SSRIs, possibly via non-serotonergic mechanisms like GABA.