For IC patients, there may be some disadvantages to breastfeeding. Studies have shown that virtually any medication taken by the mother passes to her baby through the breast milk. Several medications used to treat IC can have serious known or unknown effects on the breastfed baby. Patients who experience a flare in symptoms during pregnancy or after delivery may wish to resume their previous medications or helpful therapies as soon as possible after the birth, and may choose to bottle-feed for this reason. Other mothers who begin breastfeeding later abandon it in order to resume medication when symptoms flare.
Lack of sleep can be another consideration.
Breast milk can be expressed on a regular basis and frozen for later use, or formula can be used for these supplemental feedings. Ultimately, the mother with IC should make the decision based on her individual circumstances, and in consultation with her ob-gyn, urologist and pediatrician. While library and bookstore shelves are overflowing with childcare and parenting resources, few address the concerns of parents with chronic illnesses. Fortunately, this trend is changing. The Internet is full of sites sponsored by childbirth, parenting, and chronic illness organizations.