A 17-year-old female asked:
I am currently breastfeeding my 18 month old son, is it safe for me to take 5mg of melatonin at night?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Corinne Deurduliananswered
Radiology 24 years experience
Ask your OB: I see you are taking thyroid medication and still breastfeeding. Although melatonin is generally considered safe, you want to minimize medications that can be passed to the baby from breast milk. I would call your OB's office and ask to speak to the nurse, who may then give you the doctor's recommendation, especially if you don't have time for an appointment.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Probably but...: There is no evidence taking melatonin is harmful when breastfeeding, but little evidence it's safe; research on this hasn't been done. But melatonin is a natural hormone that's very safe & normally secreted in breastmilk. Melatonin is likely to be as safe or safer than any other sleep aid you can take. Here's an interesting article speculating melatonin may help newborns:http://tinyurl.com/ndtt2ce
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated May 14, 2015
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