> This woman wanted very badly to
> breastfeed....The pediatrician said no. Hale's red book said ok. We
> didn't know if there was a culmative affect.

MgSo4 is NOT absorbed from the GI tract - this is why Mom is on an
intravenous infusion of Mag, otherwise, she could just take pills of the
stuff.

Before delivery, MgSo4 crosses the placenta via the blood supply and
babies are born with the effects on board, reversed if needed, by
calcium gluconate.

After delivery, MgSo4 will be in the milk, but since it is not absorbed
GI, who cares if it accumulates in the milk?? The administration *route*
of the medication has now changed for baby from parenteral (blood) to
enteral (intestinal). So baby won't absorb it this way! Let the baby
nurse!

More problematic is helping mom, who will be feeling like a wrung-out
dishrag and quite hypotonic herself, adequately hold and position the
baby. Since these moms are usually still in L&D, or managed by the L&D
nurses, this is a good reason why L&D nurses also need to know BFing
beyond the first latch-on... (the last comment is a semi-rant)

Katharine West, BSN, MPH
Sherman Oaks, CA