Julie Peck had just given birth to her son, in a hospital in Washington County. She wanted to breastfeed her baby.
“And you know, I wanted that bonding with my, my child,” Peck said.
But a nurse stopped her, and told her not to breastfeed. Peck was taking a medication to treat substance use disorder. The nurse told her she could pump her milk, and save it, but she needed to talk with the doctor before she fed any to her son.
The nurse came back and told her the doctor said, she absolutely could not breastfeed, and told her to pour out the breastmilk she had just pumped.
“And I’m sitting there thinking, do you know what I just went through to do this?”
Peck was shocked. She’d done the research on the benefits of breastfeeding. And she thought it was safe.
“It broke my heart. And I just cried and cried and cried,” Peck recalled. “My husband just kind of held me, and was like, ‘you’re gonna be ok.’ And I was like, ‘I know, but it’s messed up.’”
This was 17 years ago, and since then, more scientific research has been done around breastfeeding.
Illicit street drugs are not safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding.
But it is safe for moms in medically assisted treatment for addiction who are taking methadone or buprenorphine, as long as they are being prescribed these medications by their doctor.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations even recommend these moms breastfeed their babies.
Despite the medical evidence, not all doctors or nurses follow these recommendations, said Lisa Cleveland, Associate Dean of nursing science at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She’s done extensive research into breastfeeding.
“All of the wonderful qualities of human milk, particularly mother’s own milk, is just incredibly beneficial for these newborns,” Cleveland said. “And so when we see certain practice areas where they’re not following those recommendations, they’re really doing a disservice to the infant but also to the mother.”
She said breastfeeding can reduce symptoms for infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome and shorten hospital stays for babies.
Cleveland has worked as a nurse for three decades. In that time, she’s seen opinions change in how most medical professionals treat people with addiction. “It’s just so critical that we view substance use as the public health concern that it is,” Cleveland said.
These days, Julie Peck is a peer recovery specialist, and helps coach people who want treatment for addiction. “We do recover,” Peck said. “I am living proof. And as is my husband. And so many other people out there.”
She's also part of a team of researchers with Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC who are studying factors that influence brain development, from pregnancy through early childhood.
She helps drive families to the lab in Roanoke, and gets to know them and their stories. She said as moms in recovery, many of these women are already feeling a lot of guilt and self-doubt.
“Those with substance use disorder in general are stigmatized,” Peck said. “So pregnant individuals with substance use disorder are extremely stigmatized and quite literally shunned. And I know after speaking with many other moms, they feel the same way.”
Peck says many of them tell her they feel anxious about breastfeeding. Even if they’ve done the research, moms who are taking medically assisted treatment say they’re afraid to tell doctors they are breastfeeding. Or oftentimes, family members pressure them not to.
“It’s just like a never ending cycle of just beating yourself mentally,” Peck said. “Over and over and over again. For trying to do what you thought was right. And I hear that so much. With so many people.”
She gives them encouragement, and is seeing more of these moms become advocates for themselves and their babies.
“With a little bit of kindness, and a lot of love, we could do so much for these individuals,” Peck said.
She’d like to see more lactation and post-partum support for moms in recovery. But more than anything, she hopes more people in the community will be open to looking deeper into the research, before making an opinion about whether these moms should breastfeed.
If you’re a parent, talk with your pediatrician before you make any changes in your child’s care.
Additional resources:
- American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for breastfeeding
- American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for babies with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' policy on best practices for pregnant women and moms on medically assisted treatment
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
