Shouldn't most doctors have this book available for breastfeeding mothers?

Question

Thomas Hales Medications and Mothers' Milk. I need to have a gastroscopy tomorrow and the GI nurse didn't know if the sedation meds were safe for breastfeeding. She said to call my pediatrician. They didn't know either. I had to get this info from a breastfeeding support group, one member has this book. 
With the growing number of mothers who breastfeed shouldn't we expect that our doctors have this information available? Especially the pediatricians. It just boggles my mind that I can get this reliable info from a non-professional but not the ones who should have it.
Oh, and pharmacists should have it, too.

GranolaMom · Accepted Answer

Most of them rely on the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) instead, which is not an adequate substitute. It's wildly inaccurate with regard to breastfeeding.  Not only does it say that many medications that are safe while breastfeeding are contraindicated, it says some unsafe medications are fine.

As a nursing mother who is also chronically ill, I've resigned myself to carrying my own copy of Hale's with me to every doctor's appointment.  It's well worth the investment!

Melissa S · Answer

Me and my son both go to a regular family doctor and she had some kind of book for reference when prescribing meds. All medical professionals should have the info on hand.

jloertscher · Answer

Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation is still the standard text out there.

Most pharmacies have access to online resources that are updated daily (not yearly like books) and use these to answer such questions.

For what it's worth, I'd recommend pumping and discarding your milk after the procedure.

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Shouldn't most doctors have this book available for breastfeeding mothers?

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