Breast Feeding and diving ????

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Katie K

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
118
Reaction score
10
Location
Port McNeill, Vancouver Island,BC, Canada
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi Ladies

Me and my better half just decided to start trying, I will miss the diving. i have a few concerns tho.... Once I have a little one can I breast feed and dive, dose the elevated nitrogen levels have and effect on breast milk.... I may be thinking in to this to much but thought I would see if anyone has an answer to my question...
I asked my doctor that question today and he looked at me and said "I have no idea???? Never been asked that question before???" dear in head lights... lol

tHANKS
kt
 
You can safely breast feed and dive. Just not simultaneously:wink:.

Even if your milk were infused with lots of nitrogen bubbles (it won't be), it would be no worse than carbonation.

There is no way for bubbles in your system to transfer to your child's system.

And although I cannot answer this part absolutely, I think it unlikely that elevated nitrogen levels would have any effect on milk production or quality.

Hi Ladies

Me and my better half just decided to start trying, I will miss the diving. i have a few concerns tho.... Once I have a little one can I breast feed and dive, dose the elevated nitrogen levels have and effect on breast milk.... I may be thinking in to this to much but thought I would see if anyone has an answer to my question...
I asked my doctor that question today and he looked at me and said "I have no idea???? Never been asked that question before???" dear in head lights... lol

tHANKS
kt
 
lactating & diving is fine. try not to get milk on your buddies, no matter how many times they've shaken pee on you.
 
There is no evidence in the scientific literature suggesting that breast-feeding is a contraindication to diving, although the mother should monitor/regulate her hydration status. A few other things to keep in mind include: (1) ensuring that there isn't any infection of the breast/nipple tissue, (2) making sure that the exposure protection suit isn't too tight in the chest area, and (3) understanding that any special medication taken for the dive vacation (anti-seasickness medications, travel meds, etc.) has the potential to be passed to the baby. These issues notwithstanding, breast-feeding provides documented health benefits to both baby and mother.

On a side note, it is interesting to think about the potential effects on the mother's hormonal levels caused by dive activities (increase in cortisol?), whether this may influence hormonal content of the breast milk, and how this might affect the baby. To my knowledge, no one has studied this, though.
 
..thanks for the advice ladies, greatly appreciated. And Bubbletrubble I wear a dry suit so i dive in my comfy Sweats, so no worries on the exposure suit... im sure that once I have a little one I wont be going any were tropical for a while ether...... LOL

KT
 
You might contact DAN to see if they have any insight into this.
 

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