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A person on an online forum asked whether anyone stopped breastfeeding before starting a weekly GLP-1 drug (the class that includes tirzepatide, brand Mounjaro, and semaglutide, brand Wegovy/Ozempic) but kept doing occasional “comfort nursing” with their baby. They’re a 26-year-old about to begin one of these medications and were told by their doctor to wean before starting. The baby is nearly seven months old and already getting some formula or solids, so full weaning is possible. The post is basically asking if short, occasional nursing after official weaning would be safe or if they really need to stop completely. GLP-1 drugs are medicines that copy a hormone your gut makes after you eat. That hormone helps control appetite and blood sugar by acting on the brain and pancreas. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are engineered versions that last a long time and are used weekly to treat diabetes and help with weight loss. They’re not the same as typical over-the-counter supplements; they’re prescription medicines that affect your hormones and metabolism. The core of the question touches on whether any of the drug would get into breast milk and reach the baby during occasional nursing. The medical guidance the poster received — to wean before starting — comes from a lack of good safety data. Clinical drug studies usually exclude pregnant or breastfeeding people, so manufacturers and doctors often recommend stopping breastfeeding because we don’t have solid numbers showing how much of these drugs pass into milk or what dose a baby would get. There aren’t robust human studies showing safety for breastfeeding infants; most advice errs on the side of caution. The post doesn’t add new data, it’s asking for personal experiences or anecdotal reports. Why this matters: new parents juggling weight, postpartum health, and caring for a baby want to know if they can have both: benefit from these effective drugs and continue bonding or soothing their infant with occasional nursing. For some people, comfort nursing is important for the baby’s sleep or emotional needs even after nutrition is primarily from formula or solids. A careful parent needs to weigh the potential benefits of starting a GLP-1 for their health against the unknowns about exposure to the infant and their own doctor’s advice. Caveats and risks: the big issue is uncertainty. We don’t have clear evidence that these drugs are safe for breastfed infants, so many providers recommend stopping breastfeeding before starting them. Potential side effects for the parent include nausea, changes in appetite, and other known drug effects; for the baby, unknown exposure could be a concern. If you’re considering this, discuss timing with your clinician: some suggest pumping and dumping for a specified period or delaying the first dose until fully weaned. Never rely on forum anecdotes as proof of safety. If you want to continue occasional comfort nursing, raise that explicitly with your healthcare team so they can discuss risks, alternatives, and timing based on the specific medication and your situation. Bottom line: doctors often tell new parents to stop breastfeeding before starting GLP-1 drugs because safety data are limited; occasional comfort nursing is understandable, but you should get individualized medical advice rather than relying on online anecdotes.
Source: r/Semaglutide