Having a baby is a wonderful, extraordinary experience. It’s also very tiring, especially for nursing mothers. Apart from sleep, many new moms also long for smoother, radiant skin to make them feel more attractive.
Botox can give you youthful-looking skin quickly, and it’s been one of the most popular cosmetic treatments among both men and women for years. It is an injectable of a small amount of botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin that blocks nerve signals from the brain to the injected muscles. Botox relaxes muscle movement, causing overlying skin to become smooth and providing a visible reduction in wrinkles.
But is Botox safe while breastfeeding? This article looks at the potential risks of having Botox while nursing and explains why it is best to postpone the procedure.
Botox While Breastfeeding: Is It Safe?
There are only a few limited studies about the safety of Botox on babies who are breastfed.
In the case of a nursing mother who got ill from botulism, there were no traces of the toxin found in her milk and the baby. Since the amount of the neurotoxin used for cosmetic Botox treatments is minimal and can’t cause botulism, the assumption is that the levels injected during a treatment are not enough to enter breastmilk.
However, there are barely any studies which either confirm or refute this assumption. For this reason, Botox providers prefer to be on the safe side and recommend that women postpone the procedure until after nursing.
Is Pumping and Dumping a Good Solution?
Pumping and dumping is the act of pumping out breastmilk that is potentially contaminated with a harmful substance and throwing it away.
Some women use the pump and dump method after drinking to get rid of the milk that could contain alcohol. They resume nursing after enough time has passed and the substance has left their body.
However, pumping and dumping is not an effective method of removing harmful substances from breastmilk. Toxins remain present in breastmilk as long as the substance is in the mother’s bloodstream. Alcohol usually leaves the system after several hours, regardless of whether the mother pumps and dumps.
In the case of Botox, the injected substance takes several weeks or months to metabolize and scientists don’t know for sure if it enters breastmilk.
Since the potential risks of the procedure for the baby outweigh the benefits for the mother, most medical providers recommend that mothers wait until the nursing period is over to have Botox.
What Are the Side Effects of Botox for Mothers?
Nursing mothers who decide to have Botox can experience the same potential side effects as other cosmetic Botox patients.
The side effects of Botox are rare and usually mild. They include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Numbness
More severe complications are extremely rare. They include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Neck pain
- Loss of speech
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Double or blurred vision
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Rashes
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Drooping eyelid
Severe side effects typically occur when an inexperienced, non-medical provider performs the procedure. For your safety, it is essential to find a reputable, board-certified medical provider to for your Botox treatment.
Conclusion
Botox is an excellent treatment for a wrinkle-free, rejuvenated look. However, if you are nursing, it’s best to postpone the procedure until after your baby has stopped breastfeeding. Limited studies suggest the procedure isn’t harmful, but without conclusive evidence, doctors recommend avoiding any potential risks to the baby.
Once you have finished breastfeeding, make sure you book a session with a trusted, reputable medical professional with extensive experience with Botox injectables.
