LactMed app review: a resource for breastfeeding mothers and their doctors

Introduction

LactMed iPhone and iPod touch breastfeeding app is a resource for breastfeeding mothers to look up medications that may have an adverse effect to either the infant feeding or to the milk supply.

The best Mother's Day card apps for iPhone and iPad-2021

This app for new mothers will be very useful to any nursing mother or her doctor and is published by the National Library of Medicine. The pregnancy app includes links to Alternate Drugs, summaries of the reported information are provided, as well as links to other NLM databases. Keep reading our LactMed app review for more details on this app.

Lots of References

LactMed not only provides valuable information to the mother and doctor, but it also provides many links to back up the information and to alternative medicines that may help to treat the mother’s condition.

The Best Mother's Day Card apps for iPhone and iPad

I am well aware that Tylenol is considered safe for lactating mothers, but when I selected it for the purpose of this review, it still had a lot of valuable information including: Summary of Use, Drug Levels, Effects in Infants, Effects on Lactation, Alternate Drugs, Drug Class, References, and Full Record.

This is a drug database, and as such, it’s nothing pretty to look at. That’s fine though, because when you feel like crap and want to know if it’s safe to take a Tylenol or some Pepto Bismol, this app is straightforward and easy to use. Furthermore, it is easy to use for medical professionals who may be in doubt of the medication they are considering to prescribe to a nursing mother.

I have had two major illnesses while nursing, and both times I grilled my doctors on the safety of the medication. The first time I had a gastro-intestinal bacteria and the medication was not safe to take while nursing, so I had to pump and dump.

I asked about alternatives, and there just weren’t any good ones. The second time I had mastitis and I was given an antibiotic that was safe to breastfeed with, which is good because continuing to nurse is part of the cure!

Thorough Database

When I looked up Tylenol in LactMed, not only did it pull up Tylenol, but also all of the different varieties such as Tylenol Allergy, Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom, all the Tylenol Flu and Colds, plus the Children’s, Infants, et cetera. Each active ingredient is listed individually which is thorough, but also tedious.

Best iphone and ipad apps

If I want to know if Tylenol Allergy is safe, just list the individual types of Tylenol Allergy so I can select it to read if it is safe. I don’t want to have to click the nine different entries. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very thorough database
• Details each active medicinal ingredient and its safety
• Faster and easier than Googling every medicine you may need to take in the 2+ years of nursing each child

Cons

• Each medicinal ingredient is listed individually which can be tedious, especially when you are sick and just want relief

Final Thoughts

LactMed iPod touch and iPhone app is a very thorough database for looking up the medications you may need while breastfeeding. I hope that they develop a database similarly for pregnant mothers.