Is it safe to take antidepressant medication while breastfeeding?

Antidepressants are excreted in breast milk, usually in very small amounts. The amount an infant receives is usually so small that it does not register in blood tests. Few problems are seen among infants nursing from mothers who are taking antidepressants.

However, as with antidepressant use during pregnancy, both the risks and benefits to the mother and infant should be taken into account when deciding whether to take an antidepressant while breastfeeding.³⁰

• March 16, 2010 -- FDA warning on antidepressants
  Despite the relative safety and popularity of SSRIs and other antidepressants, some studies have suggested that they may have unintentional effects on some people, especially adolescents and young adults. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a thorough review of published and unpublished controlled clinical trials of antidepressants that involved nearly 4,400 children and adol...
• March 12, 2010 -- What are the side effects of antidepressants?
  Antidepressants may cause mild and often temporary side effects in some people, but usually they are not long-term. However, any unusual reactions or side effects that interfere with normal functioning or are persistent or troublesome should be reported to a doctor immediately. The most common side effects associated with SSRIs and ...