Can you take secobarbital while breastfeeding?
What LactMed says
The National Library of Medicine’s own summary, quoted in full. We do not write a verdict of our own on this question, and we do not compress theirs into a label.
Because there is little published experience with secobarbital during breastfeeding, other agents may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. If secobarbital is used, monitor the infant for sedation, poor feeding and poor weight gain.
Quoted from Secobarbital — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, revised March 15, 2025.
What LactMed would consider instead
LactMed ends this record by naming the drugs it would consider in place of secobarbital. Whether any of them fits depends on what you are treating — this is the database’s list, not a recommendation from us.
How much secobarbital gets into breastmilk
Maternal Levels. Secobarbital was detected, but not quantified, 24 hours after an unspecified dose in a woman who was 4 days postpartum.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
What has been seen in breastfed infants
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Secobarbital 200 mg given intravenously during labor 10 minutes to 3 hours before delivery for obstetric sedation reduced the sucking behavior of the newborn infants. The number of sucks, sucking pressure and total consumption of artificial feeding from the testing device were reduced Secobarbital 200 mg given intravenously during labor 10 minutes to 3 hours before delivery for obstetric sedation reduced the sucking behavior of the newborn infants. The number of sucks, sucking pressure and total consumption of artificial feeding from the testing device were reduced substantially.
In one small study, women given promethazine with meperidine and secobarbital during labor, had the time to lactogenesis II prolonged by 14 hours. Women given meperidine or secobarbital without promethazine had lactogenesis II prolonged 7 hours compared to unmedicated women, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take secobarbital while breastfeeding?
What the NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says about Secobarbital while breastfeeding — quoted in full. The full record is quoted on this page, and the decision is one to make with the person who prescribed it — LactMed itself states it is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What can I take instead of secobarbital while breastfeeding?
LactMed lists Zaleplon, Zolpidem as alternate drugs to consider. That is the database's own list for this drug — whether any of them suits you depends on what you are treating.
Does secobarbital pass into breastmilk?
LactMed's measured drug levels for secobarbital are quoted in full on this page, under "How much gets into breastmilk".
Do I need to pump and dump after taking secobarbital?
LactMed does not frame its records that way — it reports measured drug levels in milk and what has been observed in breastfed infants, which is what this page quotes. "Pump and dump" advice for a specific drug and dose should come from your clinician or a pharmacist, not from a general rule.
More on secobarbital
LactMed states that the information it presents is not a substitute for professional judgement, and that you should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. Nothing on this page is medical advice.