Can you take Claritin while breastfeeding? Learn how loratadine fits into a nursing-safe allergy plan, dosing, what to avoid, and protect milk supply. Fortunately, experts say that you can safely take Claritin while breastfeeding. Claritin is an antihistamine, which passes through breast milk in such a low quantity that it won’t hurt your baby. Most meds go into breast milk in small amounts, but many are safe to use while breastfeeding or pumping. Use meds you can take every 4-6 hours. These stay in your body for a shorter time. Talk to your doctor or your baby’s doctor if you have questions about a med you are taking. Whilst you may prefer to take as few medicines as possible whilst you are breastfeeding, allergies may need to be treated urgently. Most of the drugs to treat allergies are available to buy over the counter but the leaflets may say that they are not suitable to take whilst you are breastfeeding. Claritin (loratadine) is considered one of the preferred antihistamines for breastfeeding mothers. Only tiny amounts pass into breast milk, and at standard doses, it is not expected to cause adverse effects in breastfed infants. The ingredients of Claritin and Claritin-D are safe while breastfeeding. However, the doctor may not recommend loratadine during breastfeeding if the baby has low birth weight, was born prematurely or has health issues (3). Is Claritin Safe While Breastfeeding? According to medical experts, loratadine is considered low-risk for breastfeeding mothers. Studies suggest that only minimal amounts of the drug pass into breast milk, and no adverse effects have been reported in infants. Most medicines are safe to take while breastfeeding. If you take medicine for an ongoing health condition, it's important that you can take your medicine to stay healthy. Still, a few medicines aren't safe to take while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding while taking loratadine: Loratadine passes into breast milk in small amounts. The amount of loratadine in breastmilk is too low to cause problems for most babies. Loratadine is one of the preferred antihistamines for use during breastfeeding because it is less likely to cause drowsiness (sleepiness) than some other antihistamines. Because of its lack of sedation and low milk levels, maternal use of loratadine would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Loratadine might have a negative effect on lactation, especially in combination with a sympathomimetic agent such as pseudoephedrine.