Hello,
I was a member of this list quite a while back and am coming back.  I am a
LLL Leader in Oregon.

I have been looking for some information on low potassium and iron levels
in breastfeeding mothers.  I recently spoke with a mother who has an almost
two year old who still nurses a few times a day -- never longer than 15
minutes and usually for a minute or less.  Her diet is not good (skips a
lot of meals because she's "busy.")  Her doctors have told her to wean her
child because they think the nursing is causing her low potassium and iron
levels.  Her child eats a lot of solids and it sounds like he really isn't
nursing enough for her to be producing an awful lot of milk.

Does anyone know what effect nursing has on potassium and iron levels in a
mother?  Would nursing less than an hour total per day have that much of an
effect on the mother?  I am inclined to believe that she just needs to
improve her own diet rather than do a sudden weaning of her child.

Thank you,
Stephanie

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