I think we have to be very careful when we go down this road.  We know that 
mammograms are less reliable for pre-menopausal women but apart from manual 
breast-checks and ultrasound which is also not so reliable, there is very 
little progress on early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Yes we know that breastfeeding protects women up to a point, but 
unfortunately in my years of bf counselling I have grieved for more than one 
young mother who did develop this disease.
Unfortunately some health professionals often brush off concerns of 
lactating women who have noticed breast changes by telling them that these 
changes are a normal part of breastfeeding without referring them to 
specialists.
The bottom line is that we as lactation counsellors are not qualified to 
advise on this issue.  We don`t know the family history and even if we do 
those of us who are not qualified as specialists in breast health should not 
be giving advice about mammograms. I do however feel that we are empowered 
to encourage women to seek the best health care and to take their concerns 
to the appropriate specialist.
Happy new year to you all
Wendy Blumfield
NCT Trained Tutor Childbirth Educator/BFC
Israel Childbirth Education Centre 

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