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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