I have been working with a woman (now nursing 9 week old baby) with
severe back problems. She had been on Heparin since early in her
pregnancy until two days ago. She stopped seeing the Physical Therapist I
mentioned earlier on LACTNET and is now seeing a chiropractor as several
people recommended. Now, she is hospitalized again with severe back
spasms and being told that she has a compression fracture of one of her
T-spines and possibly another fracture of L-1 (the chiropractor was the
first one to think of X-raying her back). She had a bone scan using an
injection of a radio-isotope called Technesium (sp?) Labeled Phosphate
and was told it was safe to nurse after 48 hours. Now they are diagnosing
that she has osteoporosis probably secondary to the long term use of
Heparin. She has also been asked to consider the use of Calcitonin(sp?)
to help rebuild her bones. (?) The family has had a lot of misinformation
and wants to gather as much independent information as possible. They
don't know who to trust.

 Here are the questions the family asked me to ask you all.
1. Is it safe to nurse after taking 20 microCuries (sp?) Technesium (sp?)
Labeled Phosphate 48 hours ago?
2. Is Calcitonin(sp?) safe for nursing?
3. Would weaning at this point make enough difference in the Mom's bone
density to outweigh the possible problems with the baby? (This Mom has
previously nursed a two year old.)
4. What about a calcium supplement?
5. What do you guys think? Would you advise this Mom to wean under these
circumstances?

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Again, this family is trying
to gather information to try to sort out what to do. This woman's back
pain was not being taken very seriously until now. As I said in my
previous post, she was told that "relaxin" from breastfeeding was causing
her problems. The family is looking into seeing a Family Practice M.D.
who is also IBCLC.

Marie Schulte LLLL

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Marie Schulte LLLL & MOM
from the computer known as
[log in to unmask] ;-)
Visit the
La Leche League of Madison web page at:
http://www.terracom.net/~mjstoy/
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