Cathy,
I think the mom with the inflamed breast should see a physician.  If the
doctor recommends weaning, she can either take or decline his advice, but if
there is still an infectious process going on in her breast, she needs medical
care.
We are not doing our job as health care professionals if we keep mothers away
from other team members for fear of their misinformation.  We can supply the
breastfeeding information to both mom and physician, as well as cultivate
relationships with physicians who are breast friendly and refer to them.
Please lets keep things in perspective here, those of us who are
non-physicians should not be doing the job of treating illness
just as much as the physician should not be attempting to do ours.
This is not meant as a flame, as I share your distaste for ignorance in
medical professionals, but as a gentle reminder that the patients' welfare is
foremost.
        While she works with the physician, I would scrutinize the infant's
sucking.  Though he is obviously getting plenty of milk, his history and mom's
chronic mastitis lead me to suspect he is not draining all areas of the breast
equally well.  He might be getting lots of milk due to a very strong MER and
be more passive on the breast.  One of the things that sometimes works is to
have the mom aim the baby's chin at the sore spot on the breast, to get the
tongue there.  Some moms like kneeling over the baby who is supine on the
floor or bed, and letting her breast fall freely from the chest wall.  This
might stress the infants ability to cope with a strong MER, so I suggest you
observe this first before recommending it for the mom to try on her own.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC  [log in to unmask]