I just had to tell you of the latest boneheaded BF management advice I heard that was given to a BF mother. A mom from a town 40 miles away came to see me.  She is nursing her two year old maybe twice a day still and they both still enjoy it.  She had developed some severe nipple pain and a sore area in the breast but no redness or warmth.  Her OB/GYN had treated her with several rounds of antibiotics to no avail.  His latest advice to her was, "The advantages of BF are all gone at six months so you should just stop now.  Put vinegar on your nipples so that your child will not enjoy nursing"

Fortunately she did not follow his advice, but did hook up via phone with an LC in another town who suggested warm packs and changing the nursing position.  The deep searing pain at the nipple while nursing has spontaneously resolved, and the lump has noticeably decreased in size and tenderness with the one day of following the LC advice.  The nipple now looks completely normal with sign of a yeast.  I told the mom to continue the program started by the LC and to follow the lump to make sure that it completely resolved in the next week.  The physician in me "fears" the missed cancerous lump so I want to make sure there is good follow-up.

That brought up part B of the boneheaded management.  She was told by another doctor that she had to wean for six months before she could have a mammogram.

One of the main things this woman received from me was affirmation that it was perfectly normal for her to nurse her 2 year old, and that previous things she was told by the doctors were wrong in my opinion.  All she really needed was my confirmation of her own intuition.

So much ignorance, So little time.. <sigh>

Jon Ahrendsen MD FAAFP

Clarion, Iowa