In less than a month I've met some very special moms that I'd like to
mention for what they've taught me;

1. This mom developed thyroid cancer and needed the horrible radiation
treatment that meant she had to wean her baby - or did it?  She just kept
pumping and pitching ( I learned later that she could have saved the milk
which would have lost its radiation in time...) first for 24 days - then
she finally asked someone how long it usually takes to clear out the
radioactivity and they said 50 days so she figured she was half way there
and kept it up for 50 days.  They then began testing the milk (geiger
counter??) and she found it was safe to give the milk at about 76 days...

By this time baby was so used to the bottle that she would not nurse - but
mom kept pumping and feeding her milk for over 14 months.  

Lesson - never tell a mom she has to stop breastfeeding - let her know how
long it would be (usually 5 half-lives) and let HER decide if she wants to
keep it up.

2. Mom here in PR just came to pay for the 12th month of pump rental. 
Remember the baby whose liver was so bad the doc told her to put her on
Alimentum and forget the breast milk?  She was going to need a liver
transplant as soon as she gained some weight which the doc felt she sould
never do on her milk (told mom her milk would damage the liver).  Dr.
Newman wrote back quickly as did others to provide me with the support this
mom needed to continue.  

Well, baby had never gone  to breast due to long NICU stay and many
bottles.  But mom pumped and fed her milk.  Last March I was offering her
mom my coat to go up to Cleveland for tests.  

Baby had a kidney (non-functioning) removed last month and was found to
have normal liver enzymes.  She never needed the transplant!

Ped keeps telling mom she can stop pumping now and give cow's milk - mom
stopped by to ask whether she had to stop pumping.  I have offered to teach
her hand expression or the use of a pedal pump on many occasions - but
she's so happy with her Lactina and her giving her baby ONLY mother's milk
(now with other foods including chicken and turkey, vegetables and fruits
but no red meat).  I encouraged to continue providing mother's milk even if
just small amounts as I'm sure she's helping her keep healthy  (never a
cold or any problems even during and after the kidney surgery).

Mom works and continues to pump regularly.  At about 3 months she came very
worried because of lowering of milk supply - right at the time baby's
bilirubin count was so high I highly recommended (read insist) she see the
MD.  She started Reglan and was on it continuously for 6 months.  After
that, she takes it only if she feels her milk supply is going down (about
every 3 weeks).  She reports feeling  no side effects.

Lesson - you never know what someone can and will do for her baby.  We need
to give the correct information and stand by to watch and support.  WOW. 
Just when I get down I get these infusions of "mother's milk" to keep me
going!

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC
Puerto Rico
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