Dear Doreen:

"Medications and Mothers' Milk" by Hale covers radioactive diagnostic 
and therapeutic treatments, in several entries and several tables in the 
back of the book -- the wide range of different agents, at varying 
dosages, require the cessation of breastfeeding for different lengths of 
time,  At Hale's website, http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/
there's a link to a "new table" from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
plus two sections of random Q&As on radioactive medications  in his 
"Medications Forums."
http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/html/medications_forums.html

One useful point, picked up on Lactnet, is that the radioactivity will 
dissipate from stored milk over time.

As for the low-tech lacto-engineering -- for a baby at the breast, the 
mother can  nurse frequently to keep the breast well drained, using lots 
of massage and breast compression.  For pumped milk -- pumping shortly 
after a feed, or pumping frequently, once again with compression and 
massage, would yield a lower volume of higher-fat milk.  If the milk is 
left to stand, the cream will naturally rise to the top where it can be 
skimmed off and added to the other milk to enrich it. 

Some Lactnet discussions have pointed out that, while such procedures 
are useful for adding calories, in certain medical situations the baby 
may need increased amounts of other nutrients.

Good luck to you in supporting this mother, who has such a dark cloud 
hanging over the arrival of her baby.

Margaret Wills, LLLL, IBCLC

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