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Subject:
From:
Kathy Dettwyler <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 27 May 1997 10:22:14 -0500
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>I have a mom in Geneva Switzerland who is bf a 22 mo old.  She will soon be
>having a cat scan with contrast dye for pulmonary AVM.  She has been told she
>cannot bf for three days until the contrast dye is out of her system.  She
>feels it would be easier to gradually wean her daughter altogether rather
>than to not nurse her for three days.  Her daughter is a very frequent
>nurser.
>I don't know what the contrast dye is.  Is it radioactive?  Is it true she
>cannot bf for three days?  I have suggested pumping and dumping, but she
>feels trying to hold off her daughter for three days cold turkey would be too
>hard.

If it does turn out that she needs to not nurse for three days, find out if
she needs to pump and dump, or if dye levels will diffuse back out into
bloodstream from the milk, so she would just need to wait those three days,
maybe pumping a bit to relieve pressure of engorgement if necessary?

Then, I would suggest she start talking to the child about how mommy needs
to have some medical tests done and how she won't be able to nurse for three
days, but will be able to nurse again afterwards, and how during those three
days, whenever she needs/wants to nurse, they will find something else
special to do -- this could be anything, really, from reading a book to
having a juice popsicle to having a piece of chocolate, or getting to play
with a new toy, dancing to music, etc.  Perhaps it would be easier on the
child if she went to stay with grandma or a friend for a few days -- so that
she wouldn't see mom and be reminded of nursing all the time.  Perhaps it
would be easier if she did cut back on the frequency of nursing before the 3
days begins, so it isn't totally cold turkey from nursing whenever to no
nursing at all.  She could explain that are going to "practice" the
alternative comforting techniques.  She could also put up a time-line on the
wall at child's height showing "hours until you can nurse again" and make a
big game of marking off the hours, so child has some idea of how much
longer, when they are half-way through, when it is close to an end, etc.  I
think that little children are much more capable of understanding ideas and
concepts than most people give them credit for.  It is certainly worth a
try.  I would prefer to see this than have an avidly nursing 22 month old
have to stop nursing altogether -- perhaps giving up several YEARS more of
nursing -- just to make one 3-day period a little less traumatic.  If mom
will be away from child anyway (in the hospital) this will be traumatic
enough, but if child knows mommy is coming home and she'll get to nurse
again, then that will help immensely.


Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition
Texas A&M University

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