>The thyroid has been removed and she's to undergo radioactive I-131 treatment
>at the end of the month.  NaI is all they use for ablation at her treatment
>center.  She's currently bf her baby, but was told she'll have to completely
>wean her son.

Nancy -

Medela's Rental Roundup, 1989, vol 6 #1 has a lovely story about a woman who
pumped for 2 months before receiving I-131, to have a small stockpile, then
pumped through the necessary 90 days until her milk tested okay again, then
returned to breastfeeding.  Her daughter was 2 months old when they stopped,
5 months when they began again, and they were nursing at a year, when her
mother wrote the article.  Three months lost is a lot smaller when you put
it against a background of at least 7 more months gained.

There was a clear difference in her daughter's health and attitude with and
without breastfeeding, which I'm sure helped her determination.  In her
case, her daughter returned immediately and happily to breastfeeding.  Not
all babies would, of course, but I'm sure almost all the more reluctant ones
could be lured back.

So there can be a bright light in an otherwise dark situation.

I can't address the increased uptake of I-131 by a lactating breast.  This
is worth some further looking into, so she can balance the relative risks...
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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