in regards to the lithium question, a personal communication from dr. hale at
the time i was researching this mentioned that he did not have any data from
people monitoring patients using lithium and breastfeeding, but i did go out
and find that information myself. perhaps you should reevaluate your
feelings about patients who suffer from mental illness and your acceptance of
alternative drugs (yes, abm) which also pose known threats to the health and
safety of newborns. we only know the levels of lithium in the baby's blood by
testing; often these levels are undetectable. we know, however, that each
dose of ABM does specific and quantifiable harm.

also, you will notice you are making a contradictory claim by stating that a
mother on lithium would be "an uncontrolled Manic who
probably would not come in to have levels tested regularly, due to flight of
ideas and activity." - perhaps we would be assuming that someone who WAS
taking their medication would not have an uncontrolled illness? and perhaps
in this day and age we would not be referring to someone who has

bipolar disorder (just to make sure the correct name is clearly visible here)

as a manic? we have had political correctness lectures on lactnet before from
other persons than me, and the point is well taken, we do not refer to a
person by their diagnosis (the thrush mother? the yeast baby? the down's
baby? i believe the last one was the phrase being discussed at the time, and
a point well taken).

and as for other, safer medications, when i make a recommendation to a client
and her psychiatrist about switching to safer medications and this suggestion
is refused, there is not much i can do, since i do not prescribe myself.

i do, however, work in breastfeeding support. i do not merely read books as a
basis for making clinical suggestions. and the ultimate point here, which i
unfortunately am quoting since i did not originally say this myself, although
i do agree, is that we do not tell a mother she "cannot" breastfeed. we give
the mother the information that she should have to make the decision herself.

carol brussel IBCLC
laura nevada lactation

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