Dear Mary,
        These are always very difficult situations. I don't think that
most drs. dealing with cancer really want to mess with the whole
lactation thing. Their bend is more on saving the mother's life, which is
understandable.
        Obviously, there is plenty of research to back up that three
weeks of breast milk is beneficial. But there is another angle that this
mother may want to consider: Her remaining breast is not being treated.
She may want to think about the possibility of pumping and dumping during
chemo cycles and maintaining the nursing relationship between those
cycles. (After 5 half lives, the amount of the drug in the system is
considered negligible.) I personally did this, although my "baby" was
much older. It depends on which chemo drugs will be used, their half
lives, and how much time there will be between treatments. And of course
on what the mother wants to do. It is always rather fragile ground we
stand on when the mother has a serious illness and the drugs are
dangerous. I wish there was researched and published information out
there about the possibility of maintaining lactation during cancer
treatments. Many people insist that it is too stressful for a mother
undergoing chemotherapy to pump and dump, but I maintain that for mothers
who consider the breastfeeding relationship to be of high importance,
they may feel tremendous emotional relief by this act.  I think the best
you can do for her is give her information, be there to help her
research, and be supportive of whatever decisions she makes.
        For me, maintaining the nursing relationship was critical to my
emotional well being as it was one thing that I didn't let the cancer rob
me of, and gave me a sense of control in an otherwise very out of control
situation.  Please feel free to email me privately if you would like to
discuss it further.
Warmly,
Sandy Hankin, IBCLC

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