Christine rec'd a call from a G3P3 c/o painful intercourse, has been rx/d topical Betamethasone which provides some relief when used, advised by doc that she may have to stop bfing since the "it is the hormones of breastfeeding that are causing this problem." Perineal area is reddened when the cream isn't used. Am incredulous enough to keep a file on unsupported medical recommendations to stop breastfeeding. Jack Newman MD has done a lovely job of countering some of these in his handout, "You Can Still Breastfeed When . . . ." This is a good, empowering handout for prenatal classes, along with his "Myths About Breastfeeding," "More Myths About Breastfeeding," "More and More Myths About Breastfeeding," and "Still More Myths About Breastfeeding." See pages 418-419 of the current Breastfeeding Answer Book by Nancy Mohrbacher & Julie Stock: "Low estrogen levels associated with breastfeeding may cause vaginal dryness, tightness, and tenderness. If intercourse is painful or uncomfortable for the mother, more foreplay may help. Suggest she try using a water-based lubricant, such as K-Y jelly. Another possibility is using estrogen-based creams or suppositories, which are available by prescription. One study found these to be helpful and showed no apparent effect on lactation (Wisniewski and Wilkinson 1991). . . . Jan Riordan, EdD, says in her book, A Practical Guide to Breastfeeding, 'Pressures and problems of sexual relations while lactating are as ancient as woman herself. Physicians during the 17th century recommended breastfeeding, but insisted that sexual relations during lactation would spoil the milk and endanger the life of the child.' Because artificial feeding was not safe at that time, wet nurses became popular and allowed women to stop breastfeeding to accomodate their husbands' desires without compromising their babies' health." The Hale 2002 (I do not yet have the 2004 Hale) lists Betamethasone as L3, notes that this med is used in pediatrics and states, "see Prednisone," L2 per Hale and approved by The American Academy of Pediatrics for use in breastfeeding mothers. I would also suggest saliva as an effective, no-cost and readily available lubricant, and would reinforce the many benefits of extended foreplay. The following books by Barbara Ehrenreich & Deirdre English are interesting reading: 1) Witches, Midwives and Nurses 2) For Her Own Good: 150 Years of The Experts' Advice to Women 3) Complaints and Disorders Debra Swank, RN BSN IBCLC RLC Winchester, Virginia USA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html