Hi, everyone: I've been learning tremendous amounts from lactnet, especially helpful right now as I will be attempting the IBLCE in July. I've wanted to jump in on issues where MD input was sought, but as a family physician I've had much less experience with, e.g., retained placenta as a factor in decreased milk supply. But I do have comments on the cholesterol issue. Why measure this nursing mom's cholesterol in the first place? But since it was done, what was her cholesterol level? Was HDL checked? That's the "heart-protective" cholesterol fraction, usually high in premenopausal women. Without some other risk factor for heart disease such as smoking(especially if she takes oral contraceptives), diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of early heart attack deaths (in the 40's), she's unlikely to be at risk of a heart attack until after losing the protective effects of estrogen during menopause. I'll look into the insurance issue. It would be crazy to apply the same cholesterol levels to women in assigning insurance premiums as to men (especially since currently accepted cholesterol levels are based on studies that used only middle-aged men). I'll search the literature for any reliable data on cholesterol levels in breastfeeding moms (probably not for a few days, as I'll be at a conference). Happy networking, Alicia Dermer, M.D.