Amy didn't mention the baby's age, or the mother's commitment to BF --
is she planning to wean to go on the diet?  Is the pediatrican trying
more to dissuade her from the diet, or from breastfeeding while on it?
The mother and the concerned pediatrician might benefit from the LLLI
site's information on diets:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/lowcarb.html

It notes that even the Atkins diet home-page suggests
pregnant/lactating women eat a "maintenance" carbohydrates level rather
than the lower "weight-loss" level.

Also, how long is this mother likely to stay on such a radically
restricted diet? Will she continue taking prenatals, or other vitamin
supplements?  While some people do seem to see their supply drop quickly
if they're not eating well, BF generally offers a safety net for the
baby -- the mother has to be quite malnourished and have depleted her
own body's reserves before the quality of the milk suffers.  It would be
very sad if this mother stopped breastfeeding, (or if the pedi
encouraged weaning) so she could go on some specialized diet, since most
people can't maintain radical dietary changes for very long.

Granted, we all should eat well-balanced diets.  But this pediatrician,
probably unconsciously, is assuming that the alternative, formula
feeding, has no risks.  He/she needs to see that artficial feeding would
be riskier than any theoretical shortfall in the mother's milk due to
her diet (particularly if she's overnourished enough at this point to be
considering dramatic steps).

Margaret Wills, LLLL, IBCLC

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