Rose,
        You asked if malnourished mothers should be discouraged from
breastfeeding.  I can understand the doctor's concern about this mother's
nutritional status being a problem for her, but the solution is not to
discourage her from breastfeeding.  The solution is to find out *why* she
lost weight during pregnancy and is malnourished.  Is there something
physically wrong with her, a malabsorption problem perhaps?  Did she have
such terrible morning sickness that she lost weight?  Is it financial -- she
can't afford to eat, is homeless, etc.?  Is it lack of information on how
much and what kinds of foods are sufficient and healthy for her?  Or is it
an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia?  The unerlying problem needs
to be addressed.  Telling her not to breastfeed is just putting a band-aid
over a gaping wound.
        Women all over the world who are malnourished breastfeed their
babies just fine, and the solution to helping them cope with their own
nutritional problems is to provide more and better quality food to them,
*not* to deprive their children of breast milk.  You need to know more about
this situation.  Fix the underlying problem, and let her breastfeed.  Just
my humble opinion.

Kathy Dettwyler