I've mused much over the years about the topic of mental health and
breastfeeding.  I had one mom tell me that there was no way she was going
to stop breastfeeding (they were looking for appropriate meds), "Because
to tell you the truth I think the only reason I'm alive is because I want
my son to have my milk.  My depression tells me that except for that milk,
he'd be better off with someone else taking care of him...I know that's
not true,  but it's what my illness tells me, over and over."  (ps Mom
still alive and mothering two years later.)
     When I was preparing testimony for the Vermont Legislature concerning
reimbursement for LC services (no, the whole bill didn't go through - we
would've been included if we all went to single payer, tho), one of my
dearest friends, a clinical psychologist, talked a long time with me about
the importance of breastfeeding in tough mothering situations.  She had
worked with a family where the three year old was still nursing, just like
his older brothers and sisters had nursed into little person=hood.  Pam
said she had never seen such a bunch of "centered" kids in a family with a
mom who was so ill.  (The psychologist said she was glad she knew me
because when her staff complained about the 3 yo breastfeeding, she
informed them that it was not pathologic behavior -- but only because she
knew I wasn't pathologic.)
    Important work we do.      Dawn Kersula RN IBCLC FACCE in BF, VT