Hi Lactnetters!

I'd like to thank all of you who congratulated me on my new job! It is nice
to know you care.

For Nancy: I have seen many babies "click" while breastfeeding. While it is
not normal as such, if the mom does not have painful nipples and if baby is
gaining weight, I do not worry about it! A motto: If it is not broken, don't
fix it! But you say the mother is in pain. We do know allergies can cause
this, but some babies simply have a dysfunctional suck. I have also seen
babies do this to try to cope with an overactive let-down. Suck training and
and changing the position (sometimes a modified football with head slightly
lower than rest of baby's body, might help). But in general, having the baby
open his mouth wider to obtain a better latch-on, is all that is needed.

For Linda: Could this lump be a galactocele? But be aware that it can also
be an abcess.

Tanning beds (can not remember who posted): Tanning beds seem to be more
dangerous to the mothers's health, then any effect it many would have on the
milk (why would it have any effect???) If someone has a definite answer to
this question please post. I also get many questions about this.

For Mary: I have followed a course of fertility drugs, so maybe I can be of
some help. Lupron decreases your oestrogen levels and puts your ovaries in
complete rest ( I call this dysfunction!!!). Pergonal and Clomid activates
them full blast. But if we want to look at this as a breastfeeeding point of
view, the reason why we do not have much information on these drugs and
breastfeeding is that both of them act in opposite directions.
Breastfeeding, even though it does not always suppress ovulation, can easily
disrupt the monthly cycle to the point of making it difficult for the woman
to become pregnant. These drugs boost up the ovulation in hope of a
pregnancy. It is not recommended to breastfeed while taking these drugs. The
act of breastfeeding might counteract the action of the drugs. On the other
hand, we should also be concerned with the amount of drug the toddler or
infant would receive via breastmilk. These drugs are hormones. we do not
recommend taking oral contraceptives, so we should probably not recommend
breastfeedinf while taking these drugs. Also, most drugs have higher blood
levels when they are injected, and Pergonal is injected, and sometimes in
quite high doses. But I would advise against breastfeeding while taking the
drugs, mainly because of their opposite actions and because the cost of this
procedure is so high, both emotionally and financially, that I would avoid
anything that could disrupt its course. I hope Dr. Hale will have
information on the effect of the drugs on the baby.

Bye for now!
Dany Gauthier IBCLC
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Montreal, Canada
Tel: 514-923-3792
Fax:514-923-3802