I don't know whether to laugh or cry over this one. After getting home from
a conference, one of the phone messages waiting for me was from a mother
referred by another LC.  Her question:

Her baby is having heart surgery in 2 weeks. She wants to give blood for
him as it is the same type as her baby (her husband's is not).

The surgeon's nurse (or receptionist-she was not sure) told her that if she
donated blood, she would LOSE her MILK! (which she is pumping and also
nursing at the moment).

I am at a loss re: the logic supporting such a statement, but am willing to
be proven wrong (I told the mother I was unaware that giving blood would
reduce one's milk supply; she is giving only one pint!).

Has any one of the MDs on LACTNET a desire to clue me in as to the error of
my ways? I will be happy to call the mother back. She will not be donating
blood until the day before her baby's surgery (they want it to be "fresh.")




Def. of LC service: "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities
brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Homewood, IL)- [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html