Hi, Hilary:  I worked with a mom with Crohn's disease many years ago who 
was told by her gastroenterologist she should never get pregnant and should 
definitley not breastfeed if she did.  She had not one but two children 
against this medical advice and successfully breastfed each of her 2 
children close to 2 years. She also continued to work full-time as a police 
officer which is definitely not a low-stress occupation.  She was 
hospitalized a couple of times during each pregnancy and breastfeeding 
experience to better manage her disease when she lost too much weight and 
her disease worsened.  Each time she was read the riot act by her doctors 
about stopping breastfeeding and each time she thumbed her nose at them and 
continued.  I would suggest that you counsel this mom to follow all the 
advice and treatments her doctors recommend in managing her disease (except 
the advice about stopping breastfeeding!!) and to take the medications 
prescribed so that she can keep herself as healthy as possible.  Otherwise, 
she should be able to nurse as long as she wants with close medical follow-
up for her Crohn's.

Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,CLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL  USA

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