>
>Does anyone have some lecithin handy who could share the label
>recommendations for intake?  (Just wondering how that compares to the
>above.)

Unfortunately bottles of lecithin will not be making recommendations for
resolving plugged ducts in a breastfeeding mother.  We are not there yet.
We must rely on the "experiential level of evidenced-based lactation practice."

Lecithin is food--from soybeans. Professional chefs use it in cooking when
their stew has too much visible fat. The lecithin  granules break down the
fats. Many of us have found that lecithin is an effective treatment for a
mother who has recurring plugged milk ducts. Lecithin is also used for
cardiovascular health. I call it Roto Rooter for the veins.

Taking more lecithin than is necessary will not pose a problem--other than
cost (and it is not very expensive). Other LCs on this list can let us know
the amount that they have found effective.

 From my experience using lecithin, a recommendation found in Ruth
Lawerence's book, the desired amount varies from mother to mother. My
experience is that it definitely prevents the recurrence of the blocked
ducts in a mother whose baby is feeding well and growing well. It has been
my observation that blocked ducts are more common in a mother whose baby is
gaining a lot. I assume that the fat content in this mother's milk is
higher than that of another mother, hence the problem with the blockages.
Therefore there cannot be set guidelines for every mother.

I begin with 4 gel caps a day. The strength is not always the same because
the mothers buy their lecithin in different places and the severity of the
problem varies from mother to mother.  If 4 doesn't work within a day or
two, she increases it. If it does work, then she keeps it at that level for
a few weeks, then reduces it by 1 to see if that is effective. I find that
it works within a couple of days to prevent further blockage if the present
blockages are cleared.

I like the gel caps better than the granules because they are easier to
take and are easier to find. Unless a mother frequents a health food store
I tell her to get it at a pharmacy. She then tells me the strength and we
go from there.

I had a client for whom 4 caps (500mg each) were adequate. Each time that
she reduced it she had another blockage. After baby was 5 months old and
she had experienced no blocked ducts for several months she decided to not
buy a new bottle. Within 3 days of stopping the lecithin she had a blocked
duct. She had to take it throughout her breastfeeding experience--three babies.


Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


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