Patricia: The relationship between infectious mononucleosis (especially that associated with Epstein-Barr virus) and chronic fatigue syndrome is, in my understanding, still hotly debated. Mono itself is mainly seen in adolescents and young adults (the youngest person I ever saw with mono was 7 years old). There is nothing I could find about mono or EBV in Dr. Lawrence's text, and I doubt that there are any studies on the subject (will try a literature search). IMO, there are too many good reasons to breastfeed and there is no epidemiologic evidence for transmission of the virus (otherwise we'd see cases of infectious mono in babies). To deny mother and baby the benefits of breastfeeding on such a tenuous basis, I would challenge the physician involved in the case to provide scientific evidence of transmission and clinical disease. As for the actual effects of breastfeeding on the mother's level of fatigue, my personal bias is that breastfeeding saves time and energy and allows mother more opportunities to rest, therefore, I can't see it as a contraindication for the mother's health. Alicia. [log in to unmask]