Breastfeeding, pumping and cancer

[wendypf]

I was diagnosed with cancer on Friday. The pathology will be available tomorrow, so I have no idea what is in store.

DD is 1 year old today. The idea of weaning early is heartbreaking. I know I may need to, but I was thinking that I would try to pump my milk during treatment so if she wanted to continue nursing when my treatments are done I will have milk for her.

Also, I know I'll need my nutrients, so I was thinking of drinking my milk. I've been reading some interesting research about cancer killing properties of breastmilk, so I figured, why not?

Has anyone done this? Know someone who did?

[fawnanddoe]

Hey mama. First off big hugs to you.

I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I had surgery a week and a half after Elijah was born and they found that it had spread to one of my lymph nodes (I have melanoma skin cancer). So now I have to have a PET scan and then after that we will figure out what treatment we are going to do.

You might not have to wean depending on what kind of treatments you are going to do.

What kind of cancer do you have? Did they mention any treatment options?

I will most likely be doing a drug treatment called interferon which is a high dosage injection. After a bunch of research I have decided that I will be able to continue breastfeeding if we go this route. I have been pumping and freezing milk in case there are ever times when I cannot breastfeed for a few hours or days. When I go get the PET scan on the 21st I can't breastfeed for a few hours because they will be injecting a radioactive tracer.

I am so sorry you have to think about these things and go through this. It's really tough. If you ever need to talk about anything or have any questions feel free to PM me!

[rabbitmum]

Hugs to you both! I was diagnosed with cancer myself a year ago, when my youngest was 2 3/4 old. Everything has gone really well. Hang in there!

[Samanthavv]

I'm not sure about drinking your own milk. (I'm not a doctor... yet.) but one of the main reasons breast milk is used in ill people is because their immune system is compromised during treatment and the antibodies help protect them. Since you're the one producing the milk, then I don't think it'd be very beneficial, as all the antibodies in the milk are already in your body? I think you'd need to drink someone elses milk, who may have different antibodies than yourself.