 Is it safe to breastfeed straight after a mammogram?
Yes it is safe, breastfeeding mothers can have mammograms.
Mothers asking this question may have two concerns:
1. Will the radiation affect my milk and harm my baby?
2. Is it possible to read the mammogram of a lactating breast?
X-rays do not affect
mother's milk, so you can safely resume breastfeeding immediately after
the mammogram. In fact, according to LLLI's WOMANLY ART OF
BREASTFEEDING, page 134, "Mammograms,
x-rays and ultrasound tests will not interfere with
breastfeeding.
The second question has a longer answer. It is possible to read a
mammogram of a lactating breast. Breasts that produce milk are called
lactating breasts. Due to milk production, there is more dense tissue
present in the lactating breast than in a non-lactating one. This normal
density may make it harder to read the results. The amount of tissue in
your breast depends on the frequency that your baby is breastfeeding.
If breastfeeding occurs infrequently, there will be less milk and tissue
so the mammogram would be easier to read. To help
reduce the amount of milk prior to a mammogram, you could bring
your baby and breastfeed immediately prior to the procedure.
Finding a radiologist experienced in reading mammograms of lactating
breasts would produce more reliable results.
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