Milk for baby vs milk for mum

[Debtet]

Hi
I am an LC helping to support a mum who has just been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, and I value your expertise.

The cancer, and it's metastasises in the hip bone, has been discovered since she had her second baby five weeks ago. Mum is 29 yrs. She has just begun therapy....Dexamethasone, Docetaxel, Carboplatin and Trastuzumab. She is currently 'pumping and dumping' and understands that breastfeeding is not possible given the drugs that she is on.

My questions are...
Are we correct in our understanding re the inadvisability of the breast milk for the baby?
Is the breast milk safe for the mother to drink? She is interested in taking it, to in some way ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy, and to benefit from the HAMLET complex. Are there 'toxic metabolites' or such things, to worry about?

Thank you in anticipation

[admin]

Debtet:

Your are correct that it is inadvisable for the infant to breastfeed for perhaps 30 days or longer due to the long half-life of some of these drugs.

Is it safe for mom to drink, I'd suggest yes, particularly since she is on these drugs anyway. But I really doubt it will help much. As for toxic metabolites, none that she needs to worry about.

Tom Hale Ph.D.