All over the world, breast milk is known as the perfect food for human babies. And while it is the hands-down natural way to feed an infant, so many women proclaim an inability to make the nursing relationship work. From breast reductions to family heredity, lots of women have reasons why breastfeeding isn't possible for them or someone they know. But it's a gray area, and there is no all-inclusive list that names exactly when a woman can and can't nurse her baby. In regards to cancer and HIV, having the right information might just keep your baby at the breast much longer than you expected.

Breastfeeding with cancer can be tricky. And depending on your treatment, it can be down right impossible. "For mothers diagnosed with [cancer] during lactation, they may choose to continue nursing unless their treatment involves chemotherapy or treatment with radioactive compounds," says Anne Smith, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in Winston-Salem, N.C. "All radioactive materials, taken orally or intravenously, and chemotherapeutic drugs cross into the milk and are potentially toxic to the infant."

But there is hope. Not all women will be treated with chemotherapy. And even those who are have an alternative to a permanent end to breastfeeding. "In some cases, mothers are able to discontinue breastfeeding until the drugs are out of their systems and then resume nursing again," Smith says. "If a nursing mother is diagnosed with any type of cancer, she needs to discuss her feelings about [breastfeeding] and her treatment options with her obstetrician, pediatrician and oncologist."

According to International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Ann Calandro, each case of cancer in the breastfeeding mom should be evaluated on an individual basis. In addition, Calandro cites the work of Dr. Thomas Hale, a leading expert in the use of medications in breastfeeding women, as being invaluable to the nursing mother facing cancer testing. "If she is undergoing tests for cancer, there are lists of radioisotopes on Dr. Tom Hale's Web site that give lengths of time that breastfeeding must be postponed for each particular diagnostic."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.