NEWS: When lactation doesn’t work
Find a Conversation
| Thu, 04-05-2012 - 12:48pm |
As a newly-minted doctor and breastfeeding activist, I used to believe that all mothers could breastfeed. Now, after almost a decade of clinical experience, I know better. Sometimes, breastfeeding physiology just doesn’t work. And frankly, as medical professionals, we handle these situation poorly.
Lactation happens through a choreographed interplay of hormones that build up milk-making machinery during pregnancy and then manufacture milk and deliver it to the baby during feeding. So-called “primary lactation failure,” when a mother’s milk never comes in, may happen because the machinery doesn’t develop , or because the signals to make and move the milk are not in sync or absent altogether.
When a mother’s milk isn’t flowing, physicians should check for any medications that may be interfering with milk production, as well as assess function of the thyroid and pituitary gland, which can be damaged during childbirth after heavy bleeding. Absent milk production can also occur if part of the placenta is left behind at birth. If these tests are all normal, a few drugs can boost the level of prolactin, the milk-making hormone. ABM covers these drugs in our
- Do breastfeeding moms really need to be told this? 13
- Getting a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer 3
- Rant from In-Your-Face Formula Feeder 2
- Breastfeeding Diet: What to Eat 1
- Another baby at my house needing formula? 5
- Breastfeeding vs formula: Should the state step in? 4
- Shanna Moakler: "Breastfeeding is incestual." 6
- Is Your Baby Part of a Risky Science Experiment? 2
- Role of IBCLC 1
- Breastfeeding "too long" may increase iron deficiency? 1
Memeber Support
| Q: | Where can I change my password? |
| A: | Log in, go to Edit My Preferences, and click the Account tab. Make and save your changes. |
Good read, thanks for posting.
It has long bothered me how so many medical professionals and even mothers themselves seem to view any issue with low milk production as untreatable so not to be worth investigating as to the cause and possible solutions. They seem to all think that formula is good enough since it will resolve the inadequate nutrition issue caused by the low milk supply so why worry about where the low milk supply can be addressed or not. Too often it just assumed that the cause is something the cannot be addressed. In some cases I suspect that poor BF technique is really at play such trying to BF on a strict schedule or improperly supplementing with formula. In other cases their is indeed a knowable cause that can be addressed such tongue-tie or medication causing low supply. Even in cases where the cause of the low supply is currently not addressable with known medical science, we shouldn't just assume that there isn't a discoverable solution that could address the problem of of low supply, if only we undertook proper research into the issue. For example, we now know of several medications that help increase milk supply such as Domperidome that where once unknown to us. We also are learning that certain medications or other substances the mother might be exposed to that can lead to productions problems where once such exposure is eliminated the milk production will go up.
The way I view it, ideally you should always try and determine why you have a low supply (if indeed you do and were not simply misdiagnosed) whenever possible and then try and address the issue, if possible. If not then consider trying to BF as much as your supply will allow, supplementing with formula only as needed. Only if your supply is completely or practically absent should you completely switch to formula (or donated EBM if your OK with that option). Too often it seems that many moms just assume that at the first sign of possible low supply that switching to formula 100% is the only option they have when that may not truly be the case.
(Edited for typos)
Teresa