Hi all,
I'd like to give you an update on the mother I posted about who was very
emotional and producing very little milk.
She did see her OB/GYN, who at mother's urging tested her thyroid function
but basically told her that she should stop trying.
The mother didn't want to give up and I encouraged her to switch to a
classic pump and up the fenugreek until she could smell it, but nothing made
any difference.
Her breasts would seem to fill but nothing came out. She tried Oxytocin
spray (that stuff is VERY expensive) with no effect. Fenugreek and Blessed
Thistle with no effect.
She said that she was pumping perhaps a total of 2 oz per 24h - pumping 8-10
times per 24h (down from 12x the previous weeks). Baby wouldn't latch well
and baby wouldn't stay latched with little return. The mother felt the SNS
was too complicated, although she tried many times. She just couldn't seem
to get the hang of using it -- especially by herself.
After 5 weeks, the mother decided to stop the pumping and simply enjoy her
baby. We talked about more skin to skin and bathing with the baby and
giving him opportunities to latch with no pressure. I'm hoping that if all
the "pressure" is off, even if most of it was self-induced, breastfeeding
may still happen.
I am disappointed that the OB/GYN essentially 'blew off' my concerns. She
stated that the mother's emotions were normal for her. "She's just that
way" -- and no indications of a problem. Maybe not. I do know that when I
spoke to the mother this week, she was still very emotional. Giggling at
one point and voice trembling the next. Her thyroid tests came back this
week and they were 'normal' per the OB/GYN.
I know that there is more we could probably do and I could probably pursue
the thyroid angle, asking what normal is. I could also probably pursue the
psych angle. Yet I don't think the mother could handle any more at this
point.
Another aspect of this is monetary. This mother has paid for mulitple
lactation visits and pumps, SNS's, herbs, meds, etc. She's spent a pretty
penny so far and hasn't begrudged it that I can tell, yet I imagine they're
at their limit.
Anyway, the whole experience has been very depressing for me. I've worked
recently with mom's who are simply too busy to breastfeed -- yes, they'd
like to breastfeed, but they also have other responsibilities, so they don't
have time to really work on a good latch.... and they make milk easily. And
here's a mom who would put everything on hold if she could only breastfeed
and I can only tell her, gee, I don't know WHY... sometimes it just happens.
ARGGH!!!
Thanks for those who responded to my post.
Regards,
Cindi Swisher, RN, IBCLC
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