Dear experienced Lactnetters, especially anyone knowledgeable in oncology
and/or puberty,
Had a lovely mom come to me last week trying to breastfeed her 3rd baby.
Nursed babies # 1 and # 2 for 6 weeks and 4 weeks.  Neither baby gained even 1
ounce during the time they were being breastfed.  Now with baby # 3 monitored
more closely, loosing excessive amount of weight she is referred to me.  Mom
still would like to breastfeed and hoping this experience will be better.  1
week old baby nurses avidly but only gained .1 of an ounce  after 20 minutes
of eager nursing.  Pumping, resting, lots of nursing, = no increase in supply
and she has resigned herself to the bottle, not interested in nursing with a
supplementer or in using herbs at this point.

Mom is healthy, energetic, recovering from childbirth very well.
Breasts medium sized, equal in shape and size.
She did report some tenderness enlargement during pregnancy.
No s/sx of thyroid problems or retained placenta and it is now 3 weeks PP.
No traumatic birth, no hemorrhage.
The most significant thing is this mom had leukemia when she was 11 yrs old.
She had radiation to her head, and then chemotherapy for the next 5 1/2 years
until she was 16.  She is 33 now.

Do you think chemo given during this critical stage of development could have
affected her in some way preventing her from making more than a trickle of
milk?  It dit not affect her ability to get pregnant or deliver her babies.
She has had 3 great pregnancies, natural almost precipitous L & D so she makes
oxytocin and her uterus responds to it.
Of course she could just be one of those mysterious cases we see of
insufficient glandular tissue, but I am wondering, and so is she.
I'd appreciate your thoughts, information and comments.

Jane Bradshaw RN, BSN, IBCLC
Lynchburg, VA