It's odd how these things happen, but last week I had one of those moms that
Lisa Marasco wrote about.  The mother (para 2) had lactation failure with
first child 3 yrs ago.  No milk.  She weaned the baby to formula 2 wk pp and
some weeks later was dx with hypothyroidism.  She is still on Synthroid.  I
figured that the dx of hypothyroidism explained the missing milk, so was
surprised when she called me to see 4 day old baby No. 2 who had begun to
reject the breast.  The breasts both palpate with normal glandular
distribution.  They were heavy (tho not engorged) and a bit warm.  Baby
would only stay on with feeding tube or syringed milk.  I couldn't hand
express anything, and a rental grade pump got a few 'sweated' drops on pump
flange.  Otherwise, nada.  I suspected an oxytocin problem because there
seemed to be milk in the breast, it just wasn't coming out.  MD was willing
to prescribe syntocinon spray, but health insur. wouldn't pay, and parents
balked at price.  They would pay for metoclopromide, but that did nothing.
So she is weaning.  I'm mystified.

I did get her permission to sign her up on Tom Hale's research list.
Remember, if you have an unusual case, register these women (with their
consent, of course) so that researchers can access their histories.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
http://www.lactnews.com

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