A month ago I wrote about a mom whose high prolactin level meant she needed
Parlodel to get pregnant. No Parlodel during pg, but prolactin level
tested low. After birth (c-sec) she had only drops of colostrum until Day
9, when supply burgeoned to its alltime high of 3/4 to 1 oz per 24 hrs.
She got that much if she pumped 4x/day or 8x/day. Metoclopramide and
6-8x/day pumping led to no increase.
Baby had trouble latching on her large, flat nippled breasts. We tried to
tempt him there w/ SNS, and his skills slowly improved. He had a couple
good nursings w/ SNS, and even nursed several times *at length* w/o tubing
- a sort of farewell gift to his mother, I think, because he hasn't done it
in the past few days.
But those few nursings seemed to settle something in him, and he's a
happier baby than he had been. She'll be bottle-feeding with regret, but
feels good about her efforts and is very, very pleased to have had those
few really good, gadget-free nursings. I think the only thing that *might*
have boosted her supply further would have been extended SNS nursing, which
she didn't want.
No idea why this happened. She's hypothyroid but well-controlled w/ med.
But I'm *so* glad baby finally learned how to nurse. Now, at least, not
latching will be his *choice*, not his *inability*. Mom will continue to
offer lots of skin. Sigh.
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL Ithaca, NY USA
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