Hi, all

Debbie Albert (Hi, Debbie!) asked about DES exposure and lactation.
Unfortunately, the DES Daughter "club" is one that I belong to. However, I
never had any problems with bf (other than horrendous sore nipples that had
NOTHING to do with the drug my mom took while pregnant with me and
EVERYTHING to do with prevailing ignorance at the time....). I've also been
relatively lucky and never had the extreme problems with cervical cancer,
although I've miscarried twice, once most likely due to a luteal phase
defect. I had to take progesterone with my last pregnancy as well. I haven't
ever seen anything about that kind of problem specifically with DES
daughters but it doesn't seem so far-fetched.

I found out about the DES exposure in 1978, just a month before I got
married. At that time they were just beginning to put the pieces of the
puzzle together. I got on a mailing list, the DES Registry, that sent out
newsletters with the latest info. They were so scary to a new bride who
fully intended to have children that I finally stopped the subscription and
got a good, knowledgeable doctor instead.

My guess is the registry still exists, and I believe there may be a website
for it. That would be a good place to check for information, I would think.

A couple of things are especially aggrevating about the DES bit. For one,
when my mom took it in 1953, early in her pregnancy with me, it had already
been shown to be useless in preventing miscarriages and carcinogenic in lab
animals, and yet the doctors kept giving it out for at least 10-15 more
years. Also, some reports indicate that not only is the mom who takes the
drug affected, but the daughters (and sons), and THEIR daughters may be
affected in some way as well. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my
daughter will be okay. What a legacy.

I'd be interested to learn what, if anything, you find out on this one.

Melissa Vickers, IBCLC
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