I think that there is something hormonal going on when there is a failure
to progress to lactogenesis II, and when obvious things like retained
placenta and thyroid disease, diabetes (which can delay lactogenesis) etc
are ruled out, I think we need to look for things like ovarian cysts that
may be emiting suppressive hormones.  We had a mom like that here in Austin
a few weeks ago.  I had a call from the hospt. that this mom had no other
red flags and yet had no milk.  I suggested an endocrinology work up and
they discovered a cyst on the ovary that was emitting hormones that were
suppressing lactation.  I had this insight thanks to some work Kay Hoover
has done.  Maybe (in response to Cathy Fetherston's comment about prolactin
levels) the galactagogues sometimes help because there needs to be more
prolactin or more triggering of prolactin receptors when a hormone imbalance
is confusing the body.

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

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