<< One of the WIC counselors at our northern ARizona
 clinic called today - she tells me that a mom who is 27 weeks pregnant came
 in today with engorgement and a full milk supply!  I have never heard of
 this.  The mom does not know what to do, she has a history of preterm labor,
 and is of course not able to pump.  She is extremely uncomfortable. >>

Dear Brenda and all,

My name is Joanna Skiles and I am an LLLL.  I have enjoyed all that I have
learned from this list but have never posted anything until now.  When I saw
this post, I was so surprised because I, too, had my milk come in early (29
1/2 weeks) when I was pregnant with my first child.  I had never heard of
this happening to anyone else until now.  I had been in preterm labor for
over 5 weeks and woke up one morning with breasts as hard as rocks and the
sheets soaking wet from the milk that had been pouring out of them.  I don't
know what happened with the mother you are helping, but my engorgement had
subsided (no pumping) by the time I went to my doctor's appointment that
afternoon.  I told my doctor that I thought my milk had come in, but he
dismissed the possibility.  I know now from years of personal breastfeeding
experience that my milk had indeed come in, but at the time I thought he must
be right.  The next day, my water broke.  Although I did not have any
separation of the placenta, after my daughter was born my doctor did say that
it looked like the placenta had begun to deteriorate.  I have always wondered
if that is what caused my milk to come in.  Maybe after all those weeks of
preterm labor and with a placenta that was deteriorating, my body figured
that surely it had to be time to nurse a baby!

I am curious about this mom.  Did her engorgement subside as mine did?  Has
she had her baby?

Also, with a baby born so early, I did a lot of pumping, and I never saw
colostrum, just a lot of milk!  The hospital said I was the most prolific
mother they had ever seen.

Joanna Skiles, LLLL

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