That is not a typo! This week I cared for a woman who developed eclamsia
after her first birth and seized for three minutes. She received MgSo4
(gram and a half an hour) for four days. Any attemps to wean her sooner
resulted in hyperactive reflexes. This woman wanted very badly to
breastfeed....The pediatrician said no. Hale's red book said ok. We
didn't know if there was a culmative affect. Baby by now in photo. Her
milk started GUSHING on the 2nd day....Along with extreme diuresis (12
and half liters in one day) We started pumping on the third day. Bottles
of milk (while stoned on 50 gtts a minute). I did the pumping so not
exaggerating.....all this with seizure precautions. Off mag on the
fourth day. On the 5th day we put the gorgeous one on the breast and she
"drank" and "drank" - No other way to describe this. The mother was also
put on Atenol 100mg and OsmoAdalat 30mgx2 (after the milk came in.)
Another clue prehaps for the physiology geniuses - She was losing a lot
of protein in her urine (24 hour collection from the 3rd to the 4th day
- (All you nurses out there guess how we did that...we are talking LOTS
of urine) At one point Mag level high - rest of electrolytes ok. They
are now a happy breastfeeding couple. Whew!
My question - can anybody take a crack at a possible explanation?
                               Sincerely, Toby (Haifa)

Toby Gish RN IBCLC
mailto:[log in to unmask]