I am writing with the eager approval of the mother.
Experience nursing mother had her 4th child born January 22, 2011 weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. Mother recalls that Baby weighed 11 lbs plus at 2 months.
Difficulties began Sunday, May 23. Family had attended 2 birthday parties the day before and returned home quite late. Mother exhausted. Awoke Monday with lumpy right side, painful to breastfeed. Saw MD on Tuesday; treated with Sulfamethoxazole w/TMP DS for mastitis. Baby reluctant to feed in infected side.
Mother called me saying she had lost her milk; she could not pump more than drops. I suggested that perhaps the milk was difficult to express due to plugged ducts; described how she might manually express to help remove them. Baby reluctant to take that side but does some times. I assured her she could feed the baby on one side but that baby should nurse on infected side as often as possible to keep milk moving. Also suggested lecithin, yoghurt, acidophilus and/or probiotics.
By Friday, May 27, baby reluctant to nurse on either side. Mother perceives her milk as as having gone. Expresses only drops whether manually or with pump. Although her mastitis seems to be resolving, her milk supply seems to be diminishing. Has reluctantly offered formula supplement. About 2 oz on Sunday.
I visited yesterday, Monday, May 30. Baby awake, happy, smiling. Skin appeared moist and firm, not dehydrated. Baby nursed briefly, both sides, while I was there. When she subsequently became fussy, she would not nurse. She took 3 oz of formula willingly but not frantically.
Mother perceives she has lost her milk. Mother reports that she doesn't experience fullness any more; that baby feels lighter, and thighs are not as firm. Not on birth control, nor decongestants, nor eating sage. No pacifier in sight. Periods resumed on Friday so she is not pregnant. I considered that fussiness might be due to period but it has continued since then. Baby does not appear to be teething.
As we thought of things, we looked topics up in Mohrbacher's Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple.
Mother brought up stress as a possible source of her problems; did not specify what the source(s) of stress might be. Clearly she is anxious about her ability to make milk for her baby. I'm wondering whether stress and anxiety account for what I'm seeing. Is there an illness that could come on at four months and disrupt a mother's hormones?
I recommended that she nurse as frequently as possible and supplement whenever she thought appropriate to relieve her anxiety that baby is starving. To nurse rather than pump or express as that is only frustrating her at this point. She has lecithin, and Mother's Milk tea.
Baby is scheduled for vaccinations tomorrow, Wed. June 1 and will be weighed. I'm eager to see what that will show but I promised mother that I would bring her case before the wise women of Lactnet. Am I missing something? Suggestions?
Alice Roddy
LLLL, Front Royal, VA
Nursing is the biological norm for mothers and babies. It is a relationship that provides stress reducing hormones to the mother as well as stimulation, connection, and protection from illness to the baby. It even feeds the baby.
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