I am always interested in a dialogue about this subject because I, too, am
seeing it in more than 2% of the population I work with and I agree that it
is something we are bound to see more of as mothers who might not have even
gotten pregnant before are having babies and wanting to breastfeed them.
This issue particularly saddens me in light of the many women with no
problems making milk who choose not to -- the 3 mothers I've worked with who
do have real problems making milk (also mothers who have done everything
*right* and gotten lots of early, competent support) are just so committed
to nurturing at the breast and giving their babies whatever they can
produce.  It's heartbreaking, really.

While I have not made any distinction from insufficient glandular tissue to
immature  glandular tissue, I have seen a case of bilateral hypoplasia -- of
the three I've worked closely with, one of the mothers had two very, very
small breasts (really more like mosquito bites with a nipple on top).  It
was only at the end of the pregnancy weight gain that a somewhat tubular
shape became evident (likely because of extra fat tissue and activation of
what little glandular tissue there was).  Another case I saw was very
classic in that one breast was actually a D-cup and the other a B-cup; this
mother wore a prosthesis in her bra to even out the appearance of her
breasts.

When I think of immature glandular tissue, I think of prepubescent girls, or
girls who have not yet completed the pubertal process.  I would love to
explore the issue of immature tissue in adults further, as opposed to
"insufficient" glandular tissue.  "Immature," to me, suggests there might be
a hormonal answer, something supplemental for the mother to encourage
maturity of tissue that already exists?  With insufficient glandular tissue,
I focus on maximizing the potential of what is already there as well as
attempting to build anything additional, usually during a subsequent
pregnancy.

I am so interested in this topic.  I've read that dioxin may be implicated
in the "misfires" during puberty that prevent the breast tissue from
developing and subsequently "ripening" during pregnancy.  Are there any
other environmental culprits being discovered?  I know the 3 mothers I have
worked with would be so thankful for any answer to why this might have
happened to them.  They were all completely committed to breastfeeding and
just devastated when their problem wasn't just about latch or schedules.

--Diana in NY

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