LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
"Lisa Marasco, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 8 Apr 1996 16:52:34 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (37 lines)
>>There could be a number of things that is inhibiting this mothers milk
production and from the postpartum history of no excessive bleeding I would
not pursue that line.<<

I have heard, and have also seen, that a retained placental fragment can
sometimes result in little bleeding rather than lots. The first time I heard
about this was from my own mother, who describes that after the birth of her
3rd child, she hardly bled at all . After a couple weeks, she reports having
sudden hard bleeding and cramping, and then passing what turned out to be a
placental fragment (she had been forbidden to breastfeed, so that wasn't an
available flag).

The second case occurred last year sometime, and was posted to lactnet back
then. This was baby #5, and since there was a history of breastfeeding
problems, illnesses and allergy in the siblings, I zeroed in on those things
when the mother complained of insufficient milk supply in conjunction with
baby's lack of wt gain. I did a full history on the mom at the first visit,
of course, and she did not complain of unusual pp bleeding; in fact, it took
a couple of visits before she admitted to even having had nipple soreness! So
I was chasing every lead, making only small progress, when she came in a
couple of weeks later (visit #3 or 4?) and announced that her supply was up
and things were going much better. I asked her what was different about that
week, and she mentioned the sudden cramping, bleeding, and passing of what
she said looked like a piece of placenta. Upon further questioning, she and
dad described her birth to me, and of the OB impatiently applying pressure to
the cord while awaiting placental detachment.....   Case solved!  Baby gained
fine after that, with no other intervention necessary.

Just as retained placental fragment has on rare occasion been correlated with
*over* supply, it has also been infrequently correlated with unusually low
initial pp lochia.  Good to keep in mind!  With the low prolactin level found
in the current case mom, I wouldn't rule this possibility out yet, either,
but might explore the history of stage 3 for any clues.

-Lisa Marasco, LLLL, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]@slonet.org

ATOM RSS1 RSS2