While I have found many discussions in the archives about breastfeeding and 
pregnancy, I am not finding any discussion on how often we all see a mother 
who is able to continue to exclusively breastfeed throughout pregnancy 
without her supply dropping dramatically and the milk changing to colostrum.

Because this defies the natural law of breastmilk reverting back to colostrum 
in the months prior to delivery (hormones, etc) and is contrary to everything I 
have read in the multitude of lactation books, journals, and lactnet AND is 
something I have personally only seen 1 time, I have wondered how many 
others have seen this "phenomenon."  Is there anything besides hormones 
being "off" that explain it?  This mother can pump 3 - 6 ounces when 
separated from her 10 month old nursling and is to deliver in a month or so.  
She was unable to conceive for years, adopted and breastfed 3 adopted 
children with a Lactaid, eventually developing a partial supply with the 2nd 
and 3rd.  Then unexpectedly conceived and has had 3 biological children (1 on 
the way soon and obviously conceived soon after last baby even with 
exclusive day/night feeds, cosleeping, etc) with continued nursing through 
pregnancy for all of them.  No miscarriages... And one of the greatest parts.... 
her husband is an OB doc who fully supports her!!!  

So the other 99.9% of the time, I see mothers who have virtually NO supply 
by about the 4th month of pregnancy, but here is this mom defying all I know 
and have learned.  Is a visit with the endocrinologist warranted or is the 
pattern here so clear that I can't see the forest for the trees?  She feels it is 
just a blessing and was completely unaware of how unusual it is until I 
querried her about her need to pump q 3 hours while separated from her 
nursling.  

Anyone else seen this?  

My thanks in advance...

Angie Sohler, RN, RLC, IBCLC
www.beautyofbreastfeeding.com

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