Dear All
        Coming out of lurker land once again. I need to know if anyone has
experienced a mom on the minipill who not only had a drop in milk volume,
but possibly a change in milk composition. I have the mom's permission to
share the circumstances.The minipill was begun at 5 weeks post-partum with
the supply and composition problems beginning about 7 weeks after
initiation. As of July 10, baby is 6 months old and weighs about 16 lbs;(
BW 7lbs. 13 oz.; no weight loss after birth.) This mom called me a few
weeks ago and said her milk now looked like baking soda water. At a support
group meeting, she showed me milk that she had pumped that morning (I saw
it at about 2:30 p.m.) and it looks exactly like baking soda water and she
said it tasted salty. There was no cream in this milk at all. After
speaking with her at length before the meeting via phone, no determination
could be made as to why the change in composition. At the meeting when
AGAIN asked if on any medication, she mentioned the minipill and said that
her milk seemed to return to normal for a few days and retrospectively she
thought it coincided with the few days she accidently missed the pill. She
also was bleeding "heavily" by her own description in a period which lasted
for a month except for one week in the middle. She felt she reacted badly
to the minipill (dizziness, and "sick on stomach" about an hour or so after
taking it which she started taking in evening so she would be sick in bed
instead of trying to function during the day) and was told by the maternity
clinic that prescibed it to give it more time.
        Baby was refusing to nurse because mom feels baby wasn't satisfied
with her milk(perhaps rightly so) and they started supplementing with
formula.WIC diagnosed baby as nipple confused. Mom said baby was gassy so
they switched to different brand and was not as gassy and BM's "smelled
better"and were "blackish green." and baby was "often constipated." Mom
went away on a week trip, and baby refused bottle. Still refuses bottle a
lot. Mom says "never more than two 8oz bottles of formula /day; more often
only one bottle." Solids begun at "almost 4 months." Baby eats two 2.5 oz
jars of food 3 times/day (yikes! a wee bit much to me)
Mom was on antibiotics during pregnancy and after delivery for strep
Mom currently on antibiotics for clogged Eustachian tubes Condition began
in January. Normally she is prescribed a nasal spray "which clears her
earaches up" but Dr. said contraindicated in breastfeeding. She couldn't
remember name of spray.
Mom takes prenatal vit and iron tablet (325 mg/day)
Baby also clicking at breast when he does nurse and he nurses well and
consistently at 6:00 a.m.
Baby had chickenpox at 2 months of age
Baby sleeps from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m, nurses, then sleeps for an
additional hour or two.
Mom has a 2 1/2 year old with night terrors and mom is sleep deprived.
She feels her nerves are bad
As of today, July 10:
                Baby's stools "greenish brown with some yellow, one time a
day, loose but not runny."
                Mom has been off minipill for one week, has felt an
inconsistent increase in milk supply but as of yesterday, still pumping
"baking soda water."
                Baby's Dr. chuckled when she asked if her milk could be
tested and said "I don't know if we could or not."
                Mom said baby is spitting up a lot.
                Baby nurses 3 or 4 times a day and she offers bottle afterward.

My recommendations: Among other things, Pump before nursing; Continue using
the SNS I gave her and showed her how to use (Baby took to it very nicely,
however mom hasn't been committed to using it consistently so cup or bottle
feed if baby will take it); See if WIC or her insurance will get her to a
LC;
I mentioned thrush as mom said baby had some red around penis and scrotum
but chuckling Dr. said it was nothing "but a little irritation."
I mentioned dairy elimination, but it wasn't well received.
I mentioned the discussion on the net about taking 2 weeks to return to
normal after cessation of the minipill
She wants to keep nursing, wants to find out what happened to her milk, and
said this info might help someone else, so I will do what I can to help her
get some answers.

I think baby and mom have a dairy allergy, I think they may have thrush,
and I think the minipill is the issue for her questionable milk. Any other
possibilities regarding "baking soda milk?"

TIA,
Mendy Cockrell, BS Ed; Assoc. Degree in Spec. Tech.; Accredited LLL Leader