Hello everyone!

I have a mom with a profoundly fluctuating supply.  She wants
information on non-medical ways to influence and even out her milk
production.

Has 3 children - 3, 2 and 10 months. Her second baby was #10, 24" at
birth.  He was posterior with head turned toward her hip.  She didn't
bleed spontaneously after birth - despite nursing, massage and
methargen.  She eventually developed a uterine infection.  Since then
she has had a basal body temp around 95F.

With the 2 year old and the 10 moth old she has had a copious milk
supply - making our milk bank very happy!  Two weeks ago, one week
before the return of her menses, her milk supply took a significant
downward turn - less than 1/2.  For that week she pumped every two hours
, increased her fluid intake and continued to nurse with no apparent
increase in her supply.  Although our ambient temps were hitting 100F
that week she was always cold and had extremely low energy.

At the end of the week, her menses returned and she woke up in a pool of
milk.  She leaked constantly, was engorged and went back to making the
milk bank smile.  As soon as period ended, her supply dropped again.

She currently takes 10 kelp (.15 mg @) and 6 brewer's yeast
(7.5 grains @) both to help regulate her thyroid, and 6 blessed thistle
(340 mg. @) for milk production as well as one multi-vitamin.  She
does *NOT* want to see an endocrinologist or use meds.

What do you think?

Kym Smythe, IBCLC