My name is Tammie Gregory, I am the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for
Franklin and Fayette County in Indiana. I am relatively new at this and have
been reading LacNet for my studies in this area. I am also a birth doula and
mother of seven and a nursing Mom at the present of Audrey who is 11mo. Now
here is my question. I have friends in my church and they are new parents.
The Mother had to quit nursing her baby and I am saddened because they blame
the breastfeeding for three sleepless nights and of course I strongly
encouraged the Mom to breastfeed. This Mom has hypothyroidism and it seems to
have affected her in her pregnancy and I wonder what effect this or her
medication had on her milk supply. Her mother-in-law feels that this was what
affected her milk supply. She went into premature labor and had to be on bed
rest of about 7 weeks or so. The birth experience was fine. She had a
narcotic, Stadol and also an epidural. Other than that nothing out of the
ordinary.
She said she was nursing the baby constantly it seemed and she was more
thirsty and she got sleepy when she was nursing the baby. She also reports
never having any full feeling when her milk came in. Never any engorgement
feelings at all. Very little leaking. Also she never felt any milk let down
ever. These last few observations did not seem normal to me at all. But when
she was weaning she did feel engorged. I advised a slow wean and the doctors
office told her to not nurse any more at all. I was appalled because they
told her to not to even hold the baby if she could help it when she was
weaning because she might want to nurse the baby. My mouth fell open when she
told me this. I advised just the opposite. No quick weaning was justified
here. I told her to nurse to relieve any discomfort.
Here is my question. Was this Mom's milk supply affected by her thyroid
problems and there for a baby who was not getting enough and not satisfied?
The mother-in-law who I have been in communication with also told me last
night that she knows that the baby was hungry because once the baby got the
bottle he was satisfied. I don't want this family to have negative feelings
about breastfeeding like they are and would like to help them find answers to
"What went wrong with the Breastfeeding?" I wish I could have helped them
more. I am still very new at this. Any information would be helpful.
Thank you,
Tammie

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