IGT and preparing for our next baby

[nikkivssll]

I am doing some searches on what I can do now (I'm not preggo yet) and when I am pregnant to make is possible to exclusively breastfeed my next baby. I have IGT and was only able to produce at the most 11 oz. per day and was forced to supplement. I took fenugreek and blessed thistle, 3 capsules each 3x a day, domperidone, lots of nursing, lots of pumping, etc.

I have started taking goats rue and alfalfa and will continue until we plan to get started with the baby-making.

I also just ran across this article that might be of interest...

http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/15/4/339

Patient with Insufficient Glandular Tissue Experiences Milk Supply Increase Attributed to Progesterone Treatment for Luteal Phase Defect

Vicki Bodley, BS, IBCLC
1529 Avenue F, Billings, MT 59102 USA.

Diane Powers, BA, IBCLC

A case report is presented on the experience of a mother diagnosed with insufficient glandular tissue at 3 months postpartum with her first child who then went on to breastfeed her second child (fifth pregnancy) without supplementation of any kind. The mother had difficulty becoming pregnant and maintaining a pregnancy. She was diagnosed with a luteal phase defect and was thus treated with natural progesterone during her fifth pregnancy. The authors speculate that this treatment may have stimulated the development of her mammary alveolar cells, allowing lactation to progress normally.


Could it be possible that if I take a natural progesterone now and during pregnancy that I could make enough milk for my next child?????

Has anyone else tried this?

[justthinkn]

Sounds like a good plan! Are you pretty certain why you have IGT? If not, the book Making More Milk has great conversation about looking for possible causes, b/c it's better to target therapies to underlying problems, of course For me, for instance, I'm pretty certain the IGT was caused by a freak case of mastitis killing the developing tissue when I was pre-adolescent, rather than being a hormonal thing - so I'm going to use goat's rue again to try to grow more tissue, but I doubt progesterone would do much for me.

[LorenaAZ]

I haven't tried that treatment. I was diagnosed with IGT and PCOS after giving birth and seeing several LCs to find out why I was in so much pain and why baby was losing so much weight so quickly (had to supplement for a little while). I tried all the OTC and herbal remedies, plus galactogogue foods and pumping (I couldn't even get 1 oz). Nothing really helped until I tried Gaia's Lactate Support. I felt the difference over night. In addition to lactate support, I pumped twice every night for 30 mins each. My goal was at least 2 let downs per pumping. I never got more than 3 oz at a time. But the lactate support helped me so much that I stopped supplementing and also was able to stop pumping to increase supply. Baby is 6 months now and EBF.

[nikkivssll]

I have never had an official diagnosis for having IGT, I am certain that is what I have. I have the book "Making More Milk" and have been studying it for the past few months in preparation for baby #2. My DD is 13 1/2 months now and I nursed her until she was just over 12 months (I would have loved to go longer but was exhausted from the constant pumping and she decided to stop nursing).

justthinkn, I didn't know that mastitis at a young age could cause the breast tissue to not grow?! I am almost certain it is a hormonal thing for me. I have all the classic issues associated with it (or so I've read in this book).

Lorena, you're story gives me hope . I will have to try Gaia's Lactate Support to see if it works for me!

[justthinkn]

One of the authors of that book is a friend of a friend, so I've been able to do a few phone and email consultations with her. The hormonal explanation really just doesn't seem to fit in my case... Once I read the book, I suggested the mastitis explanation b/c in rare cases it does cause low supply when it occurs postpartum - it's really rare in a pre-teen, so who really knows what damage it could do? But we do know that trauma (usually blunt object) to the breasts of a pre-adolescent or teen can damage or kill the developing tissue, which is very vulnerable... So it's not certain, but plausible a severe case of mastitis would do the same. Sadly, my case of mastitis affected both sides, and got pretty severe before I was seen and treated b/c my mom thought I was just talking about "growing pains" when I told her I was sore, and I was too embarrassed to press it until I was rock hard and purple : I never developed beyond where I was at that point, until taking goat's rue with DD - I had 50% increase in supply then, and developed quite a bit on the side and undersides of my breasts.

[dollyanna]

Do you have PCOS? If so, apparently taking Metformin can help. My LC recommended it, but my Dr. wouldn't go for it. Lots of good info here: http://www.mobimotherhood.org and specifically on the Metformin/PCOS angle here:
http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/article-pcos.aspx

[jeznay]

I have IGT too (hypoplastic breasts) that was diagnosed after my daughter failed to gain weight after her birth. We immediately supplemented with formula. I could pump about 4 oz per day in addition to nursing in advance of bottles (and all night long ). It was a heartwrenching experience, and I'd have to say took away a lot of the enjoyment of having a new baby.

I'm due in November and had resigned myself to not go too crazy with this one and to do what I can. I'm on the list to get Making More Milk from the library, and am very excited to read it. I've read hopeful stuff about second time moms making a bit more milk. I'm going to see a lactation consultant as soon as I can to see if alfalfa in advance will help, and maybe get a dom prescription I can start at birth, along with goats rue. I think I'll try renting a hospital grade pump this time around as well. Not sure if I'll do SNS or Lact-Aid...bottles are so much easier. We'll see how I feel and how I'm doing with my milk. We made it through the first 3-4 days last time only.

I've also researched formula and have decided to have Baby's Only organic formula plus their DHA supplement on hand for when we need it.

I have to say that I really learn a lot from reading about other people's experiences, so thanks to everyone who is sharing what works for them etc.

Good luck!!

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by jeznay

Not sure if I'll do SNS or Lact-Aid...bottles are so much easier.

This wasn't true for me at all - and I've done both, bottles after nursing for the first two months then the Lact-Aid, which I'm still using at 12.5 months.
Cleaning and filling Lact-Aid units isn't much more trouble than sterilizing bottles and it's much faster to supplement at the breast than to nurse then supplement with bottles.
Once you get used to it, it's an absolute cinch.
OP, if you do need to supplement with your next babe do check out the Lact-Aid – it's really been a lifesaver for me with unexplained low supply.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

i think i may have igt too, i did have to supplement ds because of weight loss and he did continue to nurse until 28 months, it seems i have only a slight problem in one breast and a major problem on the other one. But I can still express a droplet of milky fluid from my left breast, ds was weaned almost 1 1/2 years ago, wondering if this is a good sign for the next time around? I've heard that women usually produce more milk the next time around.

Also, thinking i may have luteal phase defect, was considering taking B6 to increase progesterone...

[leigh09]

i am currently nursing my 3rd low milk supply baby (i have pcos). here is what i have done:

1st baby: nothing. low milk supply was a bit of a shocker, i didn't know anything about it and couldn't find good help until he was 4 months old. at that point i took domperidone and it helped some, but life never got better than 1/2 formula, 1/2 breastmilk.

2nd baby: took metformin right after birth, along with domperidone. she was exclusively breastfed and gained well, although she was a very frequent nurser. she didn't tolerate fenugreek at all, as it made her overly gassy.

3rd baby: i did a lot of reading before ttc - there is a lot of information in the book "making more milk". i had my progesterone levels tested in early pregnancy (normal) and took alfalfa and metformin throughout pregnancy, as well as dandelion and nettle tea in the last 1/2 of my pregnancy. as soon as he was born i stopped the pregnancy herbs and took fenugreek and domperidone. he is exclusively breastfeed also and gaining well. he is a frequent nurser also, and we started solids 1 month early at 5 months old to help deal with this and keep my sanity.