IGT low supply and pregnant: to tandem or not? + Progesterone for IGT

[mston]

Am early early pregnant (9wks), but am already forming a game plan for breastfeeding, and wanted to see if anyone had thoughts or experience on tandem nursing with a history of low supply...
I had very low supply with DD (she supplemented on average 20oz of formula a day through SNS) despite fenugreek, blessed thistle, domperidone, pumping every 3 hours (for the first 5 weeks) etc etc. I haven't been diagnosed with IGT, but suspect that might be my problem. However, DD (25 months) is still nursing (SNS-free since 16 months) and I love it. I realize that she might (might most likely?!) wean as little bean grows and my supply potentially drops, but I have hopes that she might either continue to nurse or might be enticed back to the breast after my milk comes in.
My question to any and all is: is tandem nursing (after my milk comes in--I read that colustrum is limited and should be for new baby only) a good idea because it would up the stimulation to breast tissue and help promote a good supply, or is it a bad idea because little bean will be competing with DD for what limited milk my breasts will eventually produce? Any experience out there?
Thanks to any and all that reply!

[Chloe 777]

I don't think there would be a problem tandem nursing, even with a low supply, as long as you always nurse the baby first, and let him nurse from both breasts before DD has her turn.
I also think you can nurse them both right from the start, without having to worry about colostrum running out. It's true it's only going to last for a little while, but that's regardless tandem nursing or not.
Start taking your herbs and domperidone from the start, and like I said always make sure the baby nurses first. Count wet diapers and weigh the baby regularly to make sure he's getting enough.
If anything, I think dd will up your supply.

This is just my opinion though, take your time, learning more, before you decide what to do.

Have a wonderful pregnancy, and a healthy baby!

[Moonprysm]

I'm in a similar position. DS2 is 18 months and still nursing and he's just way too little for me to even consider weaning. He won't even be 2 by the time his brother gets here. Although he may have a different idea. I haven't had any milk for probably a month and a half, and his nursing since then is pretty sparatic. It doesn't really seem to have any point, other than for him to remember how to do it for when I have something again, but 16 or so weeks is a long time to keep up at this pace. I'm hoping, though.

I am on metformin right now. There have been a few cases where women on metformin DURING pregnancy develop the breast tissue that they're lacking. I'm really praying this is the case. I have definitely had the soreness/sensitivity this pregnancy that I didn't have in any of my others, so that's giving me a little bit of hope, anyway.

But basically my plan (assuming DS2 hangs in there) is to just nurse the baby first. I doubt the extra stimulation from DS2 will actually help (round-the-clock pumping for MONTHS didn't help with DS1, so apparently I just didn't have enough tissue to respond no matter how much stimulation there was) but I don't think it'll hurt once the baby has had all he wants.

[Chloe 777]

Good luck to both of you!!
I think it's great you want to continue nursing both kids eventhough you have difficulties. You're both wonderful mommies!

[mston]

Thanks for the Chloe777 - you put a smile on my face!

Moonprysm - are you on metformin specifically to increase your supply? I've ordered and am waiting on the book 'making more millk' and I'm aware that there are some things I can do during pregnancy to increase tissue...wondering if this is what you're doing? I'm thinking of bringing up taking progesterone at my next midwives appt....

good to hear encouragement for tandem nursing! DD is still nursing so far...hope this continues!

[Moonprysm]

There has been some evidence (although not a ton at the moment) that taking metformin during pregnancy can increase tissue, especially in people whose IGT was caused by PCOS (which we're unsure of in my case, but it is a possibility). I read about progesterone, but from what I read that is a "beginning of pregnancy" thing and by the time I came across it, it was too late for me to start.

[mston]

Hmmmm-mind if I ask another question, and take this thread more off topic?
How late did you learn is too late to start taking progesterone? I'm still waiting for the book and the only info I can find online is about preventing miscarriage...
I did read that it's important to use natural progesterone cream instead of synthetic.

[Moonprysm]

I wanna say I read that it was most effective in the first 12 weeks and best if started as soon as you know you're pregnant. It's late but I'll try to look it up in the morning and see if I can find where I read about it.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Moonprysm

I wanna say I read that it was most effective in the first 12 weeks and best if started as soon as you know you're pregnant. It's late but I'll try to look it up in the morning and see if I can find where I read about it.

fyi i took it for pregnancy reasons from conception to week 2 or 3 and had lots (too much?!) breast growth and huge over supply that i am still careful about at 3 months postpartum. i do not have igt, but just put 2 and 2 together with your post - this may have contributed or caused my over supply.

nak

[Moonprysm]

Yeah, I'm having a hard time finding the stuff I read earlier in this pregnancy, but it seems a lot of people got results usually by accident for the same reason patio is talking about. They were on progesterone briefly in the beginning of the pregnancy and expirienced breast growth from it. I can't remember why it was only really useful in the beginning, though. I'll be interested what the book says once it gets there, though! Now that I'm not finding the reference about using it in the beginning of pregnancy, I'm starting to wonder. lol

[mston]

The book got here! I read it yesterday and found the part that references natural progesterone - they say it was originally used for women who have low luteal hormone (sort of paraphrasing...book is in bedroom with napping baby and I'm not messing with that!), but that a side effect was breast growth. For the purposes of preventing miscarriage the natural progesterone was used until the 12th week and then discontinued, but the authors speculate that if the main goal is to increase breast tissue, it might be worth using up until ...ummm... don't want to get this wrong, but I'm remembering the 34th week of pregnancy (??). I'll come back when I have the book in my hands and verify that.
Anyways, it sounds like it might be something I will bring up with the LC I'm meeting next week. Thanks for all your replies Moonprysm...hope this info helps you too.

[mston]

And thanks PatioGardener for the warning...don't want create another problem by solving the one I have! But it is encouraging to know that it's effective in stimulating breast tissue growth - I'm going to talk with an LC next week and see if we can puzzle out whether it was troubles nursing that caused low supply, or low supply that cause troubles nursing...such a puzzle!