PCOS and breastfeeding. Need some support please.

[happygirlsmomma]

Hi there!

I'm mom to two girls,  6 years old and 5 months old.

#1 was breastfed for 2.5 years

Before being able to get pregnant with #2 I was diagnosed with PCOS.

In despite of the diagnosis, I had a great pregnancy and birth, she was born at home with a mw, so starting breastfeeding and the first couple of months we have no trouble at all.

Now, after baby past the 9 weeks mark, things don't go that well. I find I don't have as much milk anymore, and baby nurses all night long, (she used to sleep 5 hours straight after a good fed) my guess it's because she is hungry.

I have seen a lactation consultant who recommend nursing tea, fenugreek and blessed thistle. I have being taking them all without noticing any difference.

Baby keeps nursing all night long and it's making me exhausted, and I'm running out of ideas of what can I do to increase my milk supply. Try pumping but can barely express any milk.

I'm at the point of getting exhausted and desperate but determined to keep nursing for as long as possible and any ideas would be very welcome!

Thanks!

[Thandiwe]

I don't have any advice specific to PCOS and nursing, but I wanted to offer you my support, mama.  It sounds very difficult indeed!

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

That's such a rough one. My sister went through the same thing and she was absolutely devastated when she couldn't exclusively breast feed. I think having a mom who is a IBCLC also lead her to feel that she somehow failed. I didn't think she was a failure at all. I just saw her as an incredibly dedicated mother who did her best in a tough situation. It sounds like you are in a veyr similar situation.

Maybe you could try something like this http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breastfeeding-devices/51/supplemental-nursing-system-sns. I know it's something my mom has reccomended in similar situations. The baby is getting enough to eat, but you are still having your milk supply stimulated by the suckling, and maybe that will lead to you getting a bit more sleep.

[Taryn237]

Is your baby gaining weight?  Did the lactation consultant do a pre/post weight check to see what she is getting?

http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/default.aspx has great info about other herbs.  I also have PCOS and IGT and the lactation consultant I am working with is Diana West, author of Making More Milk.  She recommended the Motherlove More Milk Special Blend and malunggay (which I had never heard of) from www.golacta.com.  Fenugreek and blessed thistle never helped me.  I had a bit more luck with alfalfa with DD1.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Motherlove More Milk Special Blend

I can't believe I forgot that! It is truly wonderful stuff!

[Megan73]

I agree with Taryn - before considering supplementation, I'd make sure that your babe is in fact not gaining weight well. Kellymom.com has some good resources on normal BF baby growth. If she's not gaining, I'd do pre and post-feeding weights and have her checked for tongue tie and sucking problems.
If it's truly a problem with your supply, I've read that some nursing women with PCOS benefit from taking Metformin, a drug used to treat PCOS. You might also consider trying domperidone, a drug that increases prolactin. It's a prescription drug here in Canada but U.S. women can order it online from other countries.
In the meantime, you could supplement with an at-the-breast supplementer like QueenoftheMeadow suggested and pump after feedings to both stimulate your supply.

[happygirlsmomma]

Thank you very much girls!

Yes, baby has being weighted by the lactation. consultant, she is gaining some weight, but very slowly, and less in the most recent time.

She said that if I want to to supplement that wouldn't mean she would stop nursing, but, personally I think I rather don't. I know some babies find it easier to take the bottle, so just in case I don't want to gamble.

 I will try the motherlove more milk,thanks for the advice. I haven't see it at my natural health store, I only found nursing mother's tea, fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules, I'm taking them all but I don't notice any difference.

I really appreciate all your advice. I'm new at MDC, I have being a Mothering reading since #1, but never came online until now, so nice to find such a nice community!

Thank you very much for your support, it's good to know that there's help out there.

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by happygirlsmomma 

Thank you very much girls!

Yes, baby has being weighted by the lactation. consultant, she is gaining some weight, but very slowly, and less in the most recent time.

She said that if I want to to supplement that wouldn't mean she would stop nursing, but, personally I think I rather don't. I know some babies find it easier to take the bottle, so just in case I don't want to gamble.

I totally agree - bottles should be avoided if possible because some babies will come to prefer them. But I completely agree with your LC: you CAN supplement and keep nursing. Several of us have suggested using an at-the-breast supplementer (a bag or bottle that you can fill with formula attached to a tube that goes into baby's mouth along with your nipple) such as a Medela SNS or Lact-Aid. That way you can supplement - and it sounds like the LC who has seen you and your baby thinks it's necessary - without risking your nursing relationship.
I see you're in Canada so I'd urge you to ask your doctor to consider prescribing domperidone or you could visit Dr. Jack Newman's famous breastfeeding clinic in Toronto.