increasing breast milk production due to insufficient glandular tissue during pregnancy

[bethanylove]

I continue to breastfeed my 3 year old daughter, and just found out I'm pregnant.  I probably tried everything possible to increase my milk production with her, so I'm not looking for latch/pump/talk to a lactation consultant/galactagogue/domperidone/cosleep/nurse on demand kind of advice--I've done it all over and over, talked to lactation consultants, midwifes, doctors including reproductive endocrinologists, had labs done, done 'alternative' therapies etc etc and believe that I have insufficient glandular tissue in my breasts.  The only other possible cause I can come up with is that it is somehow related to having been induced with Pitocin, though after three years of nursing, I'm not sure that's the case.  Has anyone had luck with herbs or other treatment during pregnancy to increase glandular breast tissue?  Also, I would happily tandem nurse if I produced enough for one in the first place (and didn't puke my way through the whole pregnancy and not be able to eat this time around, fingers crossed), so I'm guessing it makes sense to wean her but am so reluctant to do so--nursing is so important to my little one and helps with the upsets and tantrums unlike anything else.  I guess part of my journey is the grieving...  Thanks for any ideas!

[sotaguchimuch]

Our stories sound very similar! I gave birth to my first baby 3 days after you posted this. I have had a very similar experience with LCs/galactogogues/domperidone/pumping/using an SNS/blood tests. I'm still dealing with the loss of the breastfeeding relationship that I longed for, I am supplementing using the SNS so technically I am breastfeeding.

I homebirthed so I didn't receive any medications, the only thing not "normal" about the birth was that I had a retained placenta. I know that placenta retention can sometimes causes low milk supply so I've been hoping that I still had fragments inside but now at almost 6 weeks postpartum, my bleeding has stopped & I think all fragments were removed.

My midwife is amazing & doesn't know much about breastfeeding but she did some research & read that there is a possibility that taking progesterone during pregnancy can increase glandular tissue. I actually took progesterone during the pregnancy from weeks 5-10 on the advice of a fertility specialist--I'd had two miscarriages so they tested my HCG & progesterone and when they noticed my progesterone drop from 21 to 14.9 they prescribed progesterone suppositories. My breasts did increase slightly in size during pregnancy and I wonder if that is attributed to the progesterone...

If you end up taking progesterone I would love to hear how/if it works for you! I don't plan on having another baby for a couple years but I'm hoping that somehow I'll be able to exclusively breastfeed or at least produce more than I currently do.

Congratulations on your breastfeeding relationship with your daughter! I hope to be able to do the same!