"My Milk Never Came In" - Page 2

[sciencemama]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

This touches on something that is really distrurbing to me.

Too often with women's health issues I see doctors just basically say, "Well that's just how it is for some women" when REALLY they have a serious medical condition. It is NOT normal to bleed vaginally for 3 weeks on, one week off. It is NOT normal to not produce milk. It is not normal to be completely broken by PMS. More doctors need to treat the *source* of the problem rather than just ignoring it and covering it up with a quick fix, like formula.

This is so so true and it drives me NUTS!

I'm the usually the only one w/ kids among our friends and my background is in biomedical science. It seems like EVERY TIME i am in a social gathering i end up answering questions from women (educated women my age!) who have no idea how their bodies work. Just this weekend, i got into a conversation about fertility and had to explain for the umpteenth time that the day on which you ovulate can change from month to month- it is not always cycle day 15.

I've always said that if this material is not going to be taught in health ed classes (what are those classes for anyway?) then it should be explained at a woman's first gyn. appointment. It is ridiculous how drs think it's easier to just hand out a box of pills instead of educating patients about how to monitor their own health. I think every woman should understand the principles of fertility awareness, even if she then chooses other types of birth control. People are always shocked when I explain that just by keeping track of when you're fertile you can also identify health problems... like thyroid conditions or a short luteal phase (typically undiagnosed until the woman has trouble conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy).

And you're right, the problem just continues throughout a woman's reproductive life. Women often receive wildly innaccurate or very little medical information about what happens in their bodies during pregnancy and nursing... and probably menopause too... although that's way outside my range of experience.

i wonder if other countries are better educated in this way?

forgive me for jumping onto your board-- this thread showed up on the highlights and i just couldn't stop thinking about it!

[crittersmom]

I too feel that health class was a waste of my time Sciencemama.
I am very curious about this subject since one of my friends is expecting her second baby in Dec.She said her milk didn't come in until 5 or 6 days afterwards.She really wanted to BF and is really worried about this time around.She didn't have a very good labor it was long,epidural, antibiotics,meconium,forceps and pshing on her abdomen to get her 9 LB. baby out.Then later on that day they gave her the Depo shot.I know the DRs say it has no effect but from talking to other women the shot DOES make a difference that early.She ended up supplementing because her milk didn't come in and her baby was just so big and hungry.The baby ended up rejecting first one breast and then the other.She suffered through mastitis and ended up pumpming for the first six motnhs.She told me the baby was just too smart and would only suck off the nipple part of the SNS not her breast.I've never seen one so I don't know about it.I hope she can do better this time around, she'sbeen going to LLL meetings.
I've never had problems because I knew tthe milk wouldn't be coming in for several days.I actually lied to the Dr last time becuase I knew he didn't know anything about BF and didn't want them demanding I supplement like I had heard they do to some moms.It does tick me off to see it bandied about by so many women who really mean they didn't want to make an effort to learn or be patient with thier babies and thier bodies.Those are the ones who are annoying not the mamas who tried and tired.

[dukeswalker]

Very interesting Crittersmom - I just attended a workshop where the exact scenario you mentioned was given to us (re: depo and milk production) studies indicate that in the early weeks of a breastfeeding relationship it absolutely can interfere with milk production and should not be taken until moms milk supply has been well established....

[anthasam]

Thankfully my pedi and midwife were supportive! My milk came in very late -- poor DD was at my breast every 20 minutes for 6 days! She lost more than 10% of her birth weight and was quite hungry. Thankfully no one even suggested that I supplement. As per my midwife, I continued to eat well and stay hydrated and when my milk did come in -- watch out!!!

I'm very happy I stuck to it and always try to tell others that it can take a while and not to give up!

P.S. I had a natural birth with no complications...