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<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>Here's the situation: I'm having my second homebirth soon, sometime in January, and hoping to have some kind of plan or way to prevent the absolute heck that I go through with waiting days for even colostrum to come in, while my newborn nurses constantly but grows increasingly frustrated and hungry, finally screaming all the time and switching breasts... it is unbearable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With my first, a 38 week induction-turned-cesarean, I figured (reasonably) that the hypothyroid I had to fight to get diagnosed and treated, along with the major abdominal surgery, were the sole reasons why no matter what I did, I couldn't keep her from going hungry... that resolved with thyroid pills, SNS and hospital pumping, and Domperidone, and she weaned at 2 1/2.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With my son, the HBAC, I was never separated from him, was a seasoned breastfeeding mama, had my thyroid dosage where it needed to be, hadn't had another surgery, totally natural labor and birth, AND consumed my placenta (which REALLY helped me physically and psychologically!)...and the first week still ended up unmitigated hell, with a baby increasingly hungry and miserable, and no one, not even my homebirth midwife, taking seriously my report that there REALLY wasn't even colostrum, 3 days into it! I finally broke down at that point and gave him boiled sugar water, thinking better that than formula (both my kids so far were pretty much born allergic to dairy and soy), and it made an immediate difference, and got us both through with survival, til finally I did produce.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But that experience, and the most aggravating experience of being not taken seriously AGAIN, and dismissed AGAIN as just being overly worried and imagining things (grrrr!) has made me feel pretty desperate for answers this time, for some plan of action, for someone who knows what I can take or eat or drink or do, to improve the hormone issues associated with PCOS and elevated androgens, that may be at the root of this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't think insufficient glandular tissue is the problem because once I finally do get going, whereas I never have "abundant" or "too much" milk, I seem to have enough, and my 10 lb son grew really well thereafter, so long as my thyroid levels were monitored and kept up with.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But I live in a "medically underserved" area, and am sick to death of trying to get help from local docs and everyone who is supposed to know, and hearing over and over the same stupid placations about how "It's all just supply and demand!" and that I must either not be doing it right, or else I am just a typical nervous mother who doesn't get breastfeeding and is seeing problems that aren't there.</p>
<p>Or else just a flat recommendation to formula with quizzical looks at why I value breastfeeding so highly if I am obviously having trouble.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, PCOS and getting colostrum and milk to come in, in a reasonable enough time to hopefully avoid a screaming, miserable, starving first week this time? It really is impossible to enjoy nesting in and feel wonderful things when your baby is not getting what she or he needs, and your body isn't just magically doing what it's supposed to do, and looking down the barrel of a first week like that again makes me want to run and hide, and cry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Any insights and advice on PCOS, elevated androgens or whatnot, and getting milk to come in sooner, are much needed.</p>
<p>Here's the situation: I'm having my second homebirth soon, sometime in January, and hoping to have some kind of plan or way to prevent the absolute heck that I go through with waiting days for even colostrum to come in, while my newborn nurses constantly but grows increasingly frustrated and hungry, finally screaming all the time and switching breasts... it is unbearable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With my first, a 38 week induction-turned-cesarean, I figured (reasonably) that the hypothyroid I had to fight to get diagnosed and treated, along with the major abdominal surgery, were the sole reasons why no matter what I did, I couldn't keep her from going hungry... that resolved with thyroid pills, SNS and hospital pumping, and Domperidone, and she weaned at 2 1/2.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With my son, the HBAC, I was never separated from him, was a seasoned breastfeeding mama, had my thyroid dosage where it needed to be, hadn't had another surgery, totally natural labor and birth, AND consumed my placenta (which REALLY helped me physically and psychologically!)...and the first week still ended up unmitigated hell, with a baby increasingly hungry and miserable, and no one, not even my homebirth midwife, taking seriously my report that there REALLY wasn't even colostrum, 3 days into it! I finally broke down at that point and gave him boiled sugar water, thinking better that than formula (both my kids so far were pretty much born allergic to dairy and soy), and it made an immediate difference, and got us both through with survival, til finally I did produce.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But that experience, and the most aggravating experience of being not taken seriously AGAIN, and dismissed AGAIN as just being overly worried and imagining things (grrrr!) has made me feel pretty desperate for answers this time, for some plan of action, for someone who knows what I can take or eat or drink or do, to improve the hormone issues associated with PCOS and elevated androgens, that may be at the root of this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't think insufficient glandular tissue is the problem because once I finally do get going, whereas I never have "abundant" or "too much" milk, I seem to have enough, and my 10 lb son grew really well thereafter, so long as my thyroid levels were monitored and kept up with.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But I live in a "medically underserved" area, and am sick to death of trying to get help from local docs and everyone who is supposed to know, and hearing over and over the same stupid placations about how "It's all just supply and demand!" and that I must either not be doing it right, or else I am just a typical nervous mother who doesn't get breastfeeding and is seeing problems that aren't there.</p>
<p>Or else just a flat recommendation to formula with quizzical looks at why I value breastfeeding so highly if I am obviously having trouble.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, PCOS and getting colostrum and milk to come in, in a reasonable enough time to hopefully avoid a screaming, miserable, starving first week this time? It really is impossible to enjoy nesting in and feel wonderful things when your baby is not getting what she or he needs, and your body isn't just magically doing what it's supposed to do, and looking down the barrel of a first week like that again makes me want to run and hide, and cry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Any insights and advice on PCOS, elevated androgens or whatnot, and getting milk to come in sooner, are much needed.</p>
