# Can everyone breast feed?



## ishereal (Sep 12, 2007)

What are some reasons that women don't produce milk to breast feed. I have heard a couple of women say they did not produce enough milk but how common is this and one person that told me she could not breast feed smoked cigs so.....................


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## momtoalex (Apr 5, 2007)

From what I read, there is a very very small percentage of women who physically cannot breastfeed. Most women who say they didn't produce milk or just "couldn't" breastfeed were made to believe that by medical professionals and the "good-wishing" parents, friends, neighbors. In cultures where breastfeeding is a forgotten art, there seems to be a lot of misinformation that leads women to produce less milk. For example, feeding on shcedule, say every 4 hours may make a woman produce milk with less content of fat than if she were to nurse on cue/demand every two hours (the more frequent the feedings are, the higher fat content is). Also, people are so fast to jump into conclusions and give advice to mothers whose babies don't "sleep through the night" or are "fussy" - the first suggestion here seems to be to give either formula or solids to fill up the stomach. Obviously, introducing other sources of food only makes a woman produce less milk and hence the conclusion - I didn't produce enough.


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## groovynaturemama (Mar 8, 2007)

i know of a woman who had a breast reduction, and that seemed to complicate things quite a bit in the way of breastfeeding. she used an sns, a prescribed milk producing stimulant, and despite all that and the baby being at the breast 24/7 for the first several weeks, she is only able to bf in the am and i think once at night- the babe is getting formula in between. she really, really made the effort though. i believe that many of the milk ducts were ruined as a result of the reduction.


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## teeny_bean (Jul 27, 2006)

It's fairly uncommon for women to have medical or physical reasons why they cannot produce enough milk. Some reasons include breast reductions, hypothyroidism, insufficient glandular tissue, and PCOS. All of these can cause a decrease in supply, but many women (not all) with these conditions can produce some milk, just not a full supply.

It's far more common for women to be misinformed or uneducated about what's normal in breastfeeding, and to think that they're not making enough milk. Lots of factors come into play here, but a PP covered a lot of them so I'm not going to repeat what she already said!

I've read that about 97% of women have normal supply and are able to breastfeed, and about 3% are not physically capable of it.


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## evergreenmom (Oct 18, 2004)

Here is what happened with me...with my first my breasts never got sore or leaked. Then when I went to BF nothing would come out when I tried to pump but "green" liquid so the hospital freaked out and said to feed her formula and said I probably had an infection...it came back that I didn't have an infection. however, my boobs never became sore after giving birth...it was just like they were any other day..so I am not sure if the hospital is the reason I couldn't BF or if I didn't have milk or what. I was so misinformed but it took 6 yrs to get pg again and I had 6 yrs to research but it turned out that things worked out this time... in fact I became so engorged that I had to be admitted with my baby (she had jaundice) and I had nurses working on me to massage my breasts, I pumped, took showers, had red rashes all over my chest, was in severe pain and finally after a few days it got better but I was determined to stick it out this time : )


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## silverspook (Feb 20, 2006)

My mom had a similar experience to evergreenmom. With me (I'm the oldest), she never leaked during pregnancy and didn't become engorged after I was born. She just didn't produce any milk at all! I just wonder if there was a hormone or something that was messed up when she was preg w/ me that led to her not producing any milk, because she produced tons of milk w/ my little sister. She tried to bf her, but didn't due to lack of support.


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## PatioGardener (Aug 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *teeny_bean* 
I've read that about 97% of women have normal supply and are able to breastfeed, and about 3% are not physically capable of it.

Hi Teeny Bean,

Do you remember where you read this? I'm looking references for this kind of information - any will help! Thanks!


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## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

I have type II tubular breasts.

I am (and was) able to produce anywhere from about 1/3-2/3 of my daughter's needs depending on what she drinks on any given day. That is with all the "tricks" people give to increase milk supply.


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## AlbertaJes (May 11, 2006)

I have a friend who has (with 2 children) tried everything to boost her supply. Pumping, herbs, medications, lactation consultants, everything, and she is still only able to produce enough milk for one feeding per day.


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## RootSnort (Nov 22, 2006)

There are very few women who really can't make enough milk. Many women with breast reduction can breastfeed, depending on how the surgery was done. They've just got to pump more frequently because they now have less storage space.

Those women with PCOS and tubular breasts that do not change during pregnancy may need a lot of help to be able to lactate. Metformin, domperidone, blessed thistle, fenugreek, are all thinbgs that have been tried to help boost production for these Moms with some success, but there are risks with all of these agents, and so they should be used only under a doctyor's care and advice. I would be working very closely with my pediatrician and OB and my IBCLC to ensure that enough milk is made and the baby is doing well.

If you just can't get enough milk that way, and very frequent power pumping didn't do it either, I'd look at feeding donor milk at the breast using an SNS so that the baby suckles at the breast stimulating more milk production, the baby gets fed, the Mom gets the closeness with the baby and that amazing breastfeeding experience, and the baby gets some of Mom's milk and no formula!

This is rare, but it does happen, and we do know what to do for it!
Laura, PharmD, CLC


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## shanniesue2 (Jul 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *RootSnort* 

Those women with PCOS and tubular breasts that do not change during pregnancy may need a lot of help to be able to lactate.

So for a first time pregnancy, how would you know if this applies to you. I am almost 26 weeks along and I haven't had too many breast changes. They are ever so slightly fuller, but not so much that I've even had to change bra sizes. I have stopped wearing underwire because up until about 16-18 weeks or so, my breasts were very tender and underwire was uncomfortable.... but other than being a little bit fuller there have been no changes in size, areola, nipple or anything. Could this mean I will have difficulty lactating??? Or do I just need to wait a little longer and see what happens?


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## Violet2 (Apr 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shanniesue2* 
So for a first time pregnancy, how would you know if this applies to you. I am almost 26 weeks along and I haven't had too many breast changes. They are ever so slightly fuller, but not so much that I've even had to change bra sizes. I have stopped wearing underwire because up until about 16-18 weeks or so, my breasts were very tender and underwire was uncomfortable.... but other than being a little bit fuller there have been no changes in size, areola, nipple or anything. Could this mean I will have difficulty lactating??? Or do I just need to wait a little longer and see what happens?

Not everyone's breasts change, so there's no way to know for sure until you deliver.

Mine were like yours but I did have colostrum while pg which was reassuring. But now I may have low supply. You never know.

V


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## askew (Jun 15, 2006)

My breasts did not change much during pregnancy, and I never leaked once, not even right when my milk came in. My DS nursed fine, in face doubled his birth weight in less than 3 months. He is 11 months now and still 80% EBF with some solids. He is also 25lbs! So I would not worry too much about breast changes and BF. We did and still do BF on demand, and it is often way more often than every 4 hours. Unfortunately, even at night.


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## emmalyne (Jun 29, 2007)

I have natural insufficiant glandular tissue which means that I don't produce enough milk, I do produce some. I still BF but I also use a supplementary nursing system (sns) with formula. I saw many lactation consultants and the consensus was I should bf for as long as possible because breast milk is concentrated when you dont produce alot, so even though I dont make enough to supply ds calorie needs he is getting all of the other bennifits associated with b milk (BM doesn't seem like the right abbreviation some how). It is very painful when your body wont/cant do what it should but I've coped because ultimately mothering is more than biology.


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## emmalyne (Jun 29, 2007)

I forgot to mention that I did try everything (herbs, drugs, stimulation etc.) to produce more milk. My breasts do become engorged and then empty. I had normal colastrum but I did not have very noticable breast changes during my pregnancy.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

I have pcos and I have an oversupply. I really think it's an individual thing but like said before "most" moms can produce milk.

Think positive too. I never once thought I wouldn't have enough milk and I have too much. The mind is a wonderful thing.


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## evergreenmom (Oct 18, 2004)

I think my problem was I had low progesterone.


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