Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply PCOS and Induced Lactation

Does anyone here have PCOS and induced lactation? If so, did going off bc pills affect you in a major way?

Did the fenugreek mess with your sugar levels at all?

I am determined to do this when the time comes, but I also need to keep my health in mind.

Looking forward to your replies!

Maybe you could explain to us what PCOS is exactly!!
Debbie

You asked for it! LOL! Here's a great site I've found: http://www.pcos.net/whatis.html

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is also known as: polycystic ovaries; sclerocystic ovarian disease; polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD); Stein-Leventhal Syndrome. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is actually a misnomer, because it onlyrefers to one of many symptoms associated with this disorder. It affects between 5 to 10%of all women and is one of the leading causes of infertility.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms can be mild or severe, and can vary widely from woman to woman. This is part of the reason doctors often miss the diagnosis. Someone with PCOS may have one or all of the following symptoms in varying degrees:

- irregular periods: abnormal, irregular, heavy or scanty (oligomenorrhea)
- absent periods (amenorrhea)
- ovarian cysts
- hirsutism (excess facial and/or body hair)
- alopecia (male-pattern hair loss)
- obesity
- acne
- skin tags
- acanthosis nigricans (brown skin patches, often found on the nape of the neck)
- high cholesterol levels
- high blood pressure
- exhaustion and/or lack of mental alertness
- decreased sex drive
- excess "male" hormones, such as androgens, DHEAS, or testosterone
- infertility
- decreased breast size
- enlarged clitoris(rare)
- enlarged ovaries
- enlarged uterus

Note that symptoms can worsen over time or with weight gain.

The reason I asked about PCOS and induced lactation is:

1) I'm on bc pills to regulate my hormones and I know once I start pumping I'll have to go off ~ not sure how this will effect me when the times comes (I'm hoping to weigh a lot less).

2) PCOS women have a high chance of getting diabetes if they don't watch their weight. I believe that it's fenugreek that is not recommended for diabetics. How would that effect PCOS?

Yes, I have lots and lots of questions. Hopefully someone who has PCOS and had induced lactation can help!

I have pretty serious PCOS. I had great success with inducing lactation, as long as I stayed on the domperidone. If I stopped taking it, my milk stopped too.

But as far as using the pill and everything, I didn't have any real problems. Moodiness as I adjusted in the first week to either being on or off the bc pill, but nothing really aside from that. Hairgrowth was suspended while I was on the pill and continued until we stopped nursing. So I felt my body was balanced out more positively while nursing and preparing for nursing!

On the positive side, I had a full milk supply for my youngest son, whom I did the protocol with. I think I could have done that with my first son, but didn't know enough and didn't have the time to really prepare. Same thing with him where I couldn't stop taking domperidone. I'll know for sure not to experiment with our next ones!

Kerri
Diagnosed PCOS at 15
Adoptive Mama to Cole and Adam
26 years old
British Columbia, Canada

Here's a link on PCOS and breastfeeding, which I got from ABRW. It was added recently. It doesn't necessarily refer to adoptive breastfeeding, but maybe it will answer some questions.
I have PCO, but it's very mild. I had cysts once, but after surgery they haven't been back. My cycles are slightly irregular, but not too badly. I am on day 260 of the protocol, and will be stopping later this month. I'll let you know if anything unusual happens.
Good Luck!
DawnL

Okay, I forgot the link! Sorry about that! Here it is
http://www.obgyn.net/displayarticle.asp?page=/pcos/articles/childers-chats

Thanks for the info, Ladies! I'm happy to hear PCOS won't stop me from inducing lactation! Yippee!

I have pretty severe PCOS. I did both the natural herb route and the protocol route for two different adoptions. I had much more success with the protocol on milk production and with infant satisfaction.

I actually lost 15 lbs on the protocol. I was planning on doing it for the long haul, but it became accelerate when our baby came early. I was able to provide full milk up untill the day we got pregnant.

My OB/GYN really thinks that it happened because the protocol jump started something into getting all my hormones running in the correct direction and then by the grace of god those two little embryos made it through the blocked tubes to the uteres.

I was one with horrible symptoms and mood swings w/o bcp so the extended time on the pills and then the domperidone made me feel "normal" for the first time since before puberty. My husband will second that he loved my attitude while lactating.

In regards to the fenugreek. I take metformin to control many of the symptoms, when I pumped and herbed alone I had many "lows" and shakies, I had to always keep an orange with me at all times. I never got over this.

However I never had that on the protocol, even after the bcp worked there way out of the system. I think the fact I was making milk might have balanced out.

For everyone's information we are at 16 1/2 weeks and counting, getting a big belly, but now down 31 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I told my doc that since he only wanted me to gain 20 - 25 lds. I know got to gain 60, but he said from my lowest. He is not sure if I will gain any, since I am now losing alsost 2 lbs a week. At least I only puke every third day or when I smell something really bad.

PS- I am eating very good - 2000 cal a day and more dairy than I ever thought of. My problem is for the first time in my life I want only good stuff. Fries, chips and any candy (ecept hershey's hugs & gummi grapefruit) make we want to yack. I could never have eaten this healthy if I tried before