Breastfeeding With PCOS

What Is The Connection Between PCOS And Breast Milk Supply?

Not all mothers with PCOS have a troublesome time breastfeeding their children. Some have reported making an excess of milk, which can also be a (positive) result of the overproduction of some hormones. However, numerous women do. Some research conducted in this field uncovered some connections between PCOS and breast milk supply.

Insufficient glandular tissue

The glandular tissues in the breast of the PCOS woman is much lower than that of a healthy woman. More often their breast has a typical appearance – small size, cone shape, both breasts widely spaced, etc. Even if the breast is large, there will be more fatty tissues instead of glandular tissues. This poor mammary tissue development in the PCOS mother is one of the reasons for her low milk production

Estrogen dominance

Normally, the estrogen level will go down after delivery. The elevated level of estrogen, especially during the early days of the postpartum period, will hinder breast milk production. Women with PCOS are generally found to have a condition called ‘estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance portrays a condition where a woman possesses an elevated level of estrogen, or more often the level of estrogen might be normal, yet have too little progesterone to adjust estrogen’s level

Higher level of androgen

A woman with PCOS generally possesses a high level of androgen hormone. Androgen is a male hormone, which is also present in a woman’s body in very low levels. The elevation in LH (luteinizing hormone)level, together with hyperinsulinemia, prompts an increase in androgen generation by the ovary. T

his elevated level of androgen hormone hinders the prolactin receptors – prolactin is one of the hormones involved in breast milk production. Thus, if only a few prolactin receptors are developed during the gestation period, obviously, the milk production gets affected

Is There A Struggle To Produce Breast Milk For A Woman With PCOS?

Even if a woman possesses PCOS, her chances of struggling hard for breast milk is one-ninth. The breast milk supply of one-third of the women with PCOS will remain unaffected as another one-third of the PCOS women ends in overproduction of milk. Another one-third shows some degree of milk shortage, but actually, one-third of this last group possesses real struggle in breast milk production.

How Can The Breast Milk Production Of A Woman With PCOS Regulate?

Managing the PCOS before and during pregnancy, and after delivery is significant in ensuring good breast milk production.

• Be focused on the way of life and dietary decisions that help you deal with your PCOS side effects. This helps your body to keep up with hormone and allow you to take every necessary step to make breast milk
• Follow the doctor’s instructions to improve the insulin resistance, as insulin resistance is a key factor that increases the androgen hormone
• Starting breastfeeding as early as possible after delivery, the better the odds are that breastfeeding will be effectual
• Pump the milk between the feedings. This is because the basic rule of milk production depends on the increase in demand. The more the breast is stimulated, by either feeding or pumping, the more milk the body attempt to produce
• You can try all the methods that one follows in improving breast milk production under normal health conditions even if you are having PCOS
• A breastfeeding supplementer is another method that can be tried.

What Is Breastfeeding Supplementer?

his is a device that allows a baby to receive extra milk at the breast rather than by bottle and teat. Here expressed milk from the mother is given to the baby neither through a bottle nor cup. The milk expressed by the mother is collected in a container. The container is attached to a cord and set around the neck of the mother. A fine tube carries the milk from the container to the nipple of the breast (where it is attached carefully).

As the baby sucks the nipple, the milk from the container, through the fine tube gets into the mouth of the baby without much effort. This will encourage the baby to suck more and more. The stimulated breast, thus, eventually starts to produce more milk

Most of the breastfeeding problems of the PCOS mother can be solved by a lactation consultant.  Proper medicines and diet is also a must. So don’t worry about PCOS and go ahead with feeding your baby breast milk as much as you can. No formula milk can ever replace breast milk. Happy feeding.