Breastfeeding: PCOS, lipase problems, and your dream pumping room

Hot topics in breastfeeding:

First, over at Jo's there's an interesting "share-your-story" going on about breastfeeding and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). While some women with PCOS have normal milk supply and others have oversupply, many suffer from low supply (which can sometimes be linked to breast hypoplasia--the thought is that hypoplasia and PCOS are both results of endocrine regulation problems). It's only been extremely recently that this has been noticed by lactation and medical professionals, so women with PCOS need to seek out info and educate themselves before or during pregnancy, since your doctors and lactation consultants cannot be relied upon to know this stuff yet.

The first writing about PCOS and supply is being done by IBCLC Lisa Marasco, who started putting together the pieces before most other people did. Check out the second half of Jo's post and be sure to read all the comments to find more stellar links and data points about Metformin, low supply, pumping, galactagogues, and online support for PCOS and breastfeeding with PCOS.

Second, I got an email from Tanya recently, asking if I knew anything about why her pumped milk spoils in a matter or hours in the refrigerator, when breastmilk is supposed to be fine for several days in the fridge. This isn't an issue of spoilage. Instead, it's an excess of the enzyme lipase (a normal enzyme that helps to break down the fat) in the milk. I don't know why some women have an excess of lipase (I'm one of them, although I don't have as much as Tanya does--my milk is fine in the fridge, but tastes a little bit sour if frozen and then thawed), and I haven't found anything yet indicating that anyone else knows why some women have it, either. The only remedy for the problem seems to be scalding the milk as soon as possible after pumping it, but before storing it.

Kellymom.com (where else?) has a nice succinct article about excess lipase and scalding milk. Does anyone else have this issue? How do you work around it?

And finally a request: Kate has the chance to recommend to the heads of her company what the company's new lactation room should contain. She says, "I would like to take full advantage of this and really push to make it great for everyone but especially those non-professionals, without private offices, for whom pumping might be especially challenging a la the recent NYT article {Ed--the article discussed the "two-class" problem for pumping moms at work--the obstacles can be too huge to overcome for women without private offices}." Could you tell her what your dream pumping room would have? Thanks.

Comments

[Generic Viagra Online]

I prefer a warm but spacious room.

[mr big dicks hot chicks]

She says, "I would like to take full advantage of this and really push to make it great for everyone but especially those non-professionals, without private offices, for whom pumping might be especially challenging a la the recent NYT

[erectie]

Well PCOS women with estrogen dominance might have issues as low levels of estrogen is neccessary for high levels of Prolactin which is needed to produce milk..when breastmilk is supposed to be fine for several days in the fridge...