8 weeks pregnant and want to make sure supply is adequate

[@llli*hortstu]

This, if everything goes correctly, will be our second child. With our first child the milk supply was well below inadequate. We consulted with LLL specialists, and ended up getting donors to supplement and had to end using a goat milk mix that rounded out the last of the needs.

This time we're trying be proactive. We're hoping that adjustments we make now will increase the supply. My wife has PCOS. That's part of the explanation for the low supply. We're hoping we can get some life sytyle/ nutritional suggestions that will get us the supply our baby needs.

Any help, links, suggestions, anecdotes, whatever will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[@llli*garsmum]

Have you seen this page? http://www.mobimotherhood.org/mm/article-pcos.aspx
I am not sure beyond what I just read how PCOS affects milk supply. I do know of course bfing is all about supply and demand. I used galactalogues for about 6 months, then found they weren't needed as much and now I'm pretty well established at 13 months. I do eat whole grain homemade oatmeal every day, but I'm guessing that's anecdotal as well and nothing matters as much as breastfeeding on demand. To make that easiest:
1. Don't set a feeding schedule
2. Co-sleep if possible (if bed sharing is out of the question for one reason or another, consider at least an attached bassinet such as the arms reach co-sleeper and when baby is able to roll, you could consider "sidecar-ing" the crib).
3. Skin-to-skin, baby wearing (aka kangaroo care). Invest in a moby wrap or some other type of wrap like a ring sling for early on so your wife can wear baby around the house, topless, so baby can have access to her breasts easily.
4. Remember any time at the breast is good for supply boosting.
5. Consult with a IBCLC (Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) to correct latch issues, get pre and post feeding weighs, etc.

These are all things that worked for me and I initially had low supply for no medical reason other than long, traumatic birth that left my body conserving resources. As a full time working mother I will never regret the amount of time and energy I've invested in breastfeeding my son this long (with no end in sight) because I feel it helps me give him something that will benefit him for life that no one else can give him, and it helps me feel connected and deeply bonded with him even though I am away from him 40 hours per week.

[@llli*hortstu]

Have you seen this page? http://www.mobimotherhood.org/mm/article-pcos.aspx
I am not sure beyond what I just read how PCOS affects milk supply. I do know of course bfing is all about supply and demand. I used galactalogues for about 6 months, then found they weren't needed as much and now I'm pretty well established at 13 months. I do eat whole grain homemade oatmeal every day, but I'm guessing that's anecdotal as well and nothing matters as much as breastfeeding on demand. To make that easiest:
1. Don't set a feeding schedule
2. Co-sleep if possible (if bed sharing is out of the question for one reason or another, consider at least an attached bassinet such as the arms reach co-sleeper and when baby is able to roll, you could consider "sidecar-ing" the crib).
3. Skin-to-skin, baby wearing (aka kangaroo care). Invest in a moby wrap or some other type of wrap like a ring sling for early on so your wife can wear baby around the house, topless, so baby can have access to her breasts easily.
4. Remember any time at the breast is good for supply boosting.
5. Consult with a IBCLC (Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) to correct latch issues, get pre and post feeding weighs, etc.

These are all things that worked for me and I initially had low supply for no medical reason other than long, traumatic birth that left my body conserving resources. As a full time working mother I will never regret the amount of time and energy I've invested in breastfeeding my son this long (with no end in sight) because I feel it helps me give him something that will benefit him for life that no one else can give him, and it helps me feel connected and deeply bonded with him even though I am away from him 40 hours per week.

We're still co sleeping, more often than not, 4 years later...

Thanks for the response and the time you put into it. We did everything you suggested with our first and only child. Nothing worked. The milk supply was probably never exceeded 10% of my daughter's needs. My wife even tried the pharmaceutical that can induce lactation, I forget the name, we had it made at a compounding pharmacy after the BF consultant suggested it and wrote us a prescription.

My wife believes, gut feeling, that something didn't happen during the pregnancy that allowed her breasts to do what they were supposed to so. She also has a fear, although less certain of this one, that due to the PCOS her breast tissue did not develop properly in adolescence and she'll never be capable of it. The failure last time was hard on her. We're very strict about our health and diets and the last thing we'd ever do is use the chemical laden formulas on the market.

What I'm really looking for is something a little more proactive than the suggestions that show up once the baby is born. Is there anything that we can do now with over 7 months to go to increase the likelyhood that she'll have any supply of milk let alone an adequate supply.

Thanks for any help.

[@llli*hortstu]

If anyone missed this the first time around we're a little further in and still looking for suggestions. Anything will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[@llli*zaynethepain]

This is the best nutrition outlook I've seen and it's geared toward fertility and pregnancy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/193660...818537&sr=8-1&

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/l...mli=SY200_QL40

And a search through the Lll base brought this up, which had several suggestions for medications safe for pregnancy that can help a woman with pcos lactate successfully.