200th Post!

Wow, this is my 200th post on this blog! I must like to talk or something. Or maybe it is because this is the thing that has been keeping me sane as a mother of three. Its my way of reaching out to others and getting things of my chest and keeping in touch with all of my siblings and their families. I love blogging!

I have a breast feeding update to blog about today. Last weekend Nate had been doing some research on what causes poor milk supply and one of the causes is a thyroid imbalance. Hearing this it made me wonder if I had hypothyroid like my mom did, because she also had trouble breastfeed all of us kids. So I went to the doctor and talked with him about all of my concerns about breast feeding and thyroid and family history. He thought it would be a good idea to have several things checked in a blood test, thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin. Prolactin, I learned is what causes you to lactate and produce milk. My tests came back and I went to the doctor today with Nate to discuss the results with my doctor. A nurse had called me a few days earlier and told me my tests had come back "normal" but I had no idea what that meant so I really wanted to see the results for myself. Well my thyroid is completely normal, which is good, but my prolactin levels are very low. For a normal breastfeeding woman, her levels should be above 25 ng/ml, mine is 6.7 ng/ml which is the reason I am drying up so soon. There really isn't anything that my doctor can do for me. There are some medicines out their that can increase prolactin, but I wouldn't be able to nurse at the same time because they would be too dangerous for Hyrum --which defeats the purpose. So instead I am going to continue to take my herbs with lots of water and pump and breast feed as much as I can.
I'm just glad to finally have discovered out what the problem is, even though it can't be treated. It is a genetic problem that I most likely inherited from my mom, but I have come to deal with it and enjoy breastfeeding my babies as much as I can for as long as I can.
I had been struggling with the feelings of inadequacy for not being able to breastfeed like so many other women. I felt jipped because I wasn't having the breastfeeding experience that I wanted. But Nate gave me a priesthood blessing and the Lord calmed my troubled feelings and heart and I know that I am a good mother and wife and that I shouldn't worry about not being able to breastfeed. Just do my best and the Lord with provide the rest.