05-08-2011, 14:57
Hi everyone. I'm absolutely THRILLED to have found this website! I'm planning on pursuing NBE but I really need some guidance.
A little background:
I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance at age 13. This was about 14 years ago, and treatment for kids was still in the testing stages. My mom wasn't comfortable putting her teenage daughter in a trial involving hormones, so I went untreated.
I rarely cycled during my teen years - maybe 1-2 periods a year. I gained weight, but my breasts stayed rather small. Most bigger girls have bigger boobs, but mine seemed WAY too small for my body type.
Fast-forward several years... I was pregnant with my first child, but experienced no breast changes, whatsoever. No tenderness, no growth... nothing. I talked to many lactation experts who assured me that is normal for some women.
When my daughter was born, I had a really hard time with breastfeeding. My milk supply was extremely low. Milk never "came in", never got engorged, etc. My lactation consultant was stumped. A few weeks later, I was diagnosed with breast hypoplasia (also known as insufficient glangular tissue).
I started a regimen of herbal galactagogues - More Milk Plus (combo), goat's rue, alfalfa, red clover and saw palmetto. I also took domperidone to increase prolactin levels. At my best, I was producing a total of about 10oz a day. I had to supplement with donated breastmilk to keep my child fed.
I got in touch with Lisa Marasco (co-author of The Breastfeeding Woman's Guide to Making more Milk) and she helped me with an herbal regimen to take during my second pregnancy. Every day, I took an infusion of red clover, red raspberry leaf, nettle and alfalfa. I did experience some increase in breast size and minimal veining. When my son was born, my milk supply was up to about 16oz a day - better, but still not enough. He's on donated milk now, because he refused to nurse once he hit 4 months. He just got tired of working so hard for so little.
We plan on having a 3rd baby someday, probably getting pregnant about a year from now. In the meantime, I am focusing on getting my body back to where it needs to be - healthy weight and balanced hormones.
I am being treated with an underactive thyroid, and I am on a low-carbohydrate diet to keep insulin in check.
I'm hoping to spend the next year increasing my mammary tissue with estrogenic herbs. My LC recommended looking into the Brava, but no one seems to know if it actually increases glandular tissue or not. Regardless, I want to increase size in addition to glandular tissue, so I'm considering trying it.
Does anyone know how much the Brava costs?
Anyway, I would be incredibly grateful if anyone here could give me some tips and advice, perhaps point me in the right direction? Right now, I plan on taking fenugreek, goat's rue, red clover, hops flower, alfalfa and wild yam. I'm going to see if I can buy them as tinctures rather than taking a million pills a day.
A little background:
I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance at age 13. This was about 14 years ago, and treatment for kids was still in the testing stages. My mom wasn't comfortable putting her teenage daughter in a trial involving hormones, so I went untreated.
I rarely cycled during my teen years - maybe 1-2 periods a year. I gained weight, but my breasts stayed rather small. Most bigger girls have bigger boobs, but mine seemed WAY too small for my body type.
Fast-forward several years... I was pregnant with my first child, but experienced no breast changes, whatsoever. No tenderness, no growth... nothing. I talked to many lactation experts who assured me that is normal for some women.
When my daughter was born, I had a really hard time with breastfeeding. My milk supply was extremely low. Milk never "came in", never got engorged, etc. My lactation consultant was stumped. A few weeks later, I was diagnosed with breast hypoplasia (also known as insufficient glangular tissue).
I started a regimen of herbal galactagogues - More Milk Plus (combo), goat's rue, alfalfa, red clover and saw palmetto. I also took domperidone to increase prolactin levels. At my best, I was producing a total of about 10oz a day. I had to supplement with donated breastmilk to keep my child fed.
I got in touch with Lisa Marasco (co-author of The Breastfeeding Woman's Guide to Making more Milk) and she helped me with an herbal regimen to take during my second pregnancy. Every day, I took an infusion of red clover, red raspberry leaf, nettle and alfalfa. I did experience some increase in breast size and minimal veining. When my son was born, my milk supply was up to about 16oz a day - better, but still not enough. He's on donated milk now, because he refused to nurse once he hit 4 months. He just got tired of working so hard for so little.
We plan on having a 3rd baby someday, probably getting pregnant about a year from now. In the meantime, I am focusing on getting my body back to where it needs to be - healthy weight and balanced hormones.
I am being treated with an underactive thyroid, and I am on a low-carbohydrate diet to keep insulin in check.
I'm hoping to spend the next year increasing my mammary tissue with estrogenic herbs. My LC recommended looking into the Brava, but no one seems to know if it actually increases glandular tissue or not. Regardless, I want to increase size in addition to glandular tissue, so I'm considering trying it.
Does anyone know how much the Brava costs?
Anyway, I would be incredibly grateful if anyone here could give me some tips and advice, perhaps point me in the right direction? Right now, I plan on taking fenugreek, goat's rue, red clover, hops flower, alfalfa and wild yam. I'm going to see if I can buy them as tinctures rather than taking a million pills a day.