The last time we updated our intake forms at my school's breastfeeding clinic, we made sure to add a checkbox with "Difficulty conceiving?" to the maternal health history section. Reasons for fertility issues are myriad, but can definitely give us some clues as to possible underlying hormonal issues that can affect supply (more on that in an upcoming post, I hope).
Yet in my (limited) experience so far, few mothers who sought fertility treatment received any indication from any of their prenatal care providers that they might in fact experience some challenges in the breastfeeding department. Before we get into the whys and wherefores, I thought it might be a good idea to get a sense of how common this lack of information is, however informal the poll.
So, would you pass this along to anyone you know who has experienced fertility treatments and might be willing to share this info? And of course, answer it yourself if it applies to you? I'd be most grateful.
This is just the opening of a potential ongoing conversation. There are many complex layers to this, and much to discuss.
[And hello there, o patient readers! I do indeed still exist, though between coursework for school and various other exciting outside projects (including promising memoir stuffs), I sometimes barely have time to parent, let alone wax lactosophical around here, much as I love to do so. I'm hoping that will start to change soon. Cheers!]
