Goat's rue breast changes

[lenorajoy]

I started taking goat's rue yesterday morning (after having no luck increasing my low supply with every other method) and this afternoon especially I'm having pains in both breasts and just recently itching. I know pains and itching are signs of growth generally, but I'm curious if anyone here has taken goat's rue and had similar symptoms (whether you ended up seeing positive results or not). I'm cautiously hoping this will finally help me. I haven't been diagnosed with IGT, but I have a family history of breastfeeding failure, so there's a chance that may be the cause, or at least a contributing factor. I have very large breasts, but they're quite squishy. If I have IGT, I must have a lot of fatty tissue in them. I appreciate any input!

 

[kajastarlight]

Goats rue did the same to me! I didn't feel like it increased my productivity but it did make my letdown let down more. Like a lot more. Like leaky boobs all day.... I stopped taking it because of that.

 

[lenorajoy]

I found myself wishing yesterday that I leaked... I guess just because that would mean I had more than enough.

I'm finally back up to making 9.5-10 oz during the workday, so I'm hoping between the goat's rue, tongue tie being fixed, and having a better pump that will continue to increase. I have parts of my breasts (on the bottom only) that are just sore, so I wonder if I have new ducts or something? They were never sore there before and I'm pretty sure my breasts are slightly larger, though it's difficult to gauge with a super stretchy bra (the only ones I can find that even somewhat fit me without spending an arm and a leg on good bras in my size) as opposed to a structured one. But it seems like my bras would stretch enough to actually contain all of my boobs before and now they don't. Like at all. Unfortunately nobody else in the history of the internet seems to have even mentioned breast pain/soreness/tingling/itching while taking goat's rue while also nursing. Most of it feels like growth pains and itching.

I definitely feel my let downs better now than I did before taking it, though I still never leak. I pretty much never had that tingling feeling, which I've felt several times when not nursing or pumping. Once when I was looking at my daughter in her high chair, which struck me as funny. Like my body was like she looks ready to eat, send down the milk! DD does seem more satisfied when nursing, so I wonder if she's now able to extract more milk than the pump can. If I can ever manage to get a day or two to lay around and just nurse as much as possible, I may actually see an increase.

 

[kajastarlight]

I may need to try it again. For some reason I have stopped letting down as quick when nursing and pumping. Glad it seems to be working for you!

 

[lenorajoy]

I'd give it a try again then for sure! Slow let downs are so disappointing. It feels like wasted time when you're pumping!

 

[Disneyfan88]

I'd give it a try again then for sure! Slow let downs are so disappointing. It feels like wasted time when you're pumping!

I agree. I'm exclusively pumping (again ), and I'm finding it is taking me waaaaay to long to empty. Any tips for helping to make the pumping process go faster would be greatly appreciated as it's just me and DD2 home during the days.

 

[kajastarlight]

I'd give it a try again then for sure! Slow let downs are so disappointing. It feels like wasted time when you're pumping!

I agree. I'm exclusively pumping (again ), and I'm finding it is taking me waaaaay to long to empty. Any tips for helping to make the pumping process go faster would be greatly appreciated as it's just me and DD2 home during the days.

I know it sounds super corney, but if you can, imagine you are nursing only like the best nursing experience ever. Like the one we all imagine before we have our first baby and realize it hard effing work. Clear your mind and imaging bringing your baby to your breast and baby latches on perfectly. Feel the quick fluttery sucks as your pump goes through the first let down phase. Visualize your baby nursing contently as the flutters turn to drawing pulls. When you feel your letdown focus on how it feels. Is it warm? Is it tingly? Can you feel your milk ducts constricting? Remember how it all feels.
After time you might be able to recall the feeling of your letdown enough to trigger one sooner and possibly get a 3rd letdown or even a 4th in your pumping sessions. I am still trying to get it down better but I have had some success.

 

[lenorajoy]

I never really thought about it, but I guess I kind of do that. Most of the time I only start thinking about it once I get the first letdown, though. Several days recently I've gotten 3-4 letdowns in one 25-minute pumping session. If only I could manage to increase the amount of milk I get per letdown... That seems to be my biggest issue now and so far nothing has changed that. The only time I get even close to an ounce per letdown (I guess this is pretty average?) is around 7 when I pump for the first time, and that's only on the right side. Considering otherwise I only manage to pump 2/3-1.5 oz per side during every other pumping session, I'm getting way less per letdown than I should be. I have to wonder if I for some reason just don't produce enough prolactin.

 

[lenorajoy]

Okay, now that I've run out of goat's rue... my letdowns are really weak again. I'll have to get more of that stuff! Yesterday was my second highest production day so far and I'm about 1.5 oz shy of that today. So far it's the only thing that's made that much of a difference. I've noticed no difference whatsoever with oats or any other oat-related breakfast foods lately, so that's not really doing anything for me either. I'll have to try my banana oat smoothies with brewer's yeast and flax seed again to see if those make a difference, but I definitely need more goat's rue!

 

[kajastarlight]

I am glad your seeing some improvement even if it's not as big of an increase you wanted. I have true low supply too, mostly due to hypothyroidism

 

[lenorajoy]

I haven't gotten more goat's rue yet, but after that initial drop in supply when I ran out, my supply has continued to increase! For the first time I pumped 5.5 oz during my first pumping session! Maybe the goat's rue helped or maybe it's the combination of a better pump and DD's tongue tie being fixed or maybe it's the combination of the three, but regardless of the cause things are improving. I can't begin to say how happy this makes me!

Even if I never get to exclusively breastfeed this baby (now that she's on solids that's kind of not a thing anymore, but it would be nice to not need formula!), there may be hope for future babies! I'll be insistent next time around that they check thoroughly for all tongue and lip ties before we're discharged from the hospital so we don't have to do this again. And I'll probably take goat's rue from the start next time around and start pumping much earlier to make sure we get off to a good start.