Ask Our Expert - Wondering about Wet-Nursing

May 16, 2008

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Wondering about Wet-Nursing

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, I have a six week old baby who is formula fed. My sister (who has three school age children) is spotting and has tingling in her nipples as well as milk discharge and other symptoms of a nursing mother; she is not pregnant. Her gynecologist says it is wet nursing and I cannot find any information on this subject. Have you heard of wet nursing? Help! — Beeker in Wakefield, RI

ANSWER	November 6, 2001


Dear Beeker, A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds someone else's baby. This was commonly done in the old days before formula was available, if something happened to the mother or sometimes if the mother didn't want to nurse her own baby. I'm not really sure what your doctor meant when he said your sister was wet-nursing. It sounds like he thought that she was lactating from a sympathetic response. But it isn't common for a woman with older children to start producing milk just because she's spending time with someone else's newborn. There are causes of breast discharge other than recent childbirth, and these medical conditions can also lead to irregular or absent menstrual periods. Usually when we see these sorts of problems, we test the blood for thyroid hormone levels (TSH) and for the pituitary hormone prolactin. While it is very unlikely to be a sign of a serious condition, your sister should probably get assessed for her new symptoms. I hope that this answers your questions. Take care. Enjoy your new baby! — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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