When Your Breasts Might Not Work: Anticipatory Guidance for Health-Care Professionals

There are many factors that can negatively impact a mother developing a copious milk supply and being able to exclusively breastfeed her infant. In this article, we present two case exemplars (glandular hypoplasia and breast reduction surgery) to illustrate that not all mothers may be able to develop a full milk supply, and that families should receive appropriate prenatal anticipatory education and guidance from childbirth educators and all health-care providers. Important considerations include the value of every drop of milk that the mother is able to produce, treating the milk as an important medical intervention, and developing a plan with the family for supplementation so the infant can receive adequate intake for growth.