A few days ago, a colleague interviewed me about inducing lactation. In the small talk before we got into our discussion, we talked about something else we had in common besides a career in lactation: we both have curly hair. 

What does this have to do with inducing lactation? Well, at first it seemed like these two topics we discussed were unrelated. But a story my colleague shared stuck in my mind ... she followed someone who had some fabulous curls that she really admired. So, my colleague bought all the same products as this person, but when she used them her hair looked terrible!

Why was this I wonder? Maybe those products were the right products for the other person but not right for my colleague. Maybe those products could have worked well but she didn't know how to use them in the right way.

And this is how it ties in with inducing lactation ... When someone posts online about a product or method they used to induce lactation and had great results, it doesn't mean you will h...

Concerns over potential side effects of medications used to initiate or increase lactation are very understandable. It is essential to be healthy and well for yourself and to provide the best care for your baby. Considering using medications to support milk production requires balancing any risks versus benefits. This blog post focuses on any risks to you as the lactating parent, with some brief mentions of the benefits for milk production.

(Why? Because your IBCLC would not suggest a medication unless she expected a significant benefit based on her experience and training, and the published literature. And, yes, you should be working with an IBCLC if you are not producing enough milk to meet your baby's needs. Rarely does taking a medication alone resolve milk production issues.)

These are some major categories of medications that you may consider:

• Hormonal medications: Hormonal medications involving estrogen and/or progesterone are primarily used for inducing lactation to init

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