Hi all, this is really a minor problem in the scope of things BUT I want to know how many of you are in the same boat as me.
I have gained AND KEPT ON 30 lbs since being on the protocol, and then adoptively nursing for the past year (which is going extremely well...yay!). I was under the impression that the nursing would take the weight off. I have tried excercise & diet....I'm the heaviest I've ever been! I plan to nurse her until she self weans (likely years from now) and plan to stay on the dom until she weans. SO...is anyone just holding onto the extra weight like me?

Mindy ~

You're not the only one, girl...I've gained about 15lbs and kept it on so far...not bf yet tho...

You're not alone!!

Glad to hear you're having a great time bf your lo! Please do tell your story!

Erin

Hi Erin,
I posted "you can do it!" on 11/11/07 (currently on page 4) where you can read my story!!!! Thanks for the props!
As far as the weight, I too only gained about 15 on the accel protocol but it just kept piling on as I nursed...not coming off! Don't get me wrong I would do practically anything to nurse my babies....so in the scope of things I shouldn't be complaining...but at times my self-image is suffering....and I can't "move" the way I used to...feel sluggish...and she just started walking so I will have to chase her around...enough poor me!!!! Glad to hear from you! And best of luck!

I'd be interested in hearing more experiences regarding weight fluctuations. I'm strongly considering this protocol at the moment. Having a thyroid disorder already, this is something my endocrynologist discussed with me about Domperidone affecting my pituitary/thyroid leading to weight changes and sluggishness or jitteriness.

Thanks,
Hope

Hi Hope,
I guess I should have mentioned that I too have a thyroid disorder. In April of 2005 I had a golf-ball sized tumor removed along with a large portion of my thyroid...leaving me hypo. I am on levothyroxin. I have always wondered if the weight gain was due to the thyroid issue or the domperidone (which I started right after the surgery) or a combination of both. I do have an appt w/Dr the end of Feb to discuss all this...but I wonder how knowledgable he is about domperidone.
Do you think I should see an endo instead (of my OB)?

I too would love to hear from more Moms @ their experience with the weight issue.

Well, I'll "weigh in" on this discussion (sorry, couldn't resist).

My daughter is 4 1/2 months old and I have exclusively breastfed using fenugreek, blessed thistle and dom.

My weight has shot up about 20 lbs. I blame myself a little bit...I liked the idea that breastfeeding required an extra 500 calories or so a day. However, I quickly realized that this was not true in my case.

I do eat a big bowl of oatmeal each morning. I know that I can maintain my weight on a no sugar/no wheat/no corn/no corn syrup diet (basically low carb with lots of vegetables). I'm sure the oatmeal makes me dump a lot of insulin to cover it and that may be helping me gain weight.

I did read a comment on another board about a breastfeeding mother who quit the dom and immediately dropped about 16 lbs.

So, yes, I think the dom has contributed to my weight gain. But I haven't been as careful as I should about diet and exercise.

May I say how thrilled I am that I have a full milk supply for my gorgeous growing baby girl though? It was so worth it to see how healthy she is. We love our nursing relationship. I'll miss it when it is over, and hopefully shed the pounds then.

Hello,

I am SO happy to read this thread! I am another mom who has nursed her adoptive baby for over a year now and I've gained about 15-20 lbs this year alone!!!! I went from 135-155!!!I've never weighed this much, and although I haven't been a perfect eater or exerciser - i did run a half-marathon in Sept and still held on to the weight.

I am not complaining (too much!) - I love nursing him and will continue to do so as long as possible - but the weight gain is a bit of a pain!

I started weight watchers recently - they have a program for nursing moms, and I've managed to lose about 6 lbs so far (3 weeks) but am being very cautious as I don't want my supply to drop too much. I know if he stops getting milk he may lose interest entirely and I am not ready to stop nursing yet! (he is 18 months)...

Thank you all for the discussion here. I find this very interesting b/c when I nursed my bio child, the pounds just seem to melt away. I was not on any special diet but I did watch the added sugar and junk food. Did anyone else experience loss of weight nursing a bio child and then gain when on the Dom & BCP's?

Mindy...I'm planning on discussing with my OB in addition to my Endocryn Dr. It can't hurt to get 2 opinions (whatever that may be). My Endocryn Dr said that she would monitor my TSH blood levels every 6 wks if I decide to pursue. She seemed to know how Dom worked but as she never prescribes it, she was not comfortable recommending or prescribing it. I'm going to call my OB and pick her brain as well. And I'm hoping to hear from Lenore too. BTW, I am hypo due to Goiter from Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

I'm also wondering...how could Dom be any different than the multitude of hormones I received when undergoing my many IVFs!?! And if I had guarantees that IVF would work, I wouldn't hesistate to do it again. Sorry everyone...just thinking out loud. This discussion is really helping me and there seem to be so few resources on Adoptive BF-ing.

Hope

Hi,

I am hypo too and have been on birth control for 7 months and dom for 9 months. I had to increase my thyroid meds during this time but I think it was due to the weight gain more than anything else. I gained about 20 lbs. Since I've started pumping 2 months ago...I've lost a little weight but have kept most of it. And I dropped weight instantly with my bio kids. Maybe things will change when/if we our baby latches on and if I produce a fully supply. Not sure if this helps any but wanted to let you know I'm in the same boat.

Thank you so much for sharing...it does help! Did your Dr. monitor your Thyroid levels more frequently once you started the protocol?

Thank you for all the replies ladies....this is obviously a hot topic!
YES....with my bios the weight dropped right off!!!! With my 1st I gained 55#s but was back into my pre-preg jeans at 3 weeks!!!
I don't understand all the mechanics of domp,Hope, but it is usually prescribed for gastro-intestinal issues and is not a "hormone drug" like your IVF drugs were. I'd like Lenore's input too. What I especially don't understand is why we have to keep taking the dom to keep up the milk supply when the adopted babies are 1year old +....I thought maybe our bodies would have kicked in and realized we have an established milk supply going here....in other words, why can we nurse our bio babies into childhood with no meds, for years after the hormonal kickstart preg & birth give? What is the physiological difference there?

I have decided to cut down on the dom, by the way. I was at 120 mgs per day and am dropping to 90 mgs per day. I plan to nurse Maisie until she self weans, but my goal is to be completely off the dom by the time she is 2 1/2- 3 years old.

Also, Hope, my Dr did monitor my TSH but not every 6 weeks...not much changed for me on the protocol as far as my levels went.

Africa123, congrats on your 18 months of success!!!! I too am concerned about tampering with my milk supply while "dieting".
Could you please tell me how much dom you take...and did you always take the same amount?

That's nice to know about your TSH levels, Mindy.

Well, I just spoke with my OB Drs nurse. She said my Dr. did not have a very favorable position on this Dom. matter. The nurse also said that they've had very few inquiries about adoptive bf-ing (and this is in the St.Louis, MO metro area!). She was very polite and did give me the number for the lactation consultants there for further support.

I just spoke with them and they were very supportive. She said she would try to begin just with Fenugreek and pumping for 4-6 wks. She also said she had the pleasure of hearing Lenore speak at a conference. She knew of Drs who would be receptive to writing a prescription as well but suggested I try it simple at first since I have successfully breastfed before.

What do you all think?

(I know this is no longer a weight topic so maybe I should post elsewhere, but the discussion started here?!)

Thanks to you all,
Hope

Only if I felt symptoms of it being off. I had to go on a higher dose because I was having symptoms of hypo and sure enough the blood test proved it and then symptoms of hyper when we realized the dose was too high. I'm just trying a middle dose and will wait 6 weeks to see if it evens out. I really think when I lose this weight I'll go back to my original dose. I don't think it was the dom causing this fluctuation. I could be wrong though.

Well, Hope, you can try with just the herbs & pumping. (See the posts from natural methods to induce section on this website)
I did try that route and it didn't work for me. I was nursing my then 3 year old at the time and just added the herbs & pumped 6+ times per day for 3 months and never could pump more than drops. I decided to add the dom and WOW, my milk came in big-time with a month!

Anyone reading these posts NOT have a weight gain issue...I'd like to hear that side of it too!!!!!!!!!!

HI to all! I am an adoptive mom who was nursing our baby boy with special need..curvature of the spine,,and 2 holes in his heart that are closing. But, I have also gained weight nursing him.. I stopped for one month..and was able to start back up with only being able to get 1 - 1.5 oz every time I pump, which is 3 times per day.. now.. he is not wanting to nurse, only bits me and today is day # 5,, so I will see if he is still doing that today. I think he is on a nursing strike now.. maybe I am not getting enough, and maybe he is not wanting to put up with that. Bottles are easier. anyone have any help for me? I do not want to give up comfort nursing him yet! and he gets 2 6 oz bottles of donor milk per day too, and what I pump I give to him in a bottle. thanks so much for any help. Lisa C

Hope, in my opinion it is often a waste of precious time to try without Dom & BCP I tried with just a lact-aid and herbal tincture, then months later added Dom and that helped but I eventually went on the accelerated protocol and gave up all supplementing when my Daughter was about 15 months. Prior to that I had about 1/2 a supply at the most.
Many LCs will tell you that since you have nursed before you can do it without the added help of the protocol. This is true for very few people. Unless you have nursed in the past 6 months you are not re-lactating you are inducing lactation which is a whole different thing. If I had it to do over again I would start the protocol right away and not mess with trying for so long without it.

Thank you so much for your honesty, Laurie. You are saying what I was thinking and contemplating!

Lisa C... I can't offer any advice on your question but I sure hope it all works out for you and your little one.

Thanks everyone,
Hope

Hi Mindy,

I am also taking 120 mg of dom, and I was also wondering about cutting down a bit. I did stop taking all herbs and haven't noticed a drop in supply - are you still taking the fenugreek?

Hi Africa123,
Two weeks ago I dropped down to 90 mgs on dom per day...no noticable change in supply yet and have lost 6 pounds!!!! I changed NOTHING other than my dom dose! Yeah!
Yes I do still take the fenugreek. I will not be lowering my dose further anytime soon though.

Wow! 6 lbs just from dom reduction - that's huge! Can I ask about how much you are producing at this point? Maybe I should go back on the fenugreek and reduce the dom - doesn't hurt to try I guess....How old is your baby?

Can I ask one more question - are you still pumping too or just nursing on demand? How many times a day do you nurse? Thanks!

No, I'm not pumping...haven't since she was a week old (she nursed so much I didn't need to or have time to).
Maisie nurses ALOT! Maybe 12x per day and wakes4-5x per night to nurse. She's quite chunky 25 lbs at 12 mos old (not sure how tall but is at 48th percentile for height, 95th for wght). She also takes very few solids so most of her nourishment 95% or more comes from me.
How about you...same questions?

Hello,

I rarely pump anymore - although I will if I miss a nighttime feeding (I go to school a few nights a week). I also just nurse on demand which is quite a bit too - 10-15 times a day depending on how busy we are. Khosi sleeps all night now and has since he was about 14 months - he is almost 19 months now. We usually give him a bottle before bed as he rarely eats much dinner and by that time of night I don't have much milk either as he continually nurses all day!

He also does not eat much in the way of solids - he used to do great but has gotten very picky! He was 25 lbs when we picked him up at 5 months (chunky monkey) - but now he is only 28.8lbs at 19 months - he's really slimmed down!

I dropped my dom back down to 90 mg and started the fenugreek again - I have never taken the BT so I don't think I'll start now. I thought about it this weeekend and realized that I gained the most weight when I went from 90 mg to 120 mg this past summer. We'll see if this helps...

Hi Africa 123,
I too need to give Maisie a bottle at night as I am "out" by then...she only takes about 3oz but really seems to NEED it...my stored supply of B-milk is running low though.

What "kind" of bottle do you give him? Your milk, cow's milk..???


PS I also sent you a private message in case you want to chat "in-person".