You can do it!!! - 10/20/02 01:30 PM
I just wanted to let everyone who is attempting to get their supply back what happened to me.
I was down to less than 1/4 of my baby's intake, so I had to give him formula. Then I found the ABRW website and learned more about domperidone (I had first heard about it in Dr. Newman's breastfeeding book) I bought some from a wonderful lady (tripsplusone) and started to take a 10 milligram pill four times a day. That was ALL I needed! (Well, that, and pumping every two to three hours during the day for at least fifteen minutes, with one or two breaks in between, which helped me somehow get another letdown..along with massage and compression, which is what I do at every pumping now. (Don't worry you'll get used to that if you want to try) During the night though, you need your sleep, so you might want to give yourself five-six hours every night, except for in the beginning, where you probably need to do it every three hours or so, depending on your ability and where you are at in terms of milk supply right now...a good rule of thumb is the less milk you have the more frequently you need to pump...and...frequency, not quantity, is the most important thing, although you do want to get a letdown) Also you should make sure you get plenty of water and good nutritous food.
Anyway, I went from 1/4 of my baby's needs to 50 ounces a day. And now I am almost off the domperidone, down to 20 miiligrams a day. I weaned 5 milligrams every week or so by cutting a pill in half (making sure that supply was o.k. by increasing pumping to every two hours while weaning, and every 3-4 hours at night, I know it sounds like a lot of work, but you get used to it... )
Well there's my story. I hope it gives someone some hope!
(By the way, I exclusively pump for my baby, so all this pumping was because my baby can't nurse.)
Kathy
I was down to less than 1/4 of my baby's intake, so I had to give him formula. Then I found the ABRW website and learned more about domperidone (I had first heard about it in Dr. Newman's breastfeeding book) I bought some from a wonderful lady (tripsplusone) and started to take a 10 milligram pill four times a day. That was ALL I needed! (Well, that, and pumping every two to three hours during the day for at least fifteen minutes, with one or two breaks in between, which helped me somehow get another letdown..along with massage and compression, which is what I do at every pumping now. (Don't worry you'll get used to that if you want to try) During the night though, you need your sleep, so you might want to give yourself five-six hours every night, except for in the beginning, where you probably need to do it every three hours or so, depending on your ability and where you are at in terms of milk supply right now...a good rule of thumb is the less milk you have the more frequently you need to pump...and...frequency, not quantity, is the most important thing, although you do want to get a letdown) Also you should make sure you get plenty of water and good nutritous food.
Anyway, I went from 1/4 of my baby's needs to 50 ounces a day. And now I am almost off the domperidone, down to 20 miiligrams a day. I weaned 5 milligrams every week or so by cutting a pill in half (making sure that supply was o.k. by increasing pumping to every two hours while weaning, and every 3-4 hours at night, I know it sounds like a lot of work, but you get used to it... )
Well there's my story. I hope it gives someone some hope!
(By the way, I exclusively pump for my baby, so all this pumping was because my baby can't nurse.)
Kathy