Thanks Linda. I have already had a tour of the hospital and they are aware of the surrogacy plans but am just not sure if I will look crazy trying to use the lact-aid at the hospital, what do you think. I also plan to use their lactation consultant if things get tough in the beginning. The reason the surro is pumping is to give us the colostrum which they say is very important.

Cutie,
Have you started the protocol yet?
Yes, the colostrum is very important. The lact aid isn't that hard to adjust to. In fact, some people put the bag in their bra verse hang it.
A few tips.
* tape the tube on the end of your nipple. Some people use surgery tape or band aids work well too. This will help it be secure as your baby learns to latch on.
In the beginning, your baby doesn't take that much milk, but the latch on and the time nursing is important. If you have started the protocol, and are at the pumping stage, the more stimulation will help.

I started with the SNS ( didn't know about the lact aid ) at DD 9th day, and put her to breast each time. It was a little difficult at first, I didn't have any head up, she was just THERE. I started the accelerated protocol on the same day. After 30 days I started getting drops and finally worked up to about 90% milk supply!
I found out about the lact aid at 2 months and it was SO much better.

wishing you well for your new baby!
Linda

Thanks Linda you've been such a wonderful help. I have been on the protocol since August and will start pumping by next week. I wanted to make sure I would need the Lact aid before I go ahead and order it. I really hope I would be able to make some milk but am already having leaks from both breasts which is a good thing. Wow, you are lucky to make up to 90% of her needs; bravo!!!. Can't wait to get started. I have my Medela PIS advanced and everything ready to go.

I would say pump the bm and feed it to the baby. With the colustrum, it is such a small amount, you can actually just put it in a syringe and syringe feed the baby so as not to waste it in the lactaid.

If you are pumping in advance, you will probably have some milk and you most likely will have enough for the baby (especially supplementing with a little colustrum)in those first days as they don't take much. You probably won't even need the lactaid.

Then as the surrogate's milk comes in, you can add it to the lactaid if needed.

I started pumping the day we were placed with my DD1 at 2 days old and caught up to her need within 2 weeks and she was ebf from that day on.

With DD2, I pumped in advance for 10 days and then caught up to her need again when she was about 2 weeks old (she ate more than DD1).

Since you have a surrogate and are not adopting, and it is a sure thing, you should be able to pump further in advance and have a good supply going. You very well may never need the lactaid.

The only reason I say don't have her bf, is that I know a woman who placed a baby for adoption with her sister. She said she bf the baby for the first month and later her sister told her she had trouble bonding with the baby because of the bf.
Good luck!
Jennifer

Thanks Jennifer for your comment but now I have more questions for you lol. It seems that the more I learn in this journey, the more there is to learn. Which one is the syringe feeding, I never never heard of it before. Also I am on the fence about getting the lactaid for about $70 and end up not using it since I will pump well in advance and even though it is not a sure thing, I know I will have some milk stored before delivery. So how do I feed baby the stored milk without the lactaid; is it with bottles? Thanks for helping

The hospital gave us a syringe to suck up the colustrum with. Then we just gave that to the baby from the syringe (it is like one of those medicine syringes - no needle).

I just used bottles to supplement because I couldn't make the lactaid work. I did have one. Maybe you could buy one used. When is the due date? I have two that I might be willing to sell pretty cheap.

Maybe wait to see how much you are getting from pumping.

Jennifer

We are due early March and I will start pumping by the end of the week.

I think if you do not break the seal on the Lact-Aid you can return it for a full refund, so getting one and leaving it sealed until you get an idea of how your milk supply it going to be is one option. Where you are going to be pumping here pretty soon, you should have an idea of whether or not you will need it a while before the due date.

If you decide to use it, I suggest trying it out before the baby is born, if you can. Practice filling it and putting it together, with water. Then, you can get an idea of what it is like to use it with a baby by putting the tube on your breast and using your breast pump. If it seems too awkward without tape, you can try taping it. It is often helpful to start out taping it, the first few times you nurse with it, but it isn't usually necessary to keep doing it.

Hospitals can really vary, when it comes to supporting, or non-supporting, adoptive moms nursing. I have heard of some situations where hospital people have even banned adoptive mothers from the nursery. Since yours is a surrogacy situation, however, I would think they would be more helpful.

I think being able to have the baby start nursing right away gives you a better chance of a large milk supply, too. My kids were adopted at various ages, but all had had artificial nipples for at least a few days. Most of them had latch issues, and I really saw a difference in milk production in relation to it. I could never get some of them on the breast far enough. I just had to do the best I could.

What part of March is your baby due? My grandson is due the 15th and we are excited! Best wishes to you with your baby!

Darillyn