Hello,

I have been reading the forum for several months now. I have contacted many "professionals" and read many, many things about induced lactation. With other things in my life I am very much a naturalist. BF our adoptive child is very important to us so I am willing to take the dom and other herbs to induce. At this point I do not want to take the BC pill. We do not have a match but I just have "the feeling" now is the right time to start the protocol. My OBGYN is wonderful and prescribed the dom and I have had it compounded here in town. My questions are as follows.
1. When should I add the herbs?
2. If we have forewarning with a placement I am willing to take the BC for a limited time (just not the entire time while we wait for a match. ) will adding the BC closer to the placement still help with milk supply?

Thanks for any advice.

Betce, Doing the accelerated protocol with BC once you have a placement date would yield you better milk than without it. Basically if you are going to do herbs and dom only you would wait until you have a baby in sight start the Dom and herbs and began pumping round the clock (you would ease into it) You will need to use a lact-aid to nurse with until your milk supply increases.

Thanks Lalle,

So there is no way to be ready for when our baby arrives? I would like to have built up a supply prior to placement if any way possible. Is this possible? I know that using the Lact-aid is probably a given but if time is what it takes to build up my milk I have it..... How can I make this wait worth while??

I did the accelerated protocol and have been pumping for 2 months now. I am getting a fairly good supply but that is with the bc pill used early on. We finally have a match but baby is not due for 4 months so it looks like I will be pumping for a while longer!
I would do the bc if you can.

T

I agree I would do the bc if you can. Once you have a match you could go on the accelerated protocol. It is okay to be doing the protocol and nursing using a lact-aid too if you were to get a short placement.

Betce - I think you have two choices. You could do the protocol when you have a baby in sight. Be on the BCP's for a month and then start pumping.

Or you could skip the BCP's and start taking the dom and herbs now and start pumping right away. But you have to be committed to pumping every day 4-6 times a day (at least) indefinitely. If you have a while you might get a good supply going. If it isn't working well, you could try the protocol.

Good luck!
Jennifer

thanks everyone for your thoughts! This forum is invaluable!

Or you can go on the BC protocol for several months and help your supply more. Once you know your matched you can then go off the BCP protocol and add the herbs and pump and have a freezer supply when your baby arrived. I had a freezer full by the time our DD arrived. But I pumped for over a year after going off the protocol before she was born

Betce, I know you have decided against the BCP, and I don't know your reasons, but perhaps it would help to think of it not as birth control, but just as a progesterone supplement to help get your breasts ready to make milk. I'm not trying to change your mind, just trying to offer a different point of view.

Jenny

Hi,

I spent 3 months trying to induce a milk supply without the protocol. I pumped every 2-3 hours and used every herb on the market. Nothing worked. Then I went on the protocol for 3 months, and have been pumping now since July. I only pump about 4 times a day, and get about 10-12 ounces per day, and have about 1500 ounces in my freezer. We have not been matched yet, but like you, am wanting to be prepared to nurse a newborn. When we are matched I will up my pumping to every 2 hours around the clock to assure I have plenty of milk.

I have a similar question as the original poster. I'm waiting for the arrival of my daughter from Ethiopia who will turn one this month. I began inducing lactation about 5 months ago without herbs or Dom. I was able to make 4 oz in 30 days (pretty good for just pumping, smile). I started the More Milk Special Blend and daily oatmeal and I now get 4 oz in 10 days...still not enough, though. So, I ordered Dom and it arrived today--I too do not want to take BCP and I have read that people have increased their supply taking Dom alone. Since my baby is not a newborn and will be eating solid foods too, I'm not as concerned about getting as much milk as a newborn would need.
So my question is, has anyone gone this route? And do you have any words of wisdom to convey? Should I start taking Dom now? or wait until I get a better idea of my daughter's arrival date? (could be 1 month could be 4 months, who knows).
Thanks so much in advance,
Em