I am really in need of some advice. I did the regular protocol for three months. I then started pumping and have been doing so for 2 months. I am up to pumping 2.5-2.75 oz every two days. We are approved and waiting for a birthmother to pick us. It could be tomorrow, it could be a year or more from now. I am a birth doula and wanted to have a store of my own breastmilk for when we have a baby and I need to be at a birth. Now that I have a store in my freezer, I am considering going back on the protocol until we are matched. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Kim

Kim,
First I wanted to clarify - are you pumping 2.5-2.75 every two days or two hours?

I personally could not pump long term. I stopped bf my first daughter at 18 months. We were already waiting to be matched, but I chose to go back on the bcp's and start the protocol again. I was glad we did because we waited another year before we adopted.

With my first daughter it was a last second match and I started pumping the day she was placed with us (I had been on the protocol for 8 months). I built to a full supply within 2 weeks. So even if it is last minute, you can have success.

Jennifer

Jennifer,
Every 2 days...is that bad? It seems to be building so slowly. My supply has been increasing about .25 oz every week to week and a half. My worry is that I will lose ground, but I think that if I wait until we are matched and have a baby at the breast, my supply will increase faster. I think that my body is not responding as well as I had hoped to the pump. I was only on the protocol for 3 months with the bcps and dom. I think that being on it for longer might help with a better supply as well. Trying not to get discouraged...

Kim

I never got more than 6 oz/day but I still had the breastfeeding bond and by using donor milk my daughter never had formula. My son is will be 9 months next week and still nursing. I again have to nurse with a Lact-aid and donor milk but he doesn't know any other way. Just try to remember that there are so many benefits to nursing that aren't about breast milk!!

My son is such a boobie boy!! I will continue nursing him until he decides to wean. Maybe you can go back on the protocol and that might help your supply and then you wouldn't have to pump for months with no end in sight.

Michele

Kim,
It is fine. I just wasn't sure, because you were listing amounts for two days versus one day.

I increased quickly with my first daughter, but we had her with us because it was a last second placement. I did get a full supply, but when I first cut out supplements for her (at two weeks), she was probably only drinking about 12-15 oz a day (she was a tiny baby). So it was easy to catch up. I think I increased so fast because I had a baby to think about while pumping.

With our second daughter, I did not have any milk the first 5 days I pumped (we were matched and she was due in 2 weeks). I had to start looking at pictures of my older kids as babies and imagine them crying to start my milk.

So those are my suggestions when you are ready to start pumping for the long term.

Good luck!
Jennifer