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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1
newbie
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OP
newbie
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1 |
I induced lactation successfully, and am still nursing, for my 6-month-old DD born from surrogacy. Thanks to this website, I make almost as much as she needs, just supplementing at the last feed to make sure she doesn't go hungry! She gets donor milk while I'm at work and pumping. Didn't get an SNS or anything, just went for the nursing and it worked great.
Now we have another one on the way (barely), due in June. I would like to keep the supply up until the new baby is born, because I love it, and also then I wouldn't have to staret from scratch again, that was a bear! Though I would if I have to. I was thinking I'd nurse as much as she wants, at least first and last of the day, and pump 1-2 times at work (currently pump 2-3 times/day at work, nurse 2-4 times/day). Presumably her milk needs will go down now and she has more solid food.
Here are my questions, for anyone who has induced for many months or knows what to expect:
1. is it safe to take the meds for 1-2 years (or more)? I started the regular protocol November '08.
2. regular nursing mommas can nurse for years without taking supplements. Can inducing mommas eventually keep up supply without meds? I did slowly decrease the Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek to 2 pills 4x a day and didn't notice a decrease in production. I haven't dared reduce the dom yet. Once I ran out before the new shipment came in and did notice a real drop, but that was only after a couple of months.
3. I have a source for dom for a decent price when buying several units. Is there a place I can get the herbs in bulk? The most I've found is ~200 capsules in a bottle, no bulk discount.
4. I've read that the composition of milk changes as the baby ages, in regular nursing mommas. Does that happen when you induce lactation, too? If so, is it a problem if I go from milk for a 15-month-old to a newborn?
TIA!
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 675 Illinois
extra helpful experienced member
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extra helpful experienced member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 675 Illinois |
First congrats on such a great job! Second, good questions and I think some of them are better suited for Dr. Newman. You can e-mail him at [email protected] He always responded quickly to me. Here are the answers I feel I can give. 1. I took dom from April 2007 until June 2009. I didn't any problems or side effects. I took 3 months off and then started the protocol again in the beginning of September. 2. Dr. Newman didn't recommend weaning off the dom until baby was mostly on solid foods (after a year). I stayed on it until the end but weaned back from 120 mg a day to 80 mg a day a little before a year. I did wean off the herbs earlier. I dropped the Blessed Thistle completely around 6 months (made no difference) and the fenugreek around a year I think. 3. No idea 4. I have heard this too, but don't think it should make that much of a difference. This is one I would ask Dr. Newman though. I am waiting to be matched an decided not to stay on the protocol because my supply had dwindled so much as my DD got older. I also didn't have the determination to pump that much and didn't have any idea when the new baby would come, so we weaned when we were ready (around 18 mo). In your situation, I would definitely do what youa re doing, but I would start pumping now (amount of milk starts decreasing around 6 mo) and pump more as you pass the 1 year mark. Good luck! Jennifer
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