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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
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Hello everyone,
I used to frequent this forum almost 8 years ago while preparing to adopt our first son. I have 3 biological children that I exclusively breastfed for almost 2 years each...we then decided to adopt. I wanted to breastfeed our adopted son, but he was six months old when he came to us, and wanted nothing to do with my breasts...I gave up (probably too quickly).
Fast forward 8 years...last October I, very unexpectedly, got pregnant and suffered a devastating loss in my second trimester. My milk came in, so I pumped to relieve some physical (and emotional) pain and gave it to our 18 month old adopted son in his cup. I kept pumping.... initially I wanted to try and keep a supply, so in the event that we would adopt again, I could breast-feed.
Well, real life set in...and I found that pumping time was limited, and I am now only pumping twice a day, and my supply is almost nothing. I get about 1/8" on the bottom of the bottle, from each breast each day.
We are in the process of updating our homestudy for adoption, and I would LOVE to breastfeed...but I need some help relactating. It may be 6 months to a year before an actual placement...what should I do?
I would like to do this as naturally as possible.
Will increasing my pumping bring back my supply?
Please help!
Emily
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 110 Colorado
experienced member
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experienced member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 110 Colorado |
Without taking domperidone, you may get a little bit but not nearly enough to feed your baby. You may need to define your goals- whether taking meds(dom and bcp's) for while is worth it for a chance at an adequate supply or if having the baby feed from the breast is enough and you will supplement using a Lact-aid. Only you can decide this.
Especially if you find it hard to pump during the day, the best thing to do would be to take domperidone and bcp's until you have a placement. Then you can start pumping about 6 weeks before the baby is born. The pumping schedule is every 3 hours to simulate the newborn feeding schedule.
If you want to do it without meds you will have to pump every 3 hours until the baby comes. As someone who did that for 7 months before my daughter was born, it was very limiting and I had no children at the time.
Just my advice!
Michele
Mommy to Danielle born 5/30/08 and Brady born 12/26/10
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2007
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I wouldn't mind taking the domperidone, but I'm not sure I want to do the BCP's. How often would I have to pump if I started taking just the domperidone? Would I see much of an increase with just dom and herbs?
With most of our adoptions, we did't have any time to prepare...we have gotten a call for each child within days of placement. I don't mind using a supplement system, but I would like to be able to produce a substantial amount of breast milk.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 110 Colorado
experienced member
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experienced member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 110 Colorado |
If you only take dom which I did the first time, you would still have to pump every 3 hours to create the supply and demand your breasts would need to increase your supply. The advantage of taking bcp's is even if you only had a few days notice you could stop them the day you got the call and start pumping. You would use the Lact-aid initially while feeding the baby and continue pumping until you built up a supply. Jenmarko did this very thing when adopting her 1st child. Hopefully she will chime in with her experience. We did surrogacy so we had a different situation.
Michele
Mommy to Danielle born 5/30/08 and Brady born 12/26/10
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
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OP
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Thanks, Michele, for your input...it's very helpful. I do have another question...if I keep pumping twice a day, like I have been (getting about 1/4 oz a day)...will my supply continue to dwindle until it's gone or will I continue to get the 1/4 oz that I am now getting? What if I wait to take dom/herbs until baby is here and put baby to breast with supplement system...would I be able to avoid the 3-4 hour pumping and still build a supply once baby is here? I know baby wouldn't be getting much (if anything) at first, but would it increase? OR is it better to get my supply going now...not knowing, though, when baby will come? I guess I'm trying to decide if pumping now (without herbs or dom) makes any sense. Does keeping my breasts stimulated help? Oh, and I'm not sure if this matter or not...when I was breastfeeding my biological children, I always had more milk than I needed...would leak profusely when nursing...even when baby was 9-12 months old, but I was never able to get much when I pumped. I would love to hear other mama's experiences! 
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
newbie
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OP
newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5 |
Thanks, Michele, for your input...it's very helpful. I do have another question...if I keep pumping twice a day, like I have been (getting about 1/4 oz a day)...will my supply continue to dwindle until it's gone or will I continue to get the 1/4 oz that I am now getting? What if I wait to take dom/herbs until baby is here and put baby to breast with supplement system...would I be able to avoid the 3-4 hour pumping and still build a supply once baby is here? I know baby wouldn't be getting much (if anything) at first, but would it increase? OR is it better to get my supply going now...not knowing, though, when baby will come? I guess I'm trying to decide if pumping now (without herbs or dom) makes any sense. Does keeping my breasts stimulated help? Oh, and I'm not sure if this matter or not...when I was breastfeeding my biological children, I always had more milk than I needed...would leak profusely when nursing...even when baby was 9-12 months old, but I was never able to get much when I pumped. I would love to hear other mama's experiences!
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 181 Cochabamba, Bolivia
experienced member
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experienced member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 181 Cochabamba, Bolivia |
Hi Emily,
I had a very different experience with re lacting for my DD verse my bio children. I never had the full to overflowing supply with DD as I did with my sons. I was able to EBF until DD was 14 months old.
I never pumped with my bio children, no need. But I did with DD and had very little pump out. Many experienced moms on this forum said that isn't an accurate way to measure your supply. I was able to achieve 90% of her needed milk supply. I think it would have been 100% if I wasn't juggling BF with filling in as a house mom for 8 girls. Going between my home and the girls home stressed me.
Anyhow, good luck in what ever you choose.
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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 |
Pumping some will keep your breasts stimulated. It is hard to say how you will respond when you start pumping more. You may need to add the dom in, you may not.
I am the one who was on the bcp and dom protocol until we had a stork drop placement. I stopped the bcp's and started pumping the day our daughter was placed with us. I caught up to her need within 2 weeks. I do give the protocol credit for this.
But if you don't want to do the bcp's, then just keep doing what you are doing. I personally think I might order some domperidone just to have on hand in case you need it with a last second match. It can only help. You can wean off if you want.
I also bf a bio son and had an abundant supply. With my two dd's, I had enough, but never too much more than that. I never had to wear a nursing pad with my daughters and always did with my son.
Jennifer
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
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Thanks for sharing your experieces...it is so helpful for me to hear what others have done.
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