Another hypoplasia question/dom/SNS

[sonrisa]

Hi low milk supply mamas--

First off thank you for the support; the MDC has been so helpful with my challenges in breastfeeding, I am not sure if I would still be doing it without the support of you folks online, my IBCLC, and other mamas...thank you.

So, my dd turns 12 weeks on monday...and we just recently rented a scale... without having one for four week, just relying on reading her cues, and not being so crazy about the scale. I have been taking fenugreek, more milk special blend, and putting her to the breast as often as she wants and even more, instead of pumping...I would rather have her be the pump... much more enjoyable for her and I!

I have hypoplasia and was hoping the goats rue would encourage the growth of tissue...well I have had the scale for 2 days now and I do see a difference but not enough..dd now weighs almost 12 pounds and should be eating about 28-30 oz of bm a day, so since I am unable to provide that to her we supplement with formula at the breast, which is working (it was super difficult to accpet and well really quite haven't yet but am working on acceptance, acceptance that my body has failed me a bit, but BREASTFEEDING IS MORE THAN JUST BREASTMILK).

Now to the questions....have any of you mamas with hypoplasia or BFAR tried using domperidone (i will start taking it today, and will hope and pray it helps)

Also, SNS user to you supplement with formulas or donated BM...and if with donated BM what to you ask the ever so sweet and special to donate mama to make sure the milk is healthy? I have a mama at my support group giving me milk but I found it super difficult to ask her about her health, food, drugs all that, but it must be asked, do you ask for proof??

Any comments would be helpful...once again thank you.

[ErinBird]

Way to go for sticking with this. Acceptance of my body's shortcomings came from repeating to myself that breastfeeding is more then just breastmilk and learning the benefits of a partial breastmilk diet to my baby.

I am taking 100mg of domperidone daily. I do notice that I am pumping just a bit more and that my daughter isn't screaming at the breast (even with the SNS) as much because I am virtually empty. Taking domperidone has allowed me to switch Raina to the slow flow SNS tubing, which causes her to get as much as she can from me (longer feedings because supplement flows slower). It hasn't caused me to have a drastic supply increase (I prayed long and hard to wake up in puddles of my milk.), but it does help. I have noticed the side effect of faster stomach emptying- I'm STARVING even a short time after a meal. I'm struggling to find a way to make that a bit better, either on the timing that I take the medicine with respect to meals, more frequent small meals, or certain food compositions...

We use donated human milk. The woman I get the bulk of the milk from is milk-bank approved- she went through the paperwork and such (and still donates extra there- extreme oversupply), but hates that she gives her milk for free and its financially unattainable for many women (like me) when it goes through the milk bank.

I typically ask women to check their medical records from pregnancy. I'm interested in how old their baby is (my daughter needs fatty 'young' milk because she has trouble gaining- though I do accept more mature milk and save it for later). I want to know about drug use- legal or not- I personally don't take anti-depressants or want to worry about the effects in my daughter, for example. I also want to get a good vibe from them that they are low risk for Hep B, HIV, etc. It is a bit of a chance, and I have turned down milk from people who don't give me that vibe, kwim? I invite the potential donor to ask any questions about me and my family- while I ask things because I'm looking for safe food for my daughter, I think many donors want to know where their milk is going and how it is helping (I also do sporadic emails to all our donors with an update and thank you.).

I started this journey pumping all the time. I HATED it. I also found that my daughter would scream at the breast if she woke up for a snack or something unexpectedly early becasue I was virtually empty after pumping. Now I pump only when she gets a bottle. She takes a bottle for an ounce or so a few nights a week becasue I don't use the SNS overnight. I nurse her as long as I can at the breast in bed and then offer a bottle to "top her off". Once she is sleeping again, I pump for a few minutes. I'm also pumping before I go to bed (after baby is asleep) because that is her longest stretch and I will have milk by the time she is asking again. Overall, I'm seeing an output of about 1.5 oz total over one 24 hour period, so I can usually fill her nighttime bottle with my milk.

Feel free to PM me with other questions. I'd love for someone to benefit from the ordeal I've been through and the things I've learned!