Re-lactation, Induced Lactation and Adoptive Nursing Tribe - Page 15

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by BRmama

Btw I am still working on a good milk supply so not much different but he is not on formula anymore and I can express some milk out

That's great. You done good.

[Ravensong13]

Hey... you ladies all sound like you've been at induced lactation for a while. I don't know if I'm posting this in the correct place but I'm curious as to how long it took most of you to work up to more then just a few drops from pumping? I'm relactating and can get a few drops( it's been over a year since she weaned) But it's only been three and a half weeks since I started. I'm giving myself until christmas if I don't get anymore than this. Should I be expecting it to take a super long time?

[SundayCrepes]

I was still lactating when I started pumping for our planned adoptive baby, so I can't say what you may experience. My lactation consultant says it takes 3 weeks to see any changes.

Have you considered the Newman protocol. There's lots of info on it and other ways of inducing lactation at www.asklenore.com. I've known of many women who did really well with the protocol.

[Ravensong13]

I've been doing pretty much everything I can find as far as helping. I'm almost done with reglan. I guess I just wanted some idea of how long it had taken others.

[Ravensong13]

It almost feels like to me that I have milk in there, but can't get it out, lol. I'm going to try some of the pumping instructions she recommended and see if that helps. Thanks for the link!

[SundayCrepes]

I also say be careful of LLL regarding adoptive nursing. None of the LLL people I spoke with knew anything about anursing. The one exception was someone who nursed a baby 20 or 30 years ago. She'd never heard about domperidone or the Newman protocol. She didn't use a lactaid or even know about www.milkshare.com.

As far as how well my adopted baby nursed, she was 6 hours and had had 2 bottles. She nursed like a champ. Better than my biobaby.

Regarding older babies. Again, see www.asklenore.com. There's been some threads about that. Maybe search for "older" and see what comes up. You could always ask again.

[tiffani]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes

I also say be careful of LLL regarding adoptive nursing. None of the LLL people I spoke with knew anything about anursing. The one exception was someone who nursed a baby 20 or 30 years ago. She'd never heard about domperidone or the Newman protocol. She didn't use a lactaid or even know about www.milkshare.com.

were you thinking of the other adoptive breastfeeding thread when you wrote this? just wondering, since we had just mentioned LLL in the other one...

Some LLL leaders (and remember that they're volunteers and all very different from one another), because LLL is considered the foremost authority on breastfeeding, don't refer people to other resources, which is too bad. Many of the older leaders might not even be all that familiar with all the various websites, etc, and especially in regard to adoptive nursing, since it just isn't really all that common yet. They will usually try to get you in touch with anyone they know in your community who has undergone the same challenges you have faced, if they personally don't have a lot of experience with your particular nursing needs...

[SundayCrepes]

bump

[tropicaldutchtulip]

I thought I would jump in here since I am currently inducing lactation for our second domestic adoption. I did nurse with the SNS with our twins 3 years ago but did not lactate. This time around for our son that is due to be born soon in a few weeks I am inducing. I am doing the herbs and a more natural protocal. I refuse to go on the BC pill!

[tropicaldutchtulip]

Originally Posted by tiffani

were you thinking of the other adoptive breastfeeding thread when you wrote this? just wondering, since we had just mentioned LLL in the other one...

Some LLL leaders (and remember that they're volunteers and all very different from one another), because LLL is considered the foremost authority on breastfeeding, don't refer people to other resources, which is too bad. Many of the older leaders might not even be all that familiar with all the various websites, etc, and especially in regard to adoptive nursing, since it just isn't really all that common yet. They will usually try to get you in touch with anyone they know in your community who has undergone the same challenges you have faced, if they personally don't have a lot of experience with your particular nursing needs...

My experience with the LLL before was not the best either. This time I'm looking for more personal one-on-one support.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by tropicaldutchtulip

I thought I would jump in here since I am currently inducing lactation for our second domestic adoption. I did nurse with the SNS with our twins 3 years ago but did not lactate. This time around for our son that is due to be born soon in a few weeks I am inducing. I am doing the herbs and a more natural protocal. I refuse to go on the BC pill!

Welcome. I've read about people who use yasmin instead of bcpills. I'm not sure if it's an herb or another bc pill. You can learn more about it at www.asklenore.com.

BTW, your username makes me wonder where you're from. I've spent a bit of time in Holland and loved it there.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by tiffani

were you thinking of the other adoptive breastfeeding thread when you wrote this? just wondering, since we had just mentioned LLL in the other one...

Probably. We were on vacation (San Diego for our 12th wedding anniversary.) I was trying to respond on a laptop without a real mouse while I was falling asleep.

[Julia24]

maybe you ladies can help? I'll post the story below, but my firstest question is: How much is the recomended dose of reglan for relatating? How long to see the full effects of reglan? (not the first day, right?)

I have a 10 week old baby. I barely nursed her - stopped nursing around day 5 and stopped pumping by 1 month. Regretting it now. Last monday I started pumping again, and taking More Milk Plus. Got 3mL the first time I pumped, and then nothing for two days. Got 1mL each pump on Thursday, 2mL on Friday, 1/2 oz total on Saturday, 1oz on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 1.5oz today. (these are DAILY totals beginning on Saturday) I upped one additional dose of MMP on Saturday, ran out Tuesday, but, started Reglan on Tuesday evening as well.

Tomorrow I'll be getting some of the More Milk Plus with Goats Rue, and when I'm out of that Ithink I'll just buy Fenugreek and Goats Rue alone......unless people sing the praises of the combo pill....

I'm pumping my brains out. I pumped every hour from 9am until 2pm, plus 7am, 3:30, 6:00, 8:00, 10pm tonight....then I'll get up at 2 and then 6 tomorrow morning I'll start over.

Anybody have any insight on if I'll see any major jumps in supply or will it likely just be slow and steady gains until I top out at this point? I'm at day 9. I'm thinking of getting an SNS too, I don't know if we'll ever be able to just nurse, but I remember how much better baby works than a pump and think that might work to my advantage since she'll latch on. Won't stay that way, but I wonder if there was substantial MILK coming out, she might, yk?

[SundayCrepes]

Definitely get a supplementer, but I'd go with a lactaid over the SNS. http://www.lact-aid.com/ Even if you don't get back to full supply, you'll get more nursing her than not. Still pump between feedings.

My understanding about reglan is that you can only take it for 3 weeks before the symptoms get too bad. I've known patients that have been on it forever so I'm assuming the dose is higher for lactation. I don't know what the dose for reglan is. You may find that info at www.asklenore.com

If you need donor milk, check out www.milkshare.com

[tropicaldutchtulip]

I am taking Lactuca Virosa and Alfalfa, Mother's Milk Tea, More Milk Special Blend and pumping 4-5 tims a day. Working on upping the pumping to at least 8 times a day, but it's busy not having a baby actually here and running after my 3 1/2 year old twins! I've been at it just over a week and now getting wetness and residue on my right breast and inside the pumping shield! It's really working!

[tiffani]

not a lot of time to post, just quickly reading and wanted to say that yasmin is just a brand name for a bcp with a good amount of the right hormones in it. worked really, really, really well for me!

I think I'm going to just get a lactaid and see how things go. I honestly don't know how I would manage pumping in africa with two new babies by myself, so I'll just see how it goes, bring the lactaid with me, and tackle the milk-making part when we get home. I could start taking the yasmin again now, but it makes me a little crazy, and I'm not sure I could emotionally handle the actual adoption while on bcp's!

good luck to everyone!!!

[InductiveReasoning]

I've read that induced lactation doesn't produce colostrum, but...

I'm currently hand-expressing about one drop per breast at each session. The liquid I'm producing is clear at first, but quickly progresses to a buttery-looking sheen as the droplet accumulates. The texture is something between oil and syrup -- not sticky, but thick enough that it sits like a round bead on the end of my nipple without dribbling. Is sounds like colostrum, but I'm not sure what to think. Can someone tell me what first drops usually look like?

Also, I'm using the marmet technique, and I find myself putting more pressure than I probably ought to to get the droplets to break the surface. My breasts are on the small side, and I have flat ("puffy") nipples that are barely inverted. They evert when stimulated, and are conical rather than the more prominent cylindrical shape that's most commonly shown in nursing videos. In other words, there's not a clear boundary between my nipple and areola. (Mine is the "slightly inverted" nipple on this page. When erect, they're very similar to the center photo in the last row on this page.) So when I do the rolling motion, I usually end up pulling/squeezing the edges of my nipples. Any tips on how to coax the milk out without distressing my nipples?

[SundayCrepes]

I don't have answers to any of your questions. If no one here can answer you, you could try www.asklenore.com--a site geared mainly towards adoptive nursing. You could also email Jack Newman. Google his name with breastfeeding to get his email address.

[SundayCrepes]

My daughter is 21.5 months. I am down to 30 mg of domperidone 3x day plus motherlove's more milk special blend. My 4 year old stopped nursing to sleep 3 months ago or so, though he does nurse for 2 to 10 minutes when he wakes up. I really don't enjoy nursing him any more, it hurts, but I don't want to actively wean. I tell him I am limiting his time because he has gotten to be so big and has such a strong suck that I need to limit him. (A few weeks after he stopped nursing to sleep, I got my period back. No period for 18 months. That's longer than after I gave birth.)

I have a couple more bottles of Canadian domperidone that will last past my baby's second birthday. Once that's gone, I've got some other domperidone I got from another person here. Once that's all gone, I just can't afford to buy more domperidone. I'll limit myself to the special blend. I hope it doesn't cause her to wean.

I recently gave all my stash of donor milk to a newborn. It's good to have the extra freezer space, but it's weird not having milk in the freezer any more. I suppose I should sell my breast pump. It's hospital grade, I'm just not emotionally ready to do that.

I am so happy I have been (and am) giving my daughter the gift of milk. When I've had my moments of feeling a failure since I never quite got to full supply, I remind myself that I gave her what probably no one else would have given her. I love nursing her. I love when she smiles when she is nursing. I hope she nurses long enough to have memories of the experience.

[PatioGardener]