Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Hi... I'm back!

Hello Ladies!

It's been a while since I was last here and last posted. I have been lurking for months now... still thinking about ABF. The good news is that the last time I was here officially, my DH was dead-set against adopting again. Well, I am thrilled to say that we are almost finished the classes with the incredible agency we are working with and we should start our homestudy in the next month!! <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> What an incredible blessing! DH is not just along for the ride... he is actually very involved!!

So, here I am again... STRONGLY considering ABF again. We were swaying back and forth between adopting a newborn and adopting from the foster system. Both of us feel strongly lead though to adopt a newborn through a birth parent relinquishment... so entertaining this idea is especially at the forefrontr of my mind. Having proven to myself, by having previously gone on the Dianne (when that was indicated) and the Dom, that I was able to produce a small amount of bm... even without any pumping. So I am thinking that I will go this route again... the Yazmine and Dom and then dropping the Yazmine and doing some pumping. My biggest concern is the fact that I just will not be able to pump 8 - 12 times a day for an unlimited period. We have two children who are very active and need to be driven to school, picked up... the whole drill. I know that many of you have juggled children, jobs, homes, husbands and lives as you have gone through to create a supply of bm. I hope to hear from and get any encouragement you feel like offering! I know that I want to do this. I really want to have as strong a supply as possible... I'd love not to have to deal with bottles or other things... I am open too though to the lactaid (though if I can do without it, I'd like to) and I'm going to look for guidance from Nona on possibly getting donor bm in case I need it. (I am wondering Nona about how that works, what the costs are to do that etc. )

Thank you for your time!!!! <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Mara,

Hi I wanted to offer you my encouragement and advice. This is just my two cents but this is what I have learned.

In the fall of 2002 I went on the protocol. I was the protocol for 6 months then I started pumping in April of 2003. I started out pumping 8 to 10 times a day then 8 times then 6 times a day or seven. I pumped for a little longer than 10 months. Towards the end I was only pumping 3 to 4 times a day. I never reached a full supply but then again it was really hard to pump every 2 to three hours. I also have a husband and a very active little boy who is now three. My son would often get into things and get into trouble when I pumped. Often I would stop because I needed to tend to him. If your children are beyond toddler age it should be easier for you. My boy is very unique and very active.

I was so anxiuos to try the protocol and see if I could produce milk. I thought thought thought that I would go on the protocol, pump for a while and then our baby would come. We were approved in March of 2003 and still no baby. We were very open as to race and other things and still no baby. We had two close calls in January but they did not work out. Both of them happened within weeks of each other, so it was pretty devastating. After these situations not working out both me and my family were wiped out. The pumping was taking a toll on me, my son and my husband. I knew at this point it was time to stop, so I did. Their are no indications that a placement is going to happen any time soon for us. In fact we get the impression from our caseworker that it could be another 6 months to a year or longer for us. So given this information stopping was the right thing for me. It saddened me to stop but it was right.

Please consider the impact that pumping will have on you and your family if a placement does not happen in a timely manner for you. Maybe though you are working with an agency that has some sort of time frame for you. I thought that things would go different for us.

Also please consider the impact that it is going to have on you. You are going to go through a chemical pregnacy and when you are done with it your body is going to want a baby so bad you can taste it. Your breasts are going to ache to nurse your baby. I pumped for 10 months and still I just wanted to nurse my baby. I think too because of the hormones much of my thougths went into thinking about my baby. That is a good thing, but if that baby does not come it can be very depressing. It was like there was a baby in my mind but I could not find my way to them. That's how much I thought about it.

I am not trying to make anyone upset or angry. This is my perspective and my experience. I think that the protocol is a wonderful thing. And if in a future adoption we have some sort of time frame I will do it again. You need to look at yourself and decide what you want to do. I am grateful for the freezer full of milk that I have. I hope that it is still good when our baby finally comes.

When my baby does come I will nurse it. If there is enough time I will do the accelerated protocol. If not I will simply start will domperidone and pumping when we know something concrete. I am hopeful that because of the protocol and pumping that it will help me next time around. I still have milk even though I am only pumping once or twice a week. There have been times when I have needed to pump to relieve myself. Sometimes I will hand express just a little and I am still getting squirts of milk. I have been told that it will take a while to dry up the milk. I was depressed because of all that happened but now I am happy. My focus has gone from pumping and thinking about a baby much of the time to my son. I am truely enjoying my little sunshine and the things that he does. It's like I am rediscovering the miracle right in front of my eyes. This fresh perspective has helped me to move past the the loses. Loses in not pumping and in the adoptions that did not happen for us.

Do what you feel is right. Please though consider the what if's. I think when I first started out I was too scared to consider the what if's. The protocol is great it works. For me though adoption wise things have not been a fairly tale. For those who have a surrogate or who have an idea of when a baby will come it is ideal. Also please consider waiting to go on the protocol until you are approved or you have been waiting a little while. This could mean less time pumping but that is not such a bad thing. Pumping for an unlimited time can get old. Think about yourself and your family then go and make a decision.

Hope this helps,
Bella

Bella, I think you did a great job telling about your experience. Often times when we want a child so badly we don't think of things realistically. I know how hard you labored over your decisions and I think it is very giving of you to offer your perspective to Mara. Some people are ready to jump right into the protocol while others choose to wait. That is one thing I love about this board is that we are able to support one another in our decisions no matter how different they may be. <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

I pumped for 10 months before my baby came home. But I refused to pump more than 6 times in a day, because I already had one child, and needed to be with her, and do things with her.
I agree with Bella, that you need to consider very carefully how long you are willing to do this. At the very least, wait until you are approved. I made the mistake of starting the protocol before we were approved. So, I wound up starting to pump only a month and a half after we were approved. I stayed on the protocol for 8.5 months, because we didn't have a situation lined up, and I thought there was no sense in starting to pump before necessary. So, if you can, wait until you are approved, and don't be afraid to stay on the birth control pills for 8 months, if you don't get a situation before that.
Then, don't pump too much. It is a lot easier to add pumping sessions, than it is to take them away. I know that if you start out with say, 10 sessions, then start pumping less times per day, that will negatively affect your supply. So start with the minimum of what you can stand, and then increase from there, if you want to. Until you are matched, then pump like crazy! LOL Seriously, though, every 2-3 hours at that point would be good.
When I was pumping, and was well established with my routine, I would sometimes skip a session. I would pump at
8 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM 7or8 PM, then 10 PM. I would try not to skip the same session two days in a row. So if I missed the 11 AM on Monday, I would try not to miss it on Tuesday. Although it did happen sometimes. Sometimes I would take Daphne and her cousins to the zoo, and would pump at 8 Am, then wouldn't get to pump again until 3 PM or so. It was fine, as long as I didn't do it every day. The key is to not make yourself crazy about it. It's kinda like scheduling a bathroom break, but it takes a little longer.
Weekends where we were out and about made things a little hectic sometimes. I brought my pump and the car adaptor, and that helped. There were a few times that I only pumped 3 times in a day. That didn't happen very often, but if it did, I didn't sweat it. After all, one day is not going to kill my supply.
Anyway, come back here often, and ask all the questions you want. That's why we're here!
Good Luck!

... of you all to share your thoughts and experiences with me! I appreciate everything you've said and am taking it all under advisement. Just please tell me if I have this straight... I start with the dom & Yazmin (I am on Yazmin now as my hrt, so staying on that isn't anything big.). As soon as the dom arrives, I should start adding it or are you thinking I should start the protocol once we are matched?? My issue is that my body has never been pregnant and I have no "parts"... so I believe that the "Menopause Protocol" is indicated. I know that it will take longer for my breast changes to occur (or likely will anyway). I am so thankful for your advice on the pumping, that part seems so incredibly daunting... imagining doing it every 2 hours seems absolutely impossible... even every 3 hours seems like a lot... but I do understand that it's a necessary part of the protocol, and I will need to find a way of making it fit into my day. I appreciate the difficulties surrounding starting pumping without an end in sight... I absolutely wouldn't be up for that!!

I appreciate your time Ladies... and your open sharing. You all are the reason why ABF makes sense to me, and why I have such hope!!

God Bless you all!
Mara <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />