Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply WEIGHT

Thank you for all the replies ladies....this is obviously a hot topic!
YES....with my bios the weight dropped right off!!!! With my 1st I gained 55#s but was back into my pre-preg jeans at 3 weeks!!!
I don't understand all the mechanics of domp,Hope, but it is usually prescribed for gastro-intestinal issues and is not a "hormone drug" like your IVF drugs were. I'd like Lenore's input too. What I especially don't understand is why we have to keep taking the dom to keep up the milk supply when the adopted babies are 1year old +....I thought maybe our bodies would have kicked in and realized we have an established milk supply going here....in other words, why can we nurse our bio babies into childhood with no meds, for years after the hormonal kickstart preg & birth give? What is the physiological difference there?

I have decided to cut down on the dom, by the way. I was at 120 mgs per day and am dropping to 90 mgs per day. I plan to nurse Maisie until she self weans, but my goal is to be completely off the dom by the time she is 2 1/2- 3 years old.

Also, Hope, my Dr did monitor my TSH but not every 6 weeks...not much changed for me on the protocol as far as my levels went.

Africa123, congrats on your 18 months of success!!!! I too am concerned about tampering with my milk supply while "dieting".
Could you please tell me how much dom you take...and did you always take the same amount?

That's nice to know about your TSH levels, Mindy.

Well, I just spoke with my OB Drs nurse. She said my Dr. did not have a very favorable position on this Dom. matter. The nurse also said that they've had very few inquiries about adoptive bf-ing (and this is in the St.Louis, MO metro area!). She was very polite and did give me the number for the lactation consultants there for further support.

I just spoke with them and they were very supportive. She said she would try to begin just with Fenugreek and pumping for 4-6 wks. She also said she had the pleasure of hearing Lenore speak at a conference. She knew of Drs who would be receptive to writing a prescription as well but suggested I try it simple at first since I have successfully breastfed before.

What do you all think?

(I know this is no longer a weight topic so maybe I should post elsewhere, but the discussion started here?!)

Thanks to you all,
Hope

Only if I felt symptoms of it being off. I had to go on a higher dose because I was having symptoms of hypo and sure enough the blood test proved it and then symptoms of hyper when we realized the dose was too high. I'm just trying a middle dose and will wait 6 weeks to see if it evens out. I really think when I lose this weight I'll go back to my original dose. I don't think it was the dom causing this fluctuation. I could be wrong though.

Well, Hope, you can try with just the herbs & pumping. (See the posts from natural methods to induce section on this website)
I did try that route and it didn't work for me. I was nursing my then 3 year old at the time and just added the herbs & pumped 6+ times per day for 3 months and never could pump more than drops. I decided to add the dom and WOW, my milk came in big-time with a month!

Anyone reading these posts NOT have a weight gain issue...I'd like to hear that side of it too!!!!!!!!!!

HI to all! I am an adoptive mom who was nursing our baby boy with special need..curvature of the spine,,and 2 holes in his heart that are closing. But, I have also gained weight nursing him.. I stopped for one month..and was able to start back up with only being able to get 1 - 1.5 oz every time I pump, which is 3 times per day.. now.. he is not wanting to nurse, only bits me and today is day # 5,, so I will see if he is still doing that today. I think he is on a nursing strike now.. maybe I am not getting enough, and maybe he is not wanting to put up with that. Bottles are easier. anyone have any help for me? I do not want to give up comfort nursing him yet! and he gets 2 6 oz bottles of donor milk per day too, and what I pump I give to him in a bottle. thanks so much for any help. Lisa C

Hope, in my opinion it is often a waste of precious time to try without Dom & BCP I tried with just a lact-aid and herbal tincture, then months later added Dom and that helped but I eventually went on the accelerated protocol and gave up all supplementing when my Daughter was about 15 months. Prior to that I had about 1/2 a supply at the most.
Many LCs will tell you that since you have nursed before you can do it without the added help of the protocol. This is true for very few people. Unless you have nursed in the past 6 months you are not re-lactating you are inducing lactation which is a whole different thing. If I had it to do over again I would start the protocol right away and not mess with trying for so long without it.

Thank you so much for your honesty, Laurie. You are saying what I was thinking and contemplating!

Lisa C... I can't offer any advice on your question but I sure hope it all works out for you and your little one.

Thanks everyone,
Hope

Hi Mindy,

I am also taking 120 mg of dom, and I was also wondering about cutting down a bit. I did stop taking all herbs and haven't noticed a drop in supply - are you still taking the fenugreek?

Hi Africa123,
Two weeks ago I dropped down to 90 mgs on dom per day...no noticable change in supply yet and have lost 6 pounds!!!! I changed NOTHING other than my dom dose! Yeah!
Yes I do still take the fenugreek. I will not be lowering my dose further anytime soon though.

Wow! 6 lbs just from dom reduction - that's huge! Can I ask about how much you are producing at this point? Maybe I should go back on the fenugreek and reduce the dom - doesn't hurt to try I guess....How old is your baby?