Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Week one of pumping... no results...

As of yesterday night at 9pm, I've pumped for an entire week. I haven't had a single drop yet. My breasts are bone dry. Is this common? Should I be experiencing some results at this point?

I did the "pumping honeymoon" for the first 48 hours, and now I'm pumping every three hours and once at night. I'm averaging 7-8 pumping sessions a day. But, nothing is happening. I keep reading people's stories who had drops on day 1 or day 2... I haven't even gotten anything close to a drop.

Please tell me there's still hope...

Did you do the protocol? You are on domperidone?

I did the protocol for 8 months and when I stopped the bcps and started pumping I did get drops the first time.

I do think it is strange not to get drops after a week. I think I would e-mail Lenore or Dr. Newman to see what they say.

Jennifer

I was on the menopausal protocol. I took Yasmin for 60 days, while taking the Domperidone. I'm now taking 120 mg. of Domperidone throughout the day (I take four pills three times a day). After getting off the Yasmin, I started taking three Fenugreek and three Blessed Thistle three times a day, when I eat. I try my best to drink a lot of water, though I could probably stand to drink just a bit more.

I'm really concerned. I just want this to work.

I would definitely e-mail one of them. I would think you should have at least seen drops by now.
I hope it works for you.
Jennifer

Just an update...

Tomorrow will be two weeks since I started pumping. For the last week, I've been pumping every two hours and once at night... just to try to get something to happen. But, there are still no drops. I haven't had any evidence that this is going to work, aside from sore, heavy breasts while taking the Yasmin.

I tried to email Lenore about 5 days ago, but I haven't heard anything from her yet.

I'm starting to lose hope and think this just isn't going to work for me. :,(

Did you try: [email protected]

Dr. Newman is: [email protected]

Both have responded to me very quickly (within 24 hours).
Jennifer

I sent to two of her email addresses. That was one of them.

I haven't tried Dr. Newman, but I will now. Thanks for the email address.

Tonight... one week, six days and half an hour after my first pumping session...

I GOT A DROP!!!

One beautiful, glistening, milky white drop.

I am so happy right now I could cry.

I changed my pumping routine from five minutes, massage, five minutes to seven minutes, massage, seven minutes... and after two sessions at that time, I got a drop!!!!!!!!

It's only up from here! *fingers crossed*

Thanks for sending good vibes my way -- keep 'em coming.

Congrats! Have you tried compression while you pump? One thing that helps me is, while pumping I would hold the top of the flange with my thumb and use my other four fingers to push my breast tissue into the flange and that helped so much. That's how I got my first sprays so quickly. I hope that makes sense. Good luck!

I'm so glad to hear about this, Steffydoodles. It is frustrating to pump day after day, especially when progress is hard to see. Obviously, there was progress going on during the last week and a half that you just couldn't see until now.

One thing that I am doing that helps me is that I collect 24 hours worth of milk in Medella breastmilk bags in my freezer. I know that I'm not going to actually use some of those bags from last week-especially the ones with 1 tablespoon in them-but it sure helps my morale to open my freezer and see those bags, all with dates, that show that even though I'm still not producing much, I *am* making progress.

Keep up the good work! Please keep us posted about your progress.

-Jenny M.