Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Is there any breastmilk anywhere?

My new daughter is two weeks old today. I am on the accelerated protocol, and hope to begin nursing her in another 2 weeks. In the meantime, she is on formula, and not tolerating it well. She is terribly constipated.

I'll call her doctor's office today to see what they want me to do for her, but I was also wondering how I find out if there is breastmilk available in my area. I've always assumed that it was incredibly expensive coming from the milk bank, and I do not have insurance that will cover it. Does anyone have any other suggestions for me?

Thanks,
Janeen

This website has a list of milk banks:

http://www.hmbana.org/index/locations/

What do you mean by constipated? Are we talking hard pellet stools here? Because grunting and pushing and grimacing and crying are believe it or not, normal.
Good luck,
Jenny

Hard, dry balls of stool.

Well, I checked the website of the local milk bank. Here's what it says, below. I don't think my little girl has a chance of getting any milk from them. <sigh>

Thanks,
Janeen

***************************

Recipients
Milk Dispensation:
Milk is dispensed by prescription only. The highest priority recipients are premature and ill hospitalized infants.

Nutritional Uses:
Prematurity

Infants recovering from NEC

Failure to thrive

Malabsorption syndromes

Short-gut syndrome

Renal Failure

Inborn errors of metabolism

Post-surgical nutrition

Cardiac problems

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Pediatric burn patients

Medical/Therapeutic Uses:
Treatment for infectious disease (intractable diarrhea, gastroenteritis, infantile botulism, sepsis, pneumonia, hemorrhagic conjunctivitis)

Post-surgical healing (omphalocele, gastroschisis, intestinal obstruction, bowel fistula, colostomy repair)

Immunodeficiency diseases (severe allergies, IgA deficiencies)
Inborn errors of metabolism

Organ transplants

Non-infectious intestinal disorders (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome)


The Mothers? Milk Bank of North Texas is a non-profit agency founded in 2003 to provide premature and critically ill infants with donor human milk when their mother?s own milk is not available.

The Mothers? Milk Bank of North Texas accepts donated human milk from fully screened, healthy, breastfeeding mothers. The milk is pasteurized, tested and frozen until prescribed.

Recipients are most commonly hospitalized and critically ill premature infants.

I know there is a yahoo group for bm donations. I think it costs a small fee to sign up if you need milk (like $15 maybe) and they will try to hook you up with someone that has extra milk.

I would also contact LLL or a bf support group and see if they know someone locally that has extra milk.

Good luck!
Jennifer

Congrats on your baby girl!

LLLi. org (no spaces)

Also call your local hospitals and OB-GYN office.

Hi there
We are bringing our baby girl home this month and we were able to obtain about 2000 oz of donated breast milk. This site http://milkshare.forumotion.com/ you can find local moms who are looking to donate breast milk. God Bless!

My daughter, Julia, had horrible constipation, too. She was older when we got her, and it took a great deal of effort to get her to nurse. That was in the days before I had access to domperidone and, although I had produced about 12 ounces a day for her older brother, just from nursing him with the Lact-Aid (not even any herbs), I couldn't pump more than a dribble. I did find a lady who froze a few ounces a day of milk in case her baby needed it. Her baby rarely did need it and, when the milk got to be about two weeks old, she would give it to me for Julia. It helped with her ear infections, but not her constipation. When I finally got her nursing and getting milk from me, the constipation went away and never came back. I don't know why the frozen milk didn't help, and don't know if that would be the case with other babies, but thought I would mention it.

Have you started trying to get her on the breast, yet? What I would do is just stop the BCPs now, stay on the dom and start getting her to the breast with the Lact-Aid on demand (just my opinion). Even if you stay on the BCPs for the additional two weeks, I would go ahead and start getting her nursing with the Lact-Aid, at least part of the time (if you're not all ready). The older the baby is when you start, the more likely it is that she will have developed habits that will take some effort to overcome. I speak from experience. I had two, one I got at four weeks and one I got at 15 days, who had a real hard time sucking correctly. I had the bruised and cracked nipples to prove it! It was well worth the effort and the pain, to keep going, but I sure would have preferred to skip that part!

Enjoy your baby!

Darillyn

Janeen,
I think you are trying to contact the Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas. I spoke with then personally and although they do provide milk to premature infants first, they will sell milk for healthy infants if they have a surplus. Now, keep in mind that you can only purchase about 10-3oz bottles at a time and they charge approx. $12.70 per 3 oz bottle. ALso, if you need shipping, it will cost you approz $125 just to ship those 10 bottles. Not really practical, but if you are desperate, it is an option. Also, you do need to have a Rx form your doctor.

A GREAT source is Milkshare.com. Look for someone who has been approved to donate to a milk bank. Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks so much. I think I'll just wait it out. I finish the accelerated protocol this week. Hooray!