Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Re-doing protocol while breastfeeding?

Hi, all... I am an adoptive mama who is breastfeeding her 4 month-old daughter. We didn't have much notice for the adoption, so in preparation I was on the first phase (BCP + Dom) for about 110 days. I started the second phase (Dom + herbs + pumping) about two weeks before DD came home and have been feeding her with the help of a Lact-Aid ever since. I have a small supply... I get 1-2 oz. of breastmilk per feeding so the formula supplement is essential. I'm thrilled with what I've got, considering I've never been pregnant and the protocol was cut so short by the circumstances.

My situation is this: we want to go back on the list to adopt again around the time DD is 1 year old. (So, 8 months from now.) If our wait time is anything like it was last time, we would have a second child about a year from now. I'd really LOVE to do a complete protocol, now that I understand the timelines better, in hopes of getting a greater supply.

My first question is this: can I go back to phase 1 of the protocol while continuing to breastfeed DD? I assume the BCP will lower my supply somewhat, and I'm okay with that, as I have to supplement every feeding anyway. I'm not sure what impact feeding DD will have on phase 1, since you're not supposed to pump while doing it, I would assume breastfeeding is also not recommended? Is there anything else I need to think/worry about? Prepare for?

One option I've considered is weaning DD around 6 months (about 2 months from now) when she starts on solids, so I can go back on the protocol and not have this dilemma. I know breastfeeding is recommended for a year, but if it's going to sabotage my breastfeeding with our next child, I'm willing to cut it a little short. Thoughts? Advice?

Why would you stop bf your first for your second? The protocol is to induce lactation, so if you already have your milk in then you just need to increase your milk supply. I would just continue what you are doing, as it is supply and demand. Bf more often, and pump an extra 10 minutes after.

I agree with All4myson09, I would just continue nursing your first until your second arrives and then continue from there. It will give your first the 1yr window and then you wouldn't have to worry about bcp's again.

I agree also. You were on the bcp phase for a good amount of time (almost 4 months). I would just try to build your supply.

I will tell you with DD2, I had to supplement at first because she was drinking more than I made. I pumped for 10 days before she was born and was making about 5 oz a day at the time. When she was two weeks old, I was still only making about 10 oz a day. I decided to stop supplementing and see if I could catch up with her supply. It was a leap of faith, but it worked. She has been ebf since. I wonder if the lactaid is undermining you.

Could you take a weekend or week and just nurse as much as she wants? See how she does. Or maybe if you have to, just try supplementing once a day. How do you know how much you are making? Is that what you can pump or is it a measurement of what she takes? Having a baby scale gave me some reassurance that she was gaining and was taking enough.

I think you have a good shot of catching up to her and then being able to nurse a second baby. Good luck.
Jennifer

I was going to add that with our first DD I pumped after feeds frequently. This time I didn't as much. But that can be a good way to increase supply. But if you do a marathon weekend, maybe skip the pumping and just feed, feed, feed.
Jennifer

I agree with Jennifer. The more stimulation your breasts get, the more milk they will produce. I was thinking the same thing about the supplementation. It may be keeping your supply at a lower level. Do keep in mind that what you can pump is not what your actual supply is. Pumps are not nearly as effective at removing milk as a baby is. If you try exclusive nursing, you may just surprise yourself! Best wishes!

Kim - Mom of 3 boys and hoping to adopt our little girl soon!

On the same note I still have not gotten my Yasmin in the mail, bc its been a week w/o my bcps and have only been on it a total of one week should I go back on the protocol? I'm only getting 5 ml a day, and I do have quite a bit of breast changes but not enough to my satisfactory, and probably not to what protocol states.

Thanks for the support, suggestions and opinions, all. I am getting about an ounce at a time when i pump (while DW gives a bottle). That has been steady for some time, though I occasionally get as much as 2 oz. DD takes 4-6 oz. from the Lact-Aid at a feeding, so even knowing that a pump doesn't give a totally accurate picture of supply, the difference between what I'm producing and what she's taking worry me. She seems frustrated if she latches on and there is no Lact-Aid. She'll pull away and re-latch repeatedly, eventually crying if it goes on long enough.

My thinking on going through the BCP phase was that that's when new milk gland tissue is grown (as I understand it), so if I do that phase again, I could increase my capacity and then all the tricks for increasing supply would have more effect b/c there would be more to work with.

I'm considering increasing my Domperidone dosage as I'm at 80 mg/day right now. My doc saw that number somewhere in the protocols and used it as the max, but with some research, I've seen that many folks go to 120 mg/day. I expect that will help.

I went up to 120 mg a day. I think it helped my supply. The max dosage is 160 mg a day. I never went that high.

I know it is a huge difference, but if you just nurse really frequently for a few days you might be surprised. Most babies will take more milk than they need if it is readily available. She might be filling up on the formula, so she doesn't nurse enough from you. The average bf baby only takes 24 oz of bm a day. If you feed 8 times a day, that is only 3 oz per feed. If you feed more often it is less.

I know it can be hard to trust it, but you could try for just a weekend and see how it goes.

Jennifer