Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply VERY frustrated!!Need HELP!!!(cross-post)

I am sooo frustrated and torn---
I am adoptive mom to almost-6-month-old Estuardo from Guatemala. I've been attempting breastfeeding for 5 weeks now as well as pumping like crazy. My milk supply is up to only about 1/2 ounce a day pumping 20 minutes every 3 hours, doing Dom and herbs etc, oatmeal, etc. I have been co-sleeping, co-bathing, carrying him in a sling as much as possible. I have tried and tried to get him interested in breastfeeding, using all suggestions I have been given. We have tried the Lact-aid with bottle nipple, nipple shield and bare breast, as well as just trying to get him to latch with no "paraphernalia" at all. All he will do is scream and fight and refuse and turn his head until I break down and give him a bottle. I tried backing off to just bottlefeeding in a breastfeeding position and slowly easing back to attempting the Lact-aid again and now he is even more adamant about refusing. I was feeling like it was defeating the purpose, so I just gave up for the last day and haven't even pumped at all since last night. But I am so torn up about it, it's something I really wanted to succeed and I am at my wit's end with no idea how to proceed successfully. I feel like a failure but I don't have any more ideas. Also I just returned back to work which has been really hard. I work 3 twelve hour night shifts. I was hoping I could somehow work around this as best as possible. It's relatively quiet and I would be able to pump at least 2 or 3 times while at work.
I am desperate for advice...
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Have you seen a Lactation Consultant? One experienced in relactating and latching an older child? There is an IBCLC in Albuquerque. She is Annie Furie. Here is a link to her website. http://www.growinglife.com/lacsupport.htm I purchased things before from her (we used to live in Abq area) and I have corresponded with her over email. She is a very nice woman. Maybe she can help you or point you in the right direction.
Hnag in there even a little bit of milk in a bottle is of benefit to him. Please do not give up pumping. Which pump are you using?
Hugs

I don't know how hard it is to get a child to breastfeed, my daughter is still in the N.I.C.U. We haven't gotten to that part yet, but I am pumping a lot more than I thought I would with only 4 weeks of pumping I have lots of oz's stored that I deliver to the hospital everyday. I noticed when I am stressed out I don't pump nearly as much as I do when I'm calmed. I don't know if your body reacts the same way but it does help me to pump more. I would try taking a bath and relaxing in a quiet room with soothing music to help relax your mind try some aroma therapy, it really helps ease the stress. I don't know how helpful this advice will be to you but maybe it will be worth a try? Good luck to you and the little one

I am using a Symphony that I rented, actually from Growing Life! I think that when I was there she said they don't do lactation consulting any more?? I will call again and ask, and if no luck there I will see if there are any other lactation consultants in the area. There was at least one listed in the phone book.
I hadn't brought my pump to work last night but then regretted it, so I took a crash course in hand expressing and managed to bring home a little breastmilk for Estuardo, and got back to my pumping today. It seems like my milk production has actually increased to 1-1.5 ounces a day, enough to be a little encouraging. Then I had my husband wake me up during the day when it was time for Estuardo to eat, and I backed all the way up to bottlefeeding him against my bare breast. Not sure which way to go from there but I guess we are taking it slow <G>...

Hey Richette!!! Thanks for writing! My first week back to work at night, I was able to pump every 2 hours for 20 minutes and other than feeling like my breasts were going to fall off <G>, initially I didn't notice a change, but now this week I just realized that my output has more than doubled, so it just took awhile to kick in. I actually had a better day today. It helps to read the boards and other people's experiences too. I guess we are just going to be taking it really slow, as much as I hoped that he'd catch right on...

Hi Chakwaina,

Congratulaitons on hanging in there. Getting a 6 month old to the breast is a challenge but it can be done with baby steps and patience. It is important to start with what is comfortable for your son and then go to the next step. If that means bottle feeding in the breastfeeding position for 10 minutes on each side and then repeating until he's satisfied, then so be it.

Which bottles are you using?

The Symphony is a good pump. We generally encourage mothers to keep track of their milk supply in a 24 hour period. This gives a better indication of how you're doing than a session by session assessment. It should gradually increase.

Remind me please,. did you use the birth control pill or goat's rue in addition to the domperidone?

For a lactation consultant near you kindly visit this website www.ilca.org and click on "Find a Lactation Consultant".

I know you're concerned about your milk supply but only very tiny amounts are required for your little one to receive all the immune benefits. So please don't stress about it. There's ever so much more to breastfeeding and/or feeding at the breast than the milk.

Hang in there. The gift you are providing will last a lifetime.

Best,

Hi Lenore,
I am using Avent bottles with newborn nipples. He refuses any other, even the famous Gerber/Guatemala-style nipples <VBG>... I did Ortho-Novum 1/35 BCP for about 30 days at first with the Dom. I am now taking Dom 30 mg 4 times a day as well as BT and fenugreek.
This is an update of the past few days. I stepped way back again and went back to bottlefeeding in the breastfeeding position. I did that for a few days so we could both de-stress, then I made an attempt at the Lact-aid plus bottle nipple, and what he does is as soon as it even touches him, he pulls away and turns his head in the other direction, SO... my solution that has been working is that I pull my shirt up and unhook my nursing bra to bare my breast, and then I feed him his bottle like that, which he accepts now, and then when we are done we snuggle like that and I keep it casual. After a few minutes he starts to relax with that. No latching on yet but he is now letting me touch his face with my breast without pulling away. Once or twice he started to latch on but caught himself and turned his head... So I guess we will be moving really slowly and gently. I just had to give myself and him permission to go slowly.
My daily "output" is now up to about an ounce on average. It is climbing slowly. I bought some of the Medela 2 oz. containers so even a couple of teaspoons looks like something.
I have the name of a lactation consultant here in Albuquerque from the website you mentioned and will also contact her shortly. But otherwise, we are in it for the long-term. My one local support person/adoptive breastfeeding mom worked for quite a long time to get her older baby to breastfeed, so we can relate well.
Thanks for the encouragement!!! It helps a LOT!!!

Hey Chakwaina,

You're doing GREAT! Another thing you can try is co-bathing with your baby on your chest. Sometimes the warm water and skin to skin works miracles.

Best,