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Breastfeeding
mgade001
member
Domperidone: What was your experience?
mgade001
member
I have been going back and forth about taking this for a few weeks now. I know this has come up here recently, but I'd like to know a few specifics about your experience.
Did you see an increase in supply? If so, how much? How long did you take it before you saw and increase, and what was the dose? TIA
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Re: Domperidone: What was your experience?
With DS1, I went from supplementing with every feed to no supplementing at all in three weeks on it. I took a low dose the rest of the time we bf. It was what saved us!! I bf 19 months because that miracle drug! I had a true diagnosed supply issue too.
Did you not have to take it or supplement with subsequent babies?
HOw old was LO when you decided to start the domperidone?
With DS1, he was three months old when we started it. We went through a gazillion weight checks and not gaining, supplmenting by pumping and feeding and supplementing with a little formula too, allergic to the formula!, zantac for reflux, nipple shields, many LC appts and weighted feeds...it was a disaster. The LC and I finally discussed meds being an option and I jumped on it! After that it was smooth sailing, except we never did wean from that silly nipple shield!
This baby is only two weeks old, but things are going much better! He had slow to gain weight issues too, but it seems things are looking up! We have been supplementing a little bit too with this little guy, but only one or two ounces extra in a bottle per day. He has shot up from 7lb 7oz on Thurs to 7lb 15.5oz today!! That's with only 2oz of supplementing per day. So, I'm guessing supply won't be an issue this time. Thank God! I did go ahead and order some dom when things were looking crummy though, so I'll have some on backup just in case.
I still can't pump anything. I've never been able to get hardly anything pumping. I guess my body just doesn't like the pump very much. I pumped at work with DS1 and got just enough to keep him fed while I was away - about 12oz per day with four pumpings. This time, if I pump after feeding I can get about half an ounce! It kind of sucks if I ever want to leave him for any amount of time.
https://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14:domperidone-getting-started-&catid=5:articles&Itemid=17
I actually contacted this guy before starting it! They respond really quickly if you contact them. I took 30mg 3x per day for a month I think, then 30mg 2x per day for about six months, then 30mg 1x per day until I went to child led weaning and we were only nursing a few times a day and I wasn't pumping anymore, then I took 10mg 1x per day until we started TTC #2. I didn't want to take it while pregnant. I still nursed after that for awhile though. I weaned DS after I was pregnant with #2.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I missed your siggy when I asked about subsequent pregnancies! I really need to wear my glasses more. Not sure if my vision is getting worse, or I'm just so sleep deprived I can't sleep straight. ha!
It's great to hear that you were successful with the dom. My OB doesn't really know how to prescribe it. He wrote for 10mg 3 times a day, but I think he'd increase the dose if I asked him to. Thankfully the compounding pharmacy is close to my house.
My reservations are mainly that it alters dopamine, and that's a little scary. But I have yet to hear of any adverse reactions in mothers or babies. Though obviously there's limited research and info.
Most of all I'm just not sure I want to go back to obsessing over my supply like I was. I'm finally in a place of acceptance about what I have to offer, and the supplementing. Based on weighed feeding and pumping I am guessing the max I can give at a feeding is about 2.5 oz. The LCs were very pro Dom. The LLL has no official opinion. My pediatrician thinks it's ridiculous (she didn't say it quite like that, but I got the message), and my OB thinks it's a placebo.
It's great to hear things are going well with your new baby! And I appreciate hearing your success story. I love nursing LO, and I hope to have a long nursing relationship with him. Thanks also for the link. If I go for it, I will post how it goes.
ETA I noticed the increase within two days of starting it.
Definitely works! Not a placebo!
OBs and pedis know very little to nothing about bfing! I'm sure you've found this out. 
It's possible your supply issues stem from early sabotage by one of these well meaning doctors...mine was not helped by these people! Make sure you are nursing at the breast round the clock still to increase your supply or the dom won't work! If you have supply issues, a schedule is a bad idea right now. You need to just have baby on you as often as possible. Milk removal = milk production! Pumping is fine, but doesn't work as well as actual nursing in production. Also make sure you are drinking a ton of water and eating enough calories. As for supplementing for now, have you had a weighted feed done to see how much LO is getting when you bf? You only need to offer enough to make up what he's not getting from you. 2.5 oz seems like a lot for 7 weeks old for a supplement...is he only getting a half oz nursing? Are you using breast compressions while nursing? Has the baby been evaluated for latch and tongue tie? Last thing, compounding pharmacies are really expensive, so if you want it cheaper - online pharmacies are much cheaper. I used this one - https://www.inhousepharmacy.biz/p-17-motilium.aspx
I had a feeling this would be expensive (compounding pharm). I agree about the sabotage. Though I did work with the LCs from the get go and followed all of their advice- to no avail. I understand why, but the pedis asked me supplement when LO neither gained nor lost at the 1 week check up. I disregarded the advice the first week, but when he hadn't gained the next, I finally resigned to supplement. He is gaining well now.
In my PP I was saying LO can get a max 2.5 oz at the breast (based on pumping and weighed feedings. those numbers have always been in agreement). I then supplement. But that is that is a max. Sometimes it's only 1.5 oz. We feed about 7 x day. Fortunately our BFing is still going pretty well considering that we are using a bottle to supplement. I would like to have used an eye dropper or other "breast friendly device", but I don't have the support to be BFing 99% of the time. I am using a slow flow bottle "breast flow" by First Years. It's the best I can manage right now.
I also have given up on trying to pump after every feed. This is just impossible. I generally pump 2 times/day after feeding. But all of the additional pumping supplements etc I was doing in the beginning should've increased my supply- and especially all of the breast feeding and skin to skin. But nothing. I think it's a glandular thing. That's another reason I'm super hesitant to start the Dom.
Thanks again for the responses. It's been really helpful!
Great advice. I am going to get back to my charting so that I know exactly how long, often, and when I'm feeding. I had to take a break from that. I needed to decompress and just let myself enjoy my baby. I got so totally overwhelmed with the supply issue, but I think I'm ready to kick it up a notch again.
The 2.5 oz is a max. If I nurse every 2 hours it's less. So, yes. I don't have to supplement much. That's just the thing. We're so close to be EBF! Thanks again for all of the feedback. This board has been a great resource.
I will consider going to another IBCLC. I also just got back form a LLL meeting. That was also very helpful and informative.