Has anyone breastfeed after using a surrogate?

IRR · December 2014

I know my surrogate would like me to try to bf since she knows it is best for the baby. Has anyone on here tried to start BF even though they used a surrogate? I would love to hear your thoughts and how it went if you did. TIA

lincoln79 · December 2014

I looked into it, but decided against it.

It is tougher to do in the US than in Canada because one of the drugs used is not available in the US.

For me, I had put my body through 5 rounds of IVF and just didn't have it in me to go through another hormone roller coaster.

There used to be a check-in on LGBT board, so you might try there.

Good luck finding the best option for your family!

2MamazInSeattle · December 2014

There are a handful of women who did this on the LGBT board so both moms could bf. If you go there and search for induced lactation son threads will come up. Its quite an intense protocol using bcps, domperidone (hard but not impossible to get) and pumping every 2 hours 24x7 for months before birth...but most say it was totally worth it!

sammer818 · December 2014

We just had our first baby via surrogate in November. I tried to induce lactation, but if you can't get your hands on Domperidone, you will most likely not be successful. It is a drug that is not FDA approved for the US but can be ordered via online pharmacies with a prescription. My doctor was not willing to write me that prescription, so I did everything else but take the drug - stayed on birth control with the placebo pills for a few months, then went off of birth control completely, ate oatmeal everyday, took Fenugreek supplements, and pumped every 3 hours 24/7. I did this for over a month and only got a drop each time. Ultimately, I decided to give up because trying to pump every 3 hours and take care of a newborn just wasn't worth it for me. I am happy I tried though because I know that I did everything I could (personally) to breastfeed my baby.

On a side note, if you decide to purse this, most everyone will refer you to asklenore.com. That is the 'Gold Standard" for induced lactation. I also have a ton of Fenugreek supplements (two containers that are both open but not used too much) that I would be willing to give you if you need/want it. It is an herbal supplement.

IRR · December 2014

@sammer818 thank you for your post. I am impressed you tried for so long and although you have not provided me hope, the reality is a good thing too. I did see the asklenore.com website. My surrogate is a nurse so i will see what she says about possibly finding the Domperidone. Truth is I work full time right now and I don't think I will be able to attempt pumping every 3 hours 24/7. For someone that works for a company that actually makes and sells breast pumps, this does not sound very fun and you get a ton of kudos for trying.

Cmartin6706 · January 2015

My wife wanted to induce breast milk but wasn't able to, however, we felt that the act of breast feeding was just as important. My wife used donated breast milk from both our surrogate and my wife's sister and the use of the supplemental breast feeding system called Lact-aid.

It has a small bag that the milk goes into and a tiny tube that lines up with the nipple. As our son latched he also took in the tube thereby sucking in milk. It worked well even though we had some latching with the tube challenges when we were on such little sleep. My wife and son used it for over 3 months. We loved it. One could also use it with formula.

IRR · January 2015

Thanks @Cmartin6706

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