I am in the process of relactating and wanting to increase my milk supply. I bf my baby for the first three weeks, stopped for a week and a half and am now starting to regain it back! I have rented a hospital grade pump and pump every 2-3 hours, am taking fenugreek, and drinking tons of water. So far I have made some progress...from pumping a few drops to almost a full oz from each breast. Baby has been wanting to nurse more and still I don't see any increase from the oz I get every time I pump. I am going to start taking Reglan this monday and want to know if anyone has taken it and has it worked, and if it did, was the increase enough so that you fully satisfied your baby? Kat: where you able to re establish your milk supply with t SNS and the pumping? My baby went from nursing and drinking a 4oz bottle of formula to nursing and only drining 2oz so there is SOME progress.... I chose not to take it.
The side effects scared the crap out of me.
I pumped EVERY 2 hours and purchased a lact-aid supplemental nursing system. I went off ALL prescription meds and took fenugreek and mothers milk tea.
Most likely you are getting more milk when baby latches, and not via pump. Look into an SNS, if you haven't already.
Awesome job, momma...that is dedication.
Sorry I couldn't help you furhter on the Reglan...I would be wary about it.
***edit***
oh yes, at 4 months pp! I would pump and pump and nothing...then I got some clear liquid which went over to milk. I had some success w/ the SNS...but latching was an issue because she was so used to the bottle nipple. (this is not your case, and if baby is nursing more and more...he is getting milk)
What also helped is when I would pump I would try to hold her at the same time, but with her older...it became increasingly harder.
I understand your frustration. I was opposite. Mine wanted bottle and not me. If baby wants to nurse, then he is going to tell your body "make more!" with every feed. Please keep going...it will be worth it! Your body is suppy and demand. I haven't as 1) Where I live it is almost never used for that 2) I usually have too much milk.
But please be aware that it can cause depression and suicide. If you start feeling suicidal or depressed STOP taking it!
http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/pres...
Prescription drugs used for increasing milk supply
By Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC
There are several prescription drugs that have been used to increase milk supply: Metoclopramide (Reglan), Domperidone (Motilium), and sulpiride (Eglonyl, Dolmatil, Sulpitil, Sulparex, Equemote).
The presence of an appropriate level of the hormone prolactin permits lactation to proceed normally. When a mother has low prolactin levels, milk supply may be affected. Prolactin levels are primarily regulated by inhibition: the presence of prolactin-inhibiting factors (dopamine is the principal one) keep prolactin levels in check. The drugs used for increasing milk supply work by blocking dopamine, which results in an increase in prolactin levels. These drugs do not work in all women and would not be expected to increase milk production in a woman who already has normal (high) prolactin levels.
Reglan has often been used in the U.S.. One major side-effect of Reglan is severe depression; it is contraindicated in moms with a history of depression, and all moms who take this should keep an eye out for signs of depression. One of my sources advises all adoptive mothers to stay away from Reglan, since it has caused serious depression/anxiety in moms regardless of previous history. This depression side effect usually develops over 3-4 weeks, and goes away if mom discontinues the Reglan. Other side effects include diarrhea, sedation, gastric upset, nausea, seizures and extrapyramidal effects (twitching, etc.)
Domperidone has been used successfully in Canada and other areas of the world, and has significantly fewer side effects than Reglan. It has been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use in breastfeeding mothers, and has been given Lactation Risk Category L1 ("safest") in the 2004 edition of Medications and Mothers' Milk. It is not widely available in the U.S. - you may be able to get a compounding pharmacy to make it for you if your doctor prescribes it, or may also be able to order it from Canada or other countries). See the links below for more info.
Sulpiride is commonly used in various countries including Zimbabwe, South Africa and Chile. The primary use for sulpiride is for schizophrenia (it is an antipsychotic and antidepressant), but it also increases serum prolactin levels and thus can enhance breast milk yield.
Prescription drugs that stimulate lactation
Name of medication
AAP approved?*
Lactation Risk Category**
Domperidone (Motilium, Motilidone)
yes
L1 (safest)
Metoclopramide (Reglan)鈥?
no
L2 (safer)
Sulpiride (Dolmatil, Sulparex, Sulpitil, Eglonyl, Equemote)
not reviewed
L2 (safer)
* Per the AAP Policy Statement The Transfer of Drugs and Other Chemicals Into Human Milk, revised September 2001.
** Per Medications' and Mothers' Milk by Thomas Hale, PhD (2004 edition)
鈥?Per the AAP, classified as "Drug whose effect on nursing infants is unknown but may be of concern." AAP notes on this drug: "reported or possible effect: none described; dopaminergic blocking agent"; "Drug is concentrated in human milk relative to simultaneous maternal plasma concentrations." Hale reports results of a number of studies and indicates that domperidone is preferred but not available in the US. He notes that no pediatric concerns have been reported via milk, and that this drug is commonly used in pediatrics. I don't know, but I am curious also. My milk never came in and my doctor never mentioned any drug to help it to do so (although he knew I wanted to bf). This makes me think he must have had doubts about the side effects, etc? i can only pump less than an ounce at a time sometimes and ive benn nursing for almost a year and i work- what you pump is not a good way of telling how much you make- a pump is no where near as good as getting milk out as baby Please don't use it. It can pass through your breastmilk and harm your baby: http://www.drugs.com/reglan.html my wife tried it one time and it brought her up from 2 oz to
8 oz in 12 hours but she stopped taking it because she was having lack of sleep and was hallucinating and depressed so she just got off of all meds all together I used to take it about 5 years ago for acid reflux problems. I always had really bad nausia with the reflux and the doctor put me on it. Back then I was too brainless to read about the side effects. I took the meds often for quite awhile because it took the constant sick/gaggy butterfly feeling away. I was going through a rough time with my husband having massive injuries from a parachute jump he had (military).
I was eventually taken off the meds and once I got back home things seemed to level out once we were out of that environment. I started feeling better mentally and physically. I thought dealing with all that was where the depression came from until I got pregnant a year ago.
I knew that this was prescribed a lot for pregnant women for the nausia so since it had helped with how I felt previously I asked the doctor to put me on it. Within one day of taking it I started feeling the same way I remembered feeling when I was in North Carolina. Severe anxiety, depression and the works. I couldn't believe it. I threw the whole bottle out immediately. When I had been in NC there probably wasn't two minutes that passed that I didn't think, "What is the point of life? What is the point of everything? Why leave the house? Why get up? What's the point?" All that time I had linked it to everything we were going through and dealing with down there, and being so far away from family and friends with no one to talk to there. I'm sure that didn't help but I couldn't believe last year how fast it really brought me down.
I really think I would have done something to myself in NC if things didn't change. It's scary to think how seriously I wanted it all to just end and felt like it was never going to. Everyone goes through depression to a small degree here and there but this pretty much took over me.
Be very careful if you start taking it... make sure you pay close attention to how your feeling and what you are thinking. That stuff will kick you in the pants fast and it can take a little time to come back out of that. I've heard good things about domperidone, but nothing about reglan. I personally stick with herbs for my low milk supply. I use Breastea. I know it's frustrating for you and baby when baby is still full and you're out of breastmilk. Hang in there! |
