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I have 4 week old (34 week gestational age) twins in the NICU and my milk supply is low. The lactation consultant is recommending I try a medication called Reglan to increase my milk supply. I'm looking for people who used it. Did it work? What were the side effects? Would you recommend it?
The main concern I had was I read it can cause diarrhea and I already have irritable bowel syndrome. I'm finding that all of the lactation people I meet are very agenda driven and make me feel terrible when I can't pump often enough (the NICU is an hour from my house and I have a 3 year old at home) or hesitate to take a drug that I'm not sure is right for me. I feel like just talking to the lactation people are giving me PPD. Anyway, thank you for your input. It helps just to talk to people.
Hang in there. You can only try your best. If you can't get your supply up then so be it. Stressing/obsessing over it will only make it dwindle more. Plus, you have TWO babies to produce for! No pressure there! ;)
My supply with my son was never good. I tried and tried and tried and it just never got better. I felt guilt for awhile, especially because he has had so many GI issues but I am fine now because I know I tried and he is fine. There are some women who seem to effortlessly try and they get huge amounts of milk. Just try not to compare yourself to them. They are no better, just different. We are all doing the best we can...and I know what you are saying about the "agenda" aspect to some LC's. The one we had here was amazing but I have certainly met ones who are are too fanatical about BM.
Good luck!
I have a 34weeker (She spent 10 days at the NICU). My ilk supply is low. I am currently taking Reglan and drinking mothers milk tea, but so far nothing. I will try a couple of days and if it is not working then be it. It is stressful and frustrating, but at least I could say I tried.
Good luck and sending strength. Having babies at the NICU, going back and forth, I know, is very stressful.
I used it with my 25 weeker and had no problems what so ever. It did help for a time but important to know you still need to pump often to help get things going. I was told every 3 hours.
Reglan worked for me with no side effects, but I don't have IBS, or a 3yr old. Just do what you can do. My son can't digest formula very well- even at 7 mos actual, so I don't have a choice, I just keep plugging. But, he has only had one cold and has been much healthier because of it. I am glad I have made myself do it. I only pump 4 times a day now, but I had to pump 6-8 times while he was in the NICU. It is a pertsonal decision, don't let them bully you. It is a commitment. Good luck to you and congrats on the twins!
I took Reglan to help increase my supply. It only helped a little bit. And the side effects on me were not worth it. First my sleep was all messed up. I was so tired during the day but couldn't sleep at night. Then I became very depressed. Plus my daughter got horrible diarea from my milk because of it. I personally would never use it again, but I'm sure it effects everyone differently.
Just try to relax (I know it's hard) and just do your best! Even if your little ones just get a little breast milk, it's better than nothing. We had to supplement formula but I'm glad she at least got a little breast milk everyday for 6 months.
Good Luck and I hope your babies come home soon!!!!
Thank you all so much. I want the best for my girls and am pumping every 2-3 hours which is difficult with driving an hour each way to the NICU and caring for my 3 year old. All of your input has helped. Thanks again!
I used it and I had a history of depression. My Dr. for the depression just watched me and it was fine. A few suggestions have you talked to another LLC - some suggest foods and such. I think they worked even better.
Sorry I forgot to mention PUMPS. I switched pumps and did much better with one that was not a rental for the hospital. If you want to learn more please email me about my pump suggestion. I am starting to study to be an LLC and I agree some are a little out there at times. Many do not have a clue about what it is like to have a NICU baby and I think that makes life harder.
I used Reglan while pumping for my daughter. It was very effective at increasing my supply (doubled in just days). However, the side effects are major. I was so tired that I was unable to stay awake to care for my daughter. I was already experiencing PPD and in retrospect never should have taken it.
There are other things to try to boost your supply. Rent a hospital grade pump and use it as long as you can. Have your OB write a prescription and submit it for reimbursement through your medical insurance. My insurance paid for my pump rental and then the at-home pump I purchased later. Have the LC watch you pump to make sure you have the right fit and position. Drink LOTS of fluid, like you are a fountain. You should need to go to the bathroom at regular frequent intervals if you are drinking enough water. Avoid all caffeine. There are natural supplements that you can use to support lactation. Try Mother's Milk Tea and fenugreek, available in health food stores. Drink the tea 3-5 times per day and start out with the fenugreek at 1-2 capsules 2-3 times per day and work your way up to a maximum of 4 capsules 3 times a day. Also, supplement with malt. My son's pediatrician recommended drinking a beer a day. That amount of alcohol will not effect the babies. If you don't drink alcohol (which I don't), I made malted milks. Just mix several tablespoons of it with a glass of milk a couple times per day. Some people also say that eating oatmeal helped them too.
Make sure you are getting enough rest. We have all been through the NICU experience, so I know how hard that is. But your body makes the hormones needed to lactate while you are sleeping. Try to get at least a 5 hour stretch during the late night into early morning.
As soon as you can do skin to skin holding, get started. Let the babies root around to stimulate your milk. When you are able, put them to breast and let them do what they can. Then do your pumping after skin to skin or practice nursing.
There is another medication that helps increase supply called domeperidone. I personally have not used it, but many have posted on here that has worked for them. It is actually a stomach medication that the side effect is that it increases milk production. There are little to no side effects reported. The problem is getting it. It is not available by prescription in the US for that purpose. You would either need to get it from an international pharmacy where it is available without a prescription or have your doctor write you a prescription and you would have to get it from a compounding pharmacy. Your insurance will probably not cover it.
Know that you are not alone with low milk supply. Many of us have struggled with this same issue and if you have time to search through, you will find many previous threads on this topic. Any breast milk your babies get is beneficial, so keep it up as long as you can.
Good luck and congratulations on your twins!
Kim
I should also say that mothers of premature babies, emergency deliveries, c-sections, or traumatic birth events are much more likely to have milk volume issues. I have done quite a bit of reading to find answers for myself. I so badly wanted to nurse my daughter and was never able to. By the time she was strong enough, she preferred the bottle. Eventually I gave up and was very hurt about the whole thing. I was also frustrated about the lack of support and answers that were available. When my son was born full term, I was determined to nurse. While I still struggled with low milk volume, I made it work. I wish I knew then what I know now.... If breastfeeding is important to you, keep at the pumping and try to pump as regularly as you can. If it is not that important to you, don't let your low volume get you down. Do what you can and supplement with formula.
i have been exclusively pumping for about 6 months now and had issues with my supply dropping off and took reglan. i have issues with depression normally so was worried about taking it but i didnt have any issues with depression or any side effects actually. i only took it for a few weeks though. then i switched to motillium. its said to be better and not many side effects. my insurance wont cover it though since its not fda approved or something like that. i did read that it was ped reccommended though and it has worked very well for me. i just purchased some offline and all has been good here. dont let the lc stress you out do what you feel is best and if they dont like it tough! i didnt care for the lc in our hospital either they were not all that helpful. just keep trying there were a few articles comparing these two meds online if i find them again ill post it for ya
heres a website about it
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/reglan.shtml
also you can try some herbal stuff to increase your supply such as fenugreek and mothers milk tea things like that. they really help some moms with milk supply
I actually used this but had no sideeffects helped very well and I alson used feenugreek but that herb does nto give immieadte results like reglan does .
I was on Reglan, Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, old fashioned oatmeal, water and exercise and it didn't work for me. I ended up being depressed but I can't say that it was from Reglan. Having a baby in the NICU is rough (I can't imagine having 2 there and then a 3 year old at home too).
There is no doubt that breastmilk is best but when it's not there, it's just not there. I started kangaroo care at the hospital at about 2 days after she was born. I continued to pump and let her root around for about 6-8 weeks. When I decided to give up breastfeeding (At the end, I was only getting a few drops at a time and it would take over a week to get enough that they would give her), it was hard but I gained so much more quality time with her which allowed me many more hours of kangaroo care which I think did great things for her. So what I couldn't give her with breastmilk, I did give her something with increased kangaroo care time. Good Luck! I hope it increases for you!
I read a few posts and saw that depression was mentioned. My son's doctors and my lactation consultant didn't want me on it because we had just lost one of our twins and our survivor was very sick. They were afraid of the side effects of depression and the risk of PPD with me. I know you have heard about lots and lots of water and that helps. I was also told to eat oatmeal and I swear that helped! I am sorry if these were already mentioned...I didn't read everyone's reply.
Elise
I am on an unsustainable treadmill... single mom of a sleepy feeder (2 weeks old). I feed him at the breast 30I min, then bottle feed about 20 min, then pump 20 min. Then I turn around and do it again. I go back to work at 6 weeks. Have tried herbals etc to increase milk supply but i'm not even making 1/5 of what he needs. So I am going to have to accept formula and choose between pumping and nursing. WHich is more important for him long term: the benefits of breastmilk (even if it's bottle fed) or the benefits of the breast (though i'm not producing much & without pump would produce less)? I am so frustrated and sad- any advice would be helpful. btw, single mom here so i don't have a partner doing laundry errands etc, it's all me. thanks
I took reglan when my milk supply was low with my son. It did wonders for me. It made me extremely tired the first week or so, but after that my body got used to it and it was no longer an issue. I never experienced any depression symptoms, but I know that that was a concern, as going off of it can make you get very depressed.
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Our lactation consultant does not usually recommend it because it can cause Post-Partum Depression. So, if you are at all predispositioned to PPD, I would stay away from it. I have heard it can do wonders for a milk supply but simply being in the NICU, even of your babies are "just" growers and feeders, can cause Depression. Just be on alert if you do decide to take it. Good luck!
~Kim