Domperidone - any point when latch still bad?

[qumquat]

A lactation consultant has recommended I take domperidone to up my supply after tongue tie clipped. She weighed dd before and after two breasts and said she wasn't getting enough so my supply must be low. I'm confused because initially I felt very full, but she still wasn't getting enough as she just chomped on my nipple for hours. I think my supply probably has diminished as giving formula when pain is too much. But I wonder if I upy supply will she spend less time on the breast (normally takes several hours to satisfy her and give us both a little sleep), or will I just be engorged again on top of the nipple pain? I have tried everything and keep trying everything but can't improve latch. I could cope with the pain if feeds were under an hour I think, but even when I had what felt like a good supply they were endless, and it never felt like my breast was drained. Dd is 8 weeks btw. I want to try whatever will work but the thought of being engorged again doesn't appeal if it still won't transfer to dd. Arg !

[Sunflower1985]

I never perfected our latch, despite trying. After about 10 or so weeks it did, however, start hurting less and less - as his mouth grew. IME you're changing positions as they grow anyway, so it's worth a try to keep supply up in the mean time.

If you do go for it be warned, I've encountered drs who've never heard of its use for this and refused to prescribe. I found and downloaded nhs leaflets about it to show my disbelieving gp.

[crikeybadger]

I didn't think test weighing was an accurate way of judging milk supply qumquat, especially when only done once. Surely it doesn't take into account the baby's changing appetite nor your milk storage capacity. Happy to be corrected though

Did the LC give you any help with the latch?

[qumquat]

I guess the thing is crikey she wasn't satisfied. She rarely is till she's had a bout 5 boobs!

Sunflower, how did your breasts feel after taking domperidone? I'm really scared of painful engorgement again. Feel pathetic but I've been through so much pain in the last 8 weeks not sure I can cope with any more!

Thanks for replying both of you x

[qumquat]

Yes got some help with the latch, but she always pulls off and starts nipple chomping within seconds

[BadPenny]

I took domperidone but waited until the latch was improving (lots and lots of visits to bf groups helped - are there any near you) before I started it. Didn't want to get mastitis again as I had it three times in the first month!

Are you able to express effectively? If so you could hire a hospital grade pump, take the meds and that way you won't need to worry about engorgement. My problem was that I couldn't get anything out with a pump...

[qumquat]

I go to bf cafés most days, I feel like some kind of medical marvel that latch never improves! I know it's so individual though. I feel like I'm making her suffer now by keeping bf as she seems to be getting so little from me. So I feed for hours then when pain gets too much I give formula, which then reduces my supply further. Sigh.

[qumquat]

I can't pump either Badpenny. Did the domperidone work for you ?

[Sunflower1985]

I never had engorgement on it, taking 30mg a day for 6 weeks. But then I've never had oversupply, always seemed to be the opposite problem. Different people, different reactions, unfortunately.
What I will say is my ds is 7 mo now and we've mixed fed the whole way along. It's possible to keep on bf without ebf.

[BadPenny]

Yes it was brilliant - I took much more than 30mg a day though... It made me feel a bit druggie though because I was always paranoid about my 'Dom' supply (as well as my milk supply, which was directly related!)

My GP prescribed a certain amount (not enough - 60mg a day? can't remember now) and I bought some over the counter locally (expensive!) and then in bulk much cheaper from an online pharmacy in Brighton that then stopped selling it in the quantities I needed to make it worth the postage fee... It was kind of sad. But it really worked. I clearly recall one very tiring afternoon when my baby fed and fed but didn't seem to be getting anything, and then I noticed I hadn't taken my lunchtime dose...

[Helenc19]

If you are still getting pain has the tongue tie revision worked? It may not have been fully cut or may have reattached. Or does she also have a upper lip tie?
Have you tried suck training to help her get a deeper latch?
I think domperidone would be worth a try to increase your supply but you need to get to the bottom of the bad latch for the long term.
My DS had a undiagnosed TT his latch improved slightly as he grew at about 8 weeks, baby cafés weren't any help because his latch always looked fine from the outside so they couldn't do much. It then got lots worse and was revised at 5 months. His latch was much better after but is still shallow and he struggles to transfer milk due to his lip tie.