Domperidone at 13 weeks?

[MacMomo]

finally got ranitidine for silent reflux DD, 13 weeks old. However, my milk supply has fallen dramatically, I can only assume because of lack of sleep. I have had to defrost frozen EBM but have short supply of that. Yesterday I ran out at 4pm. Can't see my dr again this week but I believe I can get domperidone over counter. Will this be effective so late on for me? I have been on max dose of fenugreek for over a month.

Info on Domperidone here: www.kellymom.com/health/meds/prescript_galactagogue.html

Including dosages.

What makes you think that your supply is low? Lack of sleep will not make your supply drop.

Well, my boobs ran out of milk. Neither baby nor pump could get any more out of either at about 4 yesterday. It was during a feed, we had one let down and that was it. She stayed latched and trying for 10 mins then other side, nothing. I tried to pump but nothing. DD screaming for milk by now so I defrosted. By 6 pm bedtime feed I had made enough for two v small let downs. I pumped at 10pm and got half an ounce. This is 2 days in a row. Breasts feel soft and small again today. We're feeding in the night too. Any ideas v welcome!

Am drinking lots of water too.

Is it possible it is just your supply settling down ?

I'm not sure it's possible for milk to just run out like that - have you tried calling one of the helplines for advice?

Lack of sleep will not cause a lack of milk - and nor will lack of food or lack of fluids.

What can happen sometimes is that when there has been a history of a difficult start to breastfeeding, and maybe scheduled or limited feeds, or use of formula, there can be a period of apparently ok breastfeeding, which then becomes not ok, because the upper limits of the supply have been calibrated at a low level (this can be fixed though).

The other possible explanations are a let down that stops working temporarily - shock or acute stress can have this effect; or supply settling down, causing soft breasts, but with milk still there.

If there is a drop in supply, then frequent feeding and expressing can improve things and are more effective than anything else you can do.

What do you think?

It does sound like the kellymom description of settling down. But there isn't enough! I have been stressed and quite sleep deprived, I thought that could impact. The baby sucks and sucks but let down takes much longer than it used to, sometimes 5 mins or more even with a good latch. I can tell she's not swallowing.

How do you know let down is not working, though? Many women never feel it, or only feel it sometimes.

Your baby must be swallowing - she would not suck for 5 mins and not swallow. The very act of sucking produces saliva which she will need to swallow.

Expressing sometimes does become less effective with well established breastfeeding - there are often threads on here where mothers note this. But it does not mean there is no milk available for the baby.

When she was screaming would she have been ok if you have just let her stay on, maybe swapping sides?

tiktok no major stress but minor stress and tiredness. Have never given formula but have always had to pump a lot and take fenugreek to maintain supply. Have always fed on demand. The only thing that has changed lately is her reflux got severe, I have come off milk proteins and caffeine, and we are now feeding an extra time in the night as DD is sleeping v poorly (as am I). I know lack of sleep leads to higher cortisol levels, so thought that could be the problem. I am truly exhausted, much more so than a few weeks ago. Dh had to stay home today for me to recover :(

Cortisol levels affecting milk production....not heard of this. They would have to be sky-high and acutely sky high to affect let down, and this does happen, temporarily.

My guess would be your experience is well-established breastfeeding producing the usual softening of breasts and poorer response to the pump.

But a call to one of the breastfeeding lines should help you get to the bottom of it.

Sorry keep cross posting!

Yes, she swallows a bit but it's not feeding; maybe 4 swallows a min. And then if a letdown comes I can feel it and immediately she starts feeding and swallowing. By the afternoon these let downs are tiny in duration and the pause of the swallowing is non-existent. And she gets frustrated with the lack of milk and whinges and comes off. Yes, we give both boobs a good long try. I try to manuallyexpress and also electric pump (medela) and get nothing. After ages with sore nipples we get another tiny let down.

Thanks for the reassurance about lack of sleep and cortisol / stress, much appreciated. Dont tell my dh he needn't have stayed home though.

tiktok thanks again for your advice. Talking it over with dh, we think it is most likely that your first suggestion was true - bec of the initial problems I settled into a lower level than ideal and as she's grown and demanded more I havent kept pace. I will increase the pumping and see if that works, really don't want to have medication. Thanks for taking the time to help.

Could be the 3 month growth spurt too. Is there any reason why your LO can't stimulate your supply rather than pumping?

Ok this is in no way scientific or evidence-based but I will tell you what happened to me with my refluxy baby: he was in discomfort feeding, wasn't drinking enough as a consequence, and my milk supply was thus a bit precarious. Perhaps now your baby's been treated for the reflux she will naturally want to feed more - and is effectively putting in her order for more milk now her throat's feeling better.

japhrimel I latch her for as long as she is willing, but she doesn't always like to stay on if there's no milk coming. Sometimes she will sleep suck for a couple of hours in the afternoon but this is rarer these days.

narmada I hope so - thanks for the positive thought! Makes sense to me.