Domperidone - any thoughts / experiences of using?

[TigerLily666]

Hi I'm wondering if any other mums have had problems breastfeeding and it has been suggested that you try domperidone to increase lactation?

I've had a terrible few weeks with problems with feeding / worries about my son's weight. Without going into huge amount of detail my milk was late coming in (my son was in an incubator for a while). The hospital topped up on formula and there wasn't the support available to assist me with expressing / breastfeeding.

Then he dropped a lot of his birthweight and was slow to gain weight so I had no choice but to supplement with formula via a bottle as he wasn't getting enough milk from me.

I have done everything I can to improve my supply and have sought specialist help. For the last two weeks I have been on a grim regime of breastfeeding, then topping up, then expressing (6-8 times per day) but it's not helped enough.

Now I'm being advised I could try domperidone which has the side effect of increasing lactation. I don't know what to do for the best as the drug is off licence and I'm concerned there may be side effects for my DS. Would be interested in knowing if its worked (or not) for other mums, if you had any concerns or side effects, and if you have any opinions on this - good or bad.

Thanks

Hi, sorry to hear about the problems you've been having. I took domperidone for a few weeks when my youngest was a few weeks old. His weight was static, I was pumping after each feed and topping him up with that in the evening and within a few days of taking it, he started gaining weight. The only side effect I noticed was that I was hungry all the time. Absolutely no effect on my ds whatsoever.

I looked into taking it when my 4th was tiny and I was having problems feeding him, but the gp wouldn't prescribe it and it was expensive to buy, I had it prescribed this time though (on the advice of a 'breastfeeding midwife' that the HV referred me to). I can't remember the dose I took, it wasn't very much, then so many days not taking it, then starting back up again- and then my milk supply was fine, ds gaining weight. I ended up giving him formula in the evening too because I couldn't express enough, but he never liked bottles either. I'm still feeding him now at 17mths, so it worked.

I was prescribed it for nausea while recovering from post cs complications. Didn't know at the time it was a lactation increasing medicine as well but while on it I was able to produce about 130ml each side each time I expressed so it certainly did it for me. Ds plumped up very fast! Hope it brings you similar success if you choose to take it

Hi, Sounds like yoyu are doing a marvelous job. Well done. it is not easy!

I posted my story on this thread last week www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/1821814-domperidome-for-low-supply

I hope it helps.

Dr Jack Newman's hand outs are a life saver. I double pumped up to 8 times a day from week 3 or 4 until around week 7. Baby started to put weight on during that period, tracking the 9th centile. By month 5 he started to look more like a stocky rugby player (like his dad and my brothers!). Now, at 14mo he is around the 75th centile!!

So, it did work for me. There should be no reason it wont work for you - BUT I would recommend following Dr JN's advice and start with 9 tablets a day. Within 48 hours there was a noticeable difference in milk supply. However the GP originally started me on 3 tabs a day - which did NOTHING.
Luckily I found Dr JN's leaflet and my LC wrote a letter to my GP. He took both bits of paper and at the end of the day he wrote me the 'scrip. When i saw the head of the practice later she told me she had prescribed it loads of times at that dosage and always to good effect.

Good luck. PM me if you want more advice but my original post has lots there - food for thought!