I started the process by searching the web to find resources on inducing lactation and seeing my OBGYN and endocrinologist. I was a bit discouraged at first because the most beneficial sites I found suggested a 6+ month induction time frame for best results. My GYN referred me to Mercy Hospital's lactation department. There I met with a wonderful lady who sat down with me and went over my hopes and the protocols that I found online. She was very happy to hear that I was actually re-lactating since I nursed Isaac 10 years ago. She was hopeful that it would be much easier for me, however we had a road block with the protocol. The protocol still called for 2 drugs to be taken. 1 was an oral birth control (I am using Ocella for the estrogen and progesterone) as well as a drug called domperidone. It is actually a drug used for severe acid reflux and nausea (yay, I have those), but its side effect is increased prolactin. Prolactin is made by the pituitary gland (remember my tumor?... it's gone!). Domperidone is highly recommended by lacation consultants and doctors alike, however it has never been approved by the FDA. It can be prescribed, but because of it's lack of approval, some doctors are nervous to actually write a script. I had to make the decision to order it from another country or take an alternate drug called Reglan which crosses the blood brain barrier and can cause mental illness if taken longer than 3 weeks. I went with ordering domperidone from another country.
With 17 weeks left to go in the pregnancy, I started taking Ocella. I was very nervous because the domperidone may not even come in and 17 weeks was hardly 6 months! I also read more stories about inducing rather than re-lactating after 10 years... so for the last 3 weeks I have been very anxious to see what will even happen. So far I have tolerated the BC very well. I am to skip the placebo pills and continue with just the hormone pills until I stop a few week prior to birth.
Because I nursed Isaac before, my milk glands are already in the state they need to be or apparently it doesn't take much to get them where they need to be. Within days of taking BC, my breasts started to hurt and feel much heavier. I began massaging them daily for about 5 minutes per breast. I began nipple stimulation with the massage and in the shower for a few minutes each day to toughen, stimulate and prepare. I have finally received the domperidone in the mail.... however I have read conflicting reports on how to use it best. Ask Lenore website is the standard protocol used for inducing... it says to take it the entire time you are taking the birth control and eventually wean off it once milk supply is well established. Other sites claim that it has a peak point at 14 days of use and then begins to trail off.
I am having my hysterectomy on Friday of this week... I don't want to start a new drug (especially one I ordered online) before surgery. So I have been strictly trying to raise my prolactin through stimulation as of now. BC is supposed to mimic pregnancy and hinder the milk supply from coming in... however yesterday and today I have seen my first signs of pre-milk. I have been able to hand express a few drops each day out of my right breast. None from the left yet. I think that is a very good sign!
We have 14 weeks left in the pregnancy. I hope to go off the birth control with about 3-4 weeks left (in 10-11 weeks). At which time I will begin taking the domperidone and start pumping instead of just hand stimulation and massaging. I hope this is the right course of action with the results I have already seen... if you have any suggestions, feel free to write! :-)
PS. holding my new nephew and picturing babies nursing and the feeling of them against me seems to help. My breast seem to get more tender. I have definitely gotten far more emotional than normal. I cry at very simple things, or at least choke up.
