Induction of lactation has always piqued my interest
Something that has always piqued my interest is induction of lactation. Over the years, I had looked at the information available and what I have found is confusing at best and frightening at worst. There are many purported galactagogues available – both synthetic and plant-based but the information on what to do with them is generally unclear. There are three protocols, known as the Newman-Goldfarb Protocols, that are the most well-known but honestly, I found them very difficult to understand.
There are many reasons why a person might decide to induce lactation. Perhaps they want to co-feed with the gestational parent. Perhaps they have adopted a very young child. Perhaps, like me, they are just curious to see what would happen!
I decided to embark upon my own journey of inducing lactation
With that being said, I decided to embark upon my own journey of inducing lactation whilst taking Domperidone for an unrelated medical condition – milk production is an “uncommon” side effect of Domperidone.
I tried to keep to a schedule of pumping every three hours with an electric double pump – excluding night time – but this very quickly became an “as and when” situation. It is often repeated throughout the feeding community that you need to “use it or lose it” when it comes to milk production. The more you remove, the more your body will make – therefore, sticking to a schedule will maximise your chances of successful output. I was also taking 10 mg of Domperidone twice a day as prescribed.
The first day of pumping was uneventful. It took a while to get to grips with the pump I chose and I spent quite a bit of time going through all the different pumping patterns avauilable. On day 2, I noticed I was producing tiny droplets of milk. I don’t know if this was sheer luck or if the Domperidone had made this happen so quickly. By day 3, my nipples were sore and bleeding. After 4 days, I decided to stop the experiment as it was uncomfortable.
Something I noticed very quickly during my experiment is that I was noticeably hungry and thirsty. As an autistic person who struggles with interoception, I often struggle to recognise hunger and thirst but it was very obvious whilst pumping. I think if I were to try the experiment again, I would create a proper schedule that I would stick to, I would invest in a pump that allows me to change the flange size and I would use a pump that didn’t require me to hold it in place! I also hadn’t really considered the potential difficulties of inducing lactation with inverted nipples.
Find out more about inducing lactation
There is no “right way” to induce lactation, not really. You need some “key ingredients” but how you go about mixing those ingredients is up to you.
I take my hat off to anyone who produces milk.
Establishing a supply takes dedication and hard work!
Read more about inducing lactation without being pregnant in this article from La Leche League |nternational.
If you would like to share your own story about inducing lactation, please do get in touch.