Boosting Milk Supply

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Taking Domperidone to increase milk supply

June 2003

I am planning on taking domperidone to boost my milk supply. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any advice about taking it. Also, if you have extra that you will not be using, I would love to buy it from you. I haven't been able to find a place where I can get it quickly. Thanks!

I took Domperidome to increase my milk supply, and did find that it was the only thing that had a positive impact (as opposed to little to no impact from fenugreek, tinctures, pumping round the clock, drinking tons of water & milk, brewer's yeast...). I took it for four weeks (tapering off at the end) and experienced a very slight (if any) drop when I stopped using it. There is a pharmacy in Hayward that compounds it. It only took him a day. Also, it was much cheaper to get him to make up pills with the full dosage (20mg?). The way my prescription was originally written had me taking 2 (10mg?) pills each time and it cost almost twice as much to get it compounded that way. Here's the pharmacy info Medicine Chest Pharmacy, 925 B Street Hayward, CA 510-538- 9711. The pharmacist & owner is James Cohen, R.Ph. Julie

I started taking domperidone when my daughter was 5 or 6 weeks old. I was desperate to increase my milk supply. I had already been trying (and continued) lots of other tactics, such as breast compressions and masage, More Milk Plus, fenugreek, brewers yeast, accupuncture, etc. Honestly, I didn't notice any increase in supply from using it. I was hoping it would be my miracle, but it wasn't. The bad news -- despite all my actions, my milk supply was never sufficient, and I began supplementing when she was 3.5 months old. The good news -- we're still nursing a lot, and my daughter is so much healthier and happier now. (I was taking the full dose -- 20 mg 4 times a day. I stopped taking it when the 700 pills I'd purchased ran out, after about 3 months of use.) My advice about taking it is as follows try it -- lots of people notice a boost in supply. But, if it isn't working, it's okay!

Medicine Chest Pharmacy in Hayward is a compounding pharmacy, and they will make domperidone for you. All you need is a prescription from a physician or CNM. It usually takes a couple of hours to make it, plus the 30 min drive to Hayward from Berkeley, of course. Here's the contact information (510) 538- 9711 925 B St, Hayward CA, 94541 I got my first bottle there, and then ordered the rest from New Zealand, where I got it for about a third the price. I think it took around ten days to receive it from New Zealand. Tamar

I have breastfed my adoptive son since he was born, and have used Domperidone to increase my milk supply. See http//www.breastfeedingonline.com/domperidonewhere.shtml for information about where to obtain domperidone. Links within this web site also provide more information about domperidone.

I found the cheapest place was the one listed under New Zealand on this web site. They take orders by e-mail or telephone and do not require a prescription. The web site indicates it takes 10- 14 days to get it, but I think my last order actually arrived in less than a week.

If you want more information about my experience, please feel free to contact me. sally

Ideas for Boosting Milk Supply

Nov. 1998

a few things that have worked for me and for the moms on the breastfeeding list I subscribe to: Fenugreek capsules: apparently you can take up to 3 caps. 3x per day, but I only take one or two--experiment and see what works for you. also, mothers milk tea works really well for me. and really, really drink lots of water--its makes a difference long term. one note: all of these options usually take 3-4 days to work, so don't get discouraged. if you stick with it, you should see a difference. good luck! Ann

I breastfed my two sons for more than a year each. Instead of water try the following. Herbtea-blend from these plants: fennel, aniseed, carawayseed and stinging nettel one teaspoon of each (slightly crushed in a mortar) for one quarter of boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drink at least two quarts a day. Or try lots of alcohol-free beer. Never drink peppermint tea or sage (salvia officinalis). This would reduce milk supply. a mother

What works for me is making sure I get lots of liquid (and I mean lots -- over a gallon) a day. Also, I drink Mother's Milk Tea (available at Berkeley Bowl, Andronico's, or Whole Foods) almost every day. Try drinking a strong brew of the stuff, then pumping 3 hours later. I understand switching breasts during a feeding helps (because it stimulates production on both breasts), but you have to be careful that your baby does not get a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Rest, rest, rest. It is possible, also, that your baby is going through a growth spurt and is simply nursing a lot to boost up the supply. FWIW, I am not as successful a pumper as you are: 2 1/2 ounces a session is good for me. I have also noticed that by the end of the day, my baby wants to nurse contantly. He doesn't have a regular sleeping pattern yet, though he tends to sleep through the night one night and wake up every two hours the next (if you want to call that a pattern). It's possible that your body is still recovering from the flu, so try not to panic just yet. I would suggest you call a lactation consultant to have a more focused approach to what's going on. Also, there are two newsgroups with tons of knowledgeable, experienced, women who can offer you other suggestions: alt.support.breastfeeding and misc.kids.breastfeeding. Good luck! Laurel

I had the same problem and was told to drink one can of beer a day. The yeast in the beer does a lot to boost the mild supply. Good luck!

I have found two things to be useful for helping to keep up my supply of milk while pumping at work (I am in my ninth month of pumping, and will probably continue for some time as my son is allergic to cow's milk):

1: double pump with a hospital-grade pump (I have a Pump-in-Style),
2. make sure I pump for a minimum of 10 minutes (this would be per breast on those rare days I actually forget my pump and have to hand express), increasing to 15 minutes if I've been sick and my milk supply is low.
3. use either fenugreek or Mother's Milk Tea to increase milk supply. (to make the tea, steep 1 tsp. fenugreek for 5 minutes and drink 3 times a day -there are also capsules.) after I've been sick and supply is low. I've found the fenugreek to work incredibly well (I don't think it works for everyone) within 24-48 hours.

After being sick, I find my supply takes 3-5 days to get back to normal. I have gotten the above information from the book The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins, and also from the wonderful breastfeeding support board at www.parentsplace.com. They have a general board with links at the top to good breastfeeding sites, and they also have specific boards for working and pumping, etc. Questions posted to the general breastfeeding board are usually answered within hours (if not minutes). I want to note that some of the sites mentioned in the breastfeeding board have more information on foods and herbs that increase milk supply. Pia

I read with interest the advice for boosting milk supply. The original poster had been ill and was trying to recover previous lactation levels. The advice for using Fenugreek, Water, Mother's Milk Tea, Water, Dark Beer, Non-Alcoholic Beer, Water and rest was all very good and these practices do work for many mothers. However, I wanted to mention on behalf of new moms out there struggling with their milk supply that sometimes, no matter what you do and what you swallow, you produce the amount of milk that you produce. I am talking about new moms who are just starting to nurse. It took me a long time, but I finally had to accept that my breasts produced only on demand while my daughter was nursing, and I had to nurse her every 2 hours. I had allowed myself to agonize over the fact that my breasts did not leak and hardly filled up between nursing. I had seen women who were flowing with abundant milk and I kept thinking that something was wrong with me. (My sister-in-law could have watered the lawn and actually had enough to donate to a Milk Bank.) I have size DD cups, so size has nothing to do with it. It seemed that most of the advice for breast-feeding was directed towards moms with engorgement problems, and anyone who did not leak was supposed to be grateful. I finally stopped worrying, noticed all of my daughter's poopy and wet diapers and weight gain, and relaxed. I made a gallant effort to pump and only got 2 to 3 ounces each time with a double pump while co-workers were filling large bottles with one sitting. My husband was very supportive the entire time and cheered me on no matter how much I pumped each day. Now my daughter is 3 and I still make enough to have a night-night nurse right before brushing teeth and going to bed. So love your breasts and enjoy breastfeeding!

I too had a hard time with my milk supply. There are many reasons that it might have been so One thing to be mindful of is that the mini-pill, in *some* women (about 5%) can reduce your milk supply. Another to check is what kind of breast pump you are using. I was told by a La Leche League leader that the hospital-grade pumps that you rent are better for maintaining supply, because they have a more natural cycling action. I was using a Medela Pump-In-Style that you can buy. Evidently, it has been known to happen that, using the Pump-In-Style or other for-purchase pumps, you will start out pumping just fine, and gradually the amount you pump will decrease. So if it's not too late to bother with (as it was in my case), you might try a different pump for a month, just to see if it helps.

Something to try (in addition to carrying around water all the time and drinking till your kidneys float!) is Fenugreek. This is an herbal product that you can get at many health-food stores (I bought mine at Whole Foods, mostly). You start with two or three a day, and increase to six or eight capsules a day, say two at a time at mealtimes. Try to take it with food, since it can upset your stomach in these quantities (though I never had trouble with this). It evidently stimulates the milk production, because it stimulates production from the sweat glands (milk ducts are modified sweat glands). The idea is to get your dose up to enough that your sweat smells slightly of licorice--that means you are taking enough. I know that when I managed to take my Fenugreek religiously, and drink like a fish, my milk supply went way up. So I think that it worked for me.

I would also recommend that you contact La Leche League. Tricia Jalbert is one of several Leaders in the Berkeley/Oakland area; her phone number is 530-2645. She can give you information on meetings and other leaders' phone numbers. The next evening meeting is Thursday, November 19 (this week!) at the Zion church on Park in Oakland, at 7 pm. (I am planning to be there this month, so maybe you and I can meet.) Dawn Good luck!