Tough call - not sure what to do - please help

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SunnySkies

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Hi,

This is my first post here, but I have been reading a lot on this site and it seems like there are some really good posters who give great advice. I hope someone can help me!

I just gave birth to my first child after many years of trying. My husband and I are over the moon. Our son is 5 weeks old. He is doing great, thank the Lord!

The problem is that although I am very committed to nursing him, I have a low milk supply due to some other health problems I’ve got going on. I have seen two certified lactation consultants, my OBGYN and have called LLL for help. Trust me when I say I have done everything I can to nurse this baby, but unfortunately I am still coming up short in the production area.

Both my lactation consultants have advised me that I could take a medication called domperidone, which is a digestive motility medication. However, it has the side effect of increasing prolactin (the milk production hormone) levels, and thus increasing milk supply. I have talked with my OBGYN about it, and she agrees that this could be a good way for me to boost my production so that I do not have to constantly pump and supplement with formula. She has cleared me to take the pills.

However, because the medication increases your prolactin levels so much, it has the side effect of stopping ovulation and menstruation. Essentially your body always thinks you are immediately postpartum and lactating, so it is anovulatory until you come off the medicine. Obviously I am not ovulating or menstruating right now anyway, but I would not know at what point the medication would keep me from doing so. I would need to take the medication at least until my son was 1 year old.

Would it be okay for me to take this? I know milk supply is not a “life or death” thing and taking domperidone is not a lifesaving or even health preserving measure - it will simply help me make enough milk to feed by son without supplementing. I desperately want to breastfeed my son - he is such a good little nurser and loves it so much. I hate giving him supplemental bottles of formula. If there is a drug that could safely help me make ALL his milk I am so willing to take it. But would the church approve?

I did make an appointment with the priest in our parish but it’s not until April 27.

Thanks for your help. This is driving me nuts.
 
From what you’ve said, I don’t think there should be a problem with it. You are taking a medication to help increase milk supply; you aren’t taking it with the intent of it being used as a contraceptive. It has that side effect, but that is not your purpose for using it.
 
This is fine according to the Church. You aren’t taking the drug for contraception, it’s merely a side effect.
 
The halt of ovulation is a side effect of the medication, not its primary purpose. You are using it for necessary milk production, not contraception, so you are alright to go in the eyes of the Church. 🙂 Trust me! I’m presenting on contraception tonight in RCIA. Haha!
 
I think breastfeeding itself is a natural contraceptive (don’t take my word for it I’m a guy): my wife never get pregnant while breastfeeding.
 
triumphguy said:
I think breastfeeding itself is a natural contraceptive (don’t take my word for it I’m a guy): my wife never get pregnant while breastfeeding.
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This is true for some women, for others not. My fertility returned and I was back to business as usual when my daughter was only 12 weeks old, even though I was breastfeeding her. Some women get longer or shorter periods of infertility following the birth of a baby.
 
I had no idea such a medication existed, and I hope it works for you! I loved feeding both of my sons, I wish you all the best and I am sure that since you are not intending to contracept, you can take the medication with a clear conscience.
 
I took something similar for the same reason, 16 years ago.

Enjoy nursing your baby.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
I had no idea such a medication existed, and I hope it works for you! I loved feeding both of my sons, I wish you all the best and I am sure that since you are not intending to contracept, you can take the medication with a clear conscience.
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I had no idea it existed, either! It would’ve been nice to know about it with my first baby; I had insufficient milk supply with him and eventually had to just switch him over to formula because I couldn’t make anywhere near enough milk for him.
 
SummerSmiles said:
I had no idea it existed, either! It would’ve been nice to know about it with my first baby; I had insufficient milk supply with him and eventually had to just switch him over to formula because I couldn’t make anywhere near enough milk for him.
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It is a temporary solution. And it used to be only for those that didn’t make milk, not for those that didn’t make enough.

But for me, with a premature baby, was very important to get him through the first few weeks. After that we also had to switch to formula.
 
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