Pumping Maniac-- Pumping to Induce Lactation

We got matched on August 21. Of course we were elated to hear the news that we would be welcoming a little girl into our lives. From the very first phone call, I learned that our birth mom was very supportive of my endeavor to induce lactation and nurse our baby. She had stumbled across some information indicating I wanted to nurse this baby, and I was relieved and embarrassed to hear that she knew this information. More relieved when I knew that she was completely on board and had asked our social worker to let us know right away that we had been matched so that I could have milk ready in time.

I started pumping about 4 weeks before our baby was due to be born (per the Newman Goldfarb protocol)-- Mid October as we'd been expecting her arrival sometime around the end of November. I stopped the birth control pill and was looking forward to seeing what would happen (though not excited to get my period after 5 months without a cycle). 

I started out gradually-- pumping just 1-2 times per day and rapidly working my way towards pumpingn10-12 times per day in preparation for feeding a newborn. I used La Leche Leagues "Massage, Stroke, Shake" technique before each pumping session, as well as a warm rice sock compress over my breasts throughout each pumping session. I also used a technique called "power pumping" to help cluster my pumping sessions together throughout the day, and was also hoping that this would help me maximize my output by bumping up my prolactin levels. I strafing of pumping for twenty minutes straight, I would pump for about 10 minutes with a few minutes break and then pump again twice more for 10 minutes each with breaks in between. I tried to do some nipple and breast massage as much as possible. 

It was an incredibly gratifying feeling to get a drop of sticky honey-like milk on the pumping flanges the very first time that I pumped. I completely expected that it may take several days for me to see anything. And that was the beginning-- the beginning of restoring faith in my body. That it was capable of something that could nurture and grow a baby. 

As insane as it sounds, I knew that demand would drive up my supply, so I planned to offer the breast as often as possible once we met our baby. I also knew that I would delay introducing a bottle for as long as possible, and do lots of (continuous) skin to skin in the early days (my bare skin next to her bare skin with a diaper on only). I was researching formula options in the event I would need to use some. Honestly, I was terrified of using any for,usa, and I had to quickly get over that-- but more on that later. I had my plan in place for making this happen, and felt that I had my support people ready too. My husband and I also took an in home Breastfeeding class so that it could be tailored to our specific situation.