Motillium vs Formula

I have been feeding DD for close on 4 months and I have truly treasured EVERY moment of being able to Breastfeed her :)

I am starting to realise that I will probably have to be on Motillium long-term - well, for as long as I BF her. Those of you that have read my previous posts will know that it took 12 days for me before I could exclusively feed her. I was on Motillium from day 1. So my supply wasn't great to begin with.

After a month or so, I started weaning myself off the Motillium super-slowly - it took ages. Eventually I was totally off them and 2 weeks later I hardly had any milk. She was feeding constantly and her nappies were nowhere near as wet as they used to be. Her weight gain also slowed.

I freaked out and started on the Motillium again - it took over a week to kick in and now, after two weeks, I am in oversupply (can't win, can you?!). So I am now going to start weaning back down to a lower dose and see how I go.

The problem is that I hate the idea of having to take medication to breastfeed (I am already on chronic medication for depression) - especially if it is secreted in my milk (safe or not, it is still medication). I dread the thought of having to formula feed (primarily because I tried sooo hard to BF this time and all of the problems we encountered when I FF DS), but I am now wondering if it is something I should be considering.

I am struggling with the idea of taking the Motillium for another 8 months until she is one year old, or stopping earlier and moving her onto formula. I found it hard even typing the previous sentence :(

What would you ladies suggest?

LIG - I often wonder if it is better to medicate and BF or just FF. Will be interested in peoples responses.

Do you want to know the chemicals and manufacturing etc in formula vs the motilium in your BM? Or is it more than that?

I just thought i'd ask because i'm not sure if it's purely a concern about secreting motilium in your breastmilk that you think is dangerous? If it is, just that, then i would ring a pharmacist - a proper breastfeeding savvy one, and ask about motilium. Get them to look into it and call you back. There are a couple (one in particular) in melbourne and he's awesome. Loves to help BF mums. There might be one in Brissy too.

I used Motillium for a year for my son. It is supposed to be safe for a year, but no trials had been done longer than a year, so after a year I stopped, and lost my supply (cleft bub with no suction, so by pump only). If your loving it, no need to stop. Breastmilk, even with a trace amount of Motillium is better than formula if you want to keep going babe. Motillium is also given to children, so cant be that bad! LOL

With DS2 i was on Motillium until they wouldn't prescribe it any longer too, but i never got an oversupply to how your explaining it but as soon as i stopped it i also had pretty much no milk and DS2 refused to latch on then (10 months). I hoping this time will be different but i will see what happens.

I read up on it with a view to finding out side effects for myself, not bubs.

It is used as anti nausea drug, for cancer and AIDS patients. Long term it can reduce your dopamine levels, so in my case I decided against taking it long term - as I have a previous history of depression. I would guess the effect reverses when you stop taking it.

I wouldn't panic, but rather just keep that in mind.

I have depression as well, and used motillium to boost supply when DD2 refused to feed and I had to pump for a while. After speaking with a few Lactation consultants and nutritionists, they were all convinced it was better for me to get as much breastmilk into DD as possible, and that formula was not as good as breast milk with motillium in it. I kept on motillium for a few months and slowly we weaner her back onto breast and no formula (I used goats milk formula as it is the closest thing to breast milk).

Hi, You have really done such an amazing ob here, and I don't think your breastfeeding journey needs to end anytime soon. I think you can broker a win/win situation for yourself and your baby.
Interestingly, while the risks of using mottilium haven't been researched well beyond 12mnths, the risks associated with using infant formula have been well researched. I am not saying it's poison, just that there are risks associated with it's use, and I just point this out because so many people
assume that formula is risk free.
As your lactation progresses it should be less reliant on high levels of prolactin as the baby's sucking is the thing that regulates supply. I note that you tried weaning off motilium when your little one was 4 weeks old, but perhaps things were not suffieciently bedded down for her feeding alone to drive supply. This may not be the same later on down the track.
Around 6 mnths of age babies begin to eat solids. At first it's more for the experience than the nutrition. But, over the course of the second half of baby's first year, food gradually takes over from milk. Breastmilk supply does reduce - but that's the way it works. Your baby needs less milk so you make less milk. You might find that you can "top up" your baby with food and, depending on how you feel reduce the motilium. Your supply might be strong enough to "stand alone" in the second half of the year and your baby won't need as much milk as she will be supplemented by food. A mum in our aBA group found that in the early days she fed at the breast, expressed and topped up with EBM and formula, but after the baby started solids she was able to remove the formula from his diet so he had just breastmilk and food.

I'm on motilium as well since DS was 9 weeks old. I can't stop taking it due to supply either. BM is advantageous for my son because he is at high risk of allergies and food intolerances...and in fact does have an allergy and a gene for a gluten intolerance. BM can help delay or possibly prevent the onset of celiac disease and keep that gene latent. Anyhow this may not be a factor for you but it is amazing the potential benefits of BM so for me that outweighed the shift to FF. I'm not sure how long I will take motilium but probably as long as I give my son BM, but I don't think it will be beyond 1 year so I feel comfortable using motilium inside 1 year. My GP has no problems prescribing it and I believe it is often recommended by LCs as well. Oh, the paediatrician has no problems with DS getting traces of it over the long term.

Thanks for all of the helpful feedback - it really has put my mind at ease and I really do look forward to breastfeeding my little girl until at least 1, when I may re-evaluate the situation.

Lenny, I hadn't actually even considered the amount of chemicals that would be necessary in the manufacturing of formula. I was more approaching it from the cows milk vs human milk perspective (DS had an allergy to cows milk and it, frankly, scares me that I may have to go through that again with DD should she ever be FF). My GP is pretty knowledgeable re BF, so I may run it past him too.

For those of you that have been on it for 1 year, that is so good to know. I didn't know they had even done clinical trials to prove it save over that period of time (given that it is just used for its side-effects).

emc2, I am very susceptible to any mood-altering drugs and have found myself quite sensitive to many classes of prescription meds. Fortunately I have had absolutely no side-effects from Motillium, but it is something I will keep in mind over the next couple of months.

Lisa, as I mentioned earlier on, we have a history of Cows Milk Protein Intolerance in the family and, the reality is that if DD is also allergic, she will probably end up on an elemental formula, which, whilst very helpful and an absolute-lifesaver for DS, is horribly synthetic and refined and I hate the thought of having to give her that (it upset me enough having to give it to DS). Sadly, by the time I would find that out, my milk would probably have dried up. This is another reason why I tried so very hard to BF this time and really want to continue.

Barb, as always, you are so full of such helpful advice :) I had considered that she would be less dependent on BF when we started solids in 2 months time, but it is also largely to do with how well she takes to them. If she is a slow starter and her solids routine is only established at a later stage, then the BM could remain as her primary source of food intake for arguably another 4 or 5 months which is why I asked the question. Hopefully she will enjoy her food and there won't be anything to worry about. At least then, if I don't stop it completely, I could certainly reduce my dose.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond :)

Thanks - that is what I was inferring, just to keep it in mind.

Also Motilium is cheaper on a private script you can get it in bulk for just under $20. It's cheaper that way even if you're on a concession card lmao.

It was just my overall circumstances as to why I didn't continue BF as well. Jim's a footling breech, had an emergency caesar under GA, antibiotics for ages after, had a bladder infection, I am single, had relationship break up, I just found it easier to switch to formula. I always had a supply but it did look watery, I was happy for him to have it as long as possible as it was better than the formula.

I'm not on a concession card and I've found the price of motilium varies greatly so so shop around if you go on motilium. The chemists I've been to sell 100 tablets ranging anywhere between $20-30. This can get exxy if you are on a high dosage. I"m on 8 tablets a day so it adds up quickly and is worth shopping around.

Eight?? goodness

It is cheaper without a concession card lol

Thanks for the pricing info. My GP has only given me one repeat even though I asked for more. I am currently on 6 a day (no concession card), but that seems to be too high so now I am weaning back to 3 a day which will work out a lot cheaper in the long run.

The GP - a locum said she didn't know and wrote me both scripts.

Then I went to the chemist and they said the GP - it's illegal to write a prescription for the same medication on the same day or something - so she said she'd have to destroy one.

Anyway the private script which was for 100 tablets was just under $20 vs the smaller amount of tablets for $5.60 (concession card). That was at Terry White in Brissie here.

I pay $17.35 for 350 tablets, no concession card. My GP rings to get special approval for the script to be on the PBS. I also take 80mg per day and both the GP and paed are happy for me to continue taking the Motilium for as long as I want to continue to BF (I have had breast reductions and have supply issues).