You can also find support by joining a breastfeeding support group. Talk to the people there about the reason you stopped or never started breastfeeding, to see if they can give advice. Show
Find your local breastfeeding support group Milk productionMilk production depends upon a number of factors, including:
It also depends on health reasons, such as:
Practical and emotional support is important for milk production also. How lactation worksDuring pregnancy, the milk-making cells and ducts in the breasts enlarge and multiply. Your first breast milk (colostrum) is produced from late in pregnancy. This is low volume milk, high in protein and antibodies. After giving birth, you produce milk. It is released in response to the baby's suckling. The hormones prolactin and oxytocin help with this also. Relactation is stimulating the breasts to produce milk again. This is if you have breastfed before but left a gap. It's also possible to breastfeed if you have never given birth. If you have never given birth before, this process is called induced lactation. For example, you may want to breastfeed your adopted baby. Or you may have a baby in a same sex relationship and wish to feed your newborn. How to induce lactationIt's possible to induce lactation successfully and bring in your milk supply. It can take anything from a few days to a few weeks to be able to produce a few drops of milk. To help stimulate lactation:
Planning and support can make induced lactation easier. Contact a lactation specialist as early as possible. Using a supplementerYou can also wear a supplemeter to help induce lactation. This is a way to give your baby formula or expressed breast milk as they feed on the breast. A supplementer is made up of:
When your baby suckles at the breast, milk is drawn through the tubing to their mouth. At the same time, it stimulates your breast and removes the milk you have made. Taking medicineCertain hormonal, herbal and dietary treatments can also help stimulate milk production. If you are adopting a baby, you can induce lactation using oral contraceptives. Talk to a breastfeeding specialist or your GP for more information. Learning to breastfeedBreastfeeding may be a totally new experience for your baby. They may take to it quickly or need time and patience to get used to this new way of feeding. Breastfeeding may be a new experience for you too so read about how to get breastfeeding off to a good start. Close contactOffer lots of close contact to help your baby associate close contact with comfort. Skin-to-skin contact is very important. Try breastfeeding your baby:
Supplementing breastfeedsAt first, you will need to supplement the breastfeeds. This means giving your baby other milk while you work to increase your milk production. You can do this with formula or any expressed breast milk you have. Carefully follow guidelines on how to prepare baby formula. If you have expressed breast milk, give this first before you give your baby any infant formula. Do not mix the two together. Types of formula milk Monitoring weight gainCheck your baby's weight gain. Keep a check on their wet and dirty nappies to reassure yourself they are getting enough milk. Knowing if your newborn is getting enough breast milk Breastfeed oftenIt may take some patience to get your baby to breastfeed effectively. If they are willing, offer the breast every 1 to 2 hours and at least 10 to 12 times every 24 hours. Cut out any soother use and let them breastfeed for comfort as well as food. This will help to stimulate milk production. Encourage night-time and frequent evening nursing. Breastfeeding at this time can be particularly good at increasing milk production. A soft carrier or sling can be a handy way of keeping your baby close and encouraging breastfeeding. If it does not work outThere may come a point when you decide to stop because it is not working out. Relactation and induced lactation are hard work and take a lot of time and patience. Your baby needs to be co-operative also. Whatever happens, be proud. Every single drop of breast milk you have given your baby will have been beneficial. Can breast milk come back after drying up?It's called re-lactation. It's possible for the female body to come back from “drying up” and produce milk again. In fact, many mothers of adopted children are able to pump and use several methods in order to stimulate their bodies to produce milk, even if they haven't given birth!
Can you restart breastfeeding after stopping?Some parents impacted by the baby formula shortage may be wondering if they can start breastfeeding again. A process known as re-lactation can help patients produce breast milk, even if it has been weeks or months since they did so.
Can you restart your milk production?If there is still some milk in your breasts, you can start rebuilding your supply by removing milk from your breasts as often as you can. You can do this by breastfeeding, if your baby is still willing, or by expressing milk by hand or with a breast pump.
How long does it take to Relactate?The amount of time it takes to relactate is about equal to how long it has been since breastfeeding stopped. About half of the women who sucessfully relactated had a full milk supply within a month. The others took over one month or offered formula also.
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