Relactation means producing breast milk again after you've stopped nursing. And yes, it's possible. In fact, you may be able to produce breast milk even if you've never breastfed before – this is called induced lactation. It takes time and commitment; you'll need to pump as often as 8 to 12 times a day. But you may be able to produce enough breast milk to exclusively feed your baby. Or you may produce enough to provide your baby with the benefits of breast milk while supplementing with formula. Show What is relactation?Relactation means restarting breastfeeding after stopping. You may have stopped for weeks or months, or it may be years since you last breastfed. The process takes time and dedication, but it's doable. When you relactate, you may eventually produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed your baby. Or you may produce enough to nourish your baby with some breast milk while supplementing with formula. (Even small amounts of breast milk are beneficial!) Relactation also enables you to have a breastfeeding relationship with your baby. To relactate, you need to take two steps to signal your body that it needs to produce milk:
Can breast milk come back after drying up?Yes, it's possible to start over with breastfeeding after stopping. Even if you're not able to exclusively breastfeed and need to provide your baby with supplemental formula, you may be able to produce some milk for them. Relactation is easiest for women who recently stopped breastfeeding and for whom breastfeeding was initially well established in the weeks after delivery. It's also most successful with babies who are less than 3 months old. But most women can relactate, even if they haven't breastfeed for years – and even after menopause. (In fact, even if you've never breastfed, you may be able to induce lactation – see below.) How long will relactation take?Relactation can begin with the first drops of milk in as little as a few days, but it may take weeks or even months. It will depend on:
Here are some encouraging signs that your body is producing breast milk:
Is relactation safe?Relactation is perfectly safe, but you'll want to enlist the help of your baby's doctor and/or a lactation consultant to make sure your baby is always receiving enough nourishment as you transition from formula to breast milk. Babies generally need about 2.5 ounces of breast milk or formula daily per pound of body weight until they're about 3 or 4 months old. And you can measure this if you're bottle feeding your baby formula and/or breast milk. But things can get a little tricky when you're also nursing and can't measure how much breast milk your baby is getting. (You'll gradually be replacing infant formula with breast milk and/or breastfeeding.) Your doctor or lactation consultant can help you develop a schedule for transitioning to breast milk as your supply increases. During the process, they'll make sure your baby is thriving by monitoring their weight gain, stool and urine output, and activity level (are they alert and avid nursers or are they lethargic?). What are some of the reasons women try to relactate?Some of the many reasons you may want to relactate include:
What about induced lactation?If you're going to adopt a baby or become a parent via surrogacy, you can still produce some breast milk for the baby. If you've nursed a baby before, the process may be a bit easier, but even if you've never nursed in the past, you can still produce at least some breast milk for your baby. Remember, however much milk you can produce will benefit your baby, even if you're not able to exclusively breastfeed. Your body produces hormones during pregnancy (estrogen and progesterone) and shortly after delivery (prolactin) that help your body produce milk. But with support, you can also produce milk, even if you've never been pregnant. In fact, you don't need to have ovaries or a uterus to produce breast milk, because these hormones are produced by your pituitary gland, at the base of your brain. Some women who know they'll be adopting or becoming surrogate parents will take medication to help mimic pregnancy and/or other medication to later stimulate milk production at the same time they start pumping. There are a couple of methods using different medications and different timelines. Milk production takes an average of 4 weeks after you start pumping. All of these medications have side effects – and they're not all appropriate for all women. Your doctor can help develop the best plan for you. Be sure to ask about the pros and cons when considering the prescription. You may be able to produce breast milk without taking medication simply by putting your baby to the breast. You're less likely to produce significant amounts of breast milk this way, though, and the process may take even longer. Relactation tipsHere are some tips for relactation success:
Even moms who have been breastfeeding all along sometimes experience problems with low milk supply. Many of the tips for increasing your milk supply may be helpful for you during relactation, too. Learn more:
How do I get my milk supply back after stopping?This decrease in milk production usually takes weeks. 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.
Is it possible to gain back milk supply?Can you increase your milk supply after it decreases? Yes. The fastest way to increase your milk supply is to ask your body to make more milk. Whether that means nursing more often with your baby or pumping – increased breast stimulation will let your body know you need it to start making more milk.
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