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If you stopped breastfeeding and want to start back up, it is possible to encourage your body to start producing breast milk again. Back to Top In This Article
Breastfeeding is often called a natural part of motherhood. But for many women, breastfeeding isn't always easy or even possible. Maybe you had to stop breastfeeding because it became anxiety-producing for both you and baby in the early newborn days, or perhaps you were separated from your little one due to illness or postpartum recovery. Or maybe you are the proud mother of an adopted child or one born through surrogacy and want to try breastfeeding. The good news? Some women can get a second chance at lactation, or even induce it if they didn’t give birth. Relactation and induced lactation take a considerable amount of time and effort, but with some persistence and patience, they can happen. Here’s what you need to know. What is relactation?Relactation is when you start breastfeeding again after a gap. That gap might be as little as a few days, or as long as several weeks or even months. There are different reasons why you might want to relactate, including:
Relactation generally works best if you either gave birth fairly recently (especially if your baby is less than 3 months old) or you’ve only stopped nursing for a short period of time. While you might struggle to return to exclusive breastfeeding, most women will produce some milk and supplement with formula. What is induced lactation?A woman might want to induce lactation (start to produce milk) if she wants to breastfeed but did not give birth. If you adopted a baby or used a gestational surrogate, it's possible to prompt your body to start producing milk with assistance from a doctor or nurse practitioner, since it may require medication. Continue Reading Below Read This NextIf you have enough time — generally, a few months before you plan to start nursing — your medical provider will likely prescribe hormone therapy such as estrogen or progesterone to mimic pregnancy. About two months before you plan to begin breastfeeding, you’ll probably stop hormone therapy and begin pumping with a hospital-grade electric pump. This will encourage your body to produce and release prolactin. The falling levels of estrogen and progesterone and increase in prolactin is what triggers milk production. Once your baby arrives, you’ll want to nurse frequently, just as you would for any other newborn (at least every few hours during the day, and two to three times during the night). But you’ll probably also have to supplement with formula to make sure your little one gets the nutrition she needs. How can you relactate?Relactation requires frequent stimulation to the breast, ideally from nursing. It's a long process, but here's how it works:
Can any foods or supplements help increase your milk supply during relactation?While you may have heard from other moms who swear that they ramped up their milk production by eating oatmeal every day or sipping fenugreek tea, there’s very little high-quality evidence out there that proves these foods actually work. Here's a look at five foods commonly used to boost breast milk supply.
Tips to make relactation or induced lactation easierIf you’re considering either relactation or induced lactation, you should work closely with a physician or an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). There are also a few steps you can take to make the road to breastfeeding smoother for both you and baby.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
Was this article helpful? What Our Community Is Talking AboutJoin inCan you Relactate by just pumping?And the single most effective thing for you to do if you want to relactate is to breastfeed or pump as frequently as possible. Any stimulation of the breast — whether milk is coming out at first or not — will tell your body to produce more milk.
How long does it take for milk to come back after pumping?How soon does milk replenish after pumping? The body will treat pumping the same as if it were your baby emptying your breasts. While the milk is never truly all gone, it typically takes 20-30 minutes to rebuild to an adequate flow and closer to an hour to rebuild to peak flow.
How do you know if relactation is working?Signs Relactation Is Working
Your breasts feel fuller or heavier. They may even tingle or feel hotter. Your breasts are leaking milk. You're able to express/pump more milk.
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