Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to resume breastfeeding after having stopped? The answer is a resounding YES, it is! Thanks to a process called Relactation. Let’s delve into what it is and how it works!
Breastfeeding: Dream & Challenges
Breastfeeding is both a dream and, at times, a challenge for many mothers. While the desire to experience this bonding moment is strong, obstacles and lack of support often lead to premature discontinuation, leaving mothers to stop breastfeeding much sooner than intended.
We’ve all heard about the numerous benefits of breastfeeding, especially in the early months of a baby’s life. But what if the milk supply has seemingly dried up or if you had a hard time due to sore nipples? Enter relactation, a technique that can help reestablish breastfeeding.
Understanding Relactation
In relactation, women can restart producing breast milk even after a hiatus of weeks or even months. Regardless of why a mother stopped producing milk or breastfeeding, relactation offers a pathway back to normal breastfeeding.
How Does Relactation Work?
Understanding relactation requires insight into how lactation works —how we produce milk and how we breastfeed.
Breastfeeding fundamentally revolves around supply and demand: the more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the body produces. The baby’s suction during breastfeeding stimulates the nipples, telling the body to produce more milk.
Relactation leverages this information to restart milk production. How? Through frequent nipple stimulation, using methods such as pumping, tubing, syringes, hands, and/or with the assistance of the baby’s suction, often concurrently. This process helps restore milk production.
Once the body recommences milk production (relactates), maintaining regular pumping is vital to establish and sustain a consistent milk supply. The guidance of a Lactation Consultant is crucial in this process, offering proper direction tailored to each woman’s individual situation and family context.
The Consultant typically starts by assessing the age, weight, and amount of milk produced, determining the need for supplementary feeding (pasteurized donated human milk or infant formula) while relactation and milk production are reestablished.
When to Consider Relactation
- When a mother ceased breastfeeding earlier than desired, for any reason.
- When a mother has adopted a newborn and wishes to breastfeed.
- When a baby has been ill or separated from the mother for a period without breastfeeding.
- When a mother had to interrupt breastfeeding due to using medication incompatible with lactation for a specific period and wants to resume.
In conclusion, relactation is a valuable opportunity for mothers to regain the breastfeeding bond, overcoming obstacles and ensuring the well-being of both themselves and their babies.
Understanding Relactation
In relactation, women can restart producing breast milk even after a hiatus of weeks or even months. Regardless of why a mother stopped producing milk or breastfeeding, relactation offers a pathway back to normal breastfeeding.
How Does Relactation Work?
Understanding relactation requires insight into how lactation works —how we produce milk and how we breastfeed.
Breastfeeding fundamentally revolves around supply and demand: the more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the body produces. The baby’s suction during breastfeeding stimulates the nipples, telling the body to produce more milk.
Relactation leverages this information to restart milk production. How? Through frequent nipple stimulation, using methods such as pumping, tubing, syringes, hands, and/or with the assistance of the baby’s suction, often concurrently. This process helps restore milk production.
Once the body recommences milk production (relactates), maintaining regular pumping is vital to establish and sustain a consistent milk supply. The guidance of a Lactation Consultant is crucial in this process, offering proper direction tailored to each woman’s individual situation and family context.
The Consultant typically starts by assessing the age, weight, and amount of milk produced, determining the need for supplementary feeding (pasteurized donated human milk or infant formula) while relactation and milk production are reestablished.
How Long Does Relactation Take?
Setting realistic expectations is a crucial step in the relactation process. Breastfeeding is not just a physical endeavor; it involves psychological and emotional aspects as well. Therefore, the time it takes to resume lactation and reestablish regular breastfeeding can vary from woman to woman, depending on individual circumstances.
It’s important to emphasize that the majority of mothers can breastfeed partially or entirely with the right support. However, the relactation process can be time-consuming. Moreover, the success of relactation depends, on one hand, on the parents’ motivation and dedication to the process, and on the other hand, on the qualified assistance of a Lactation Consultant.
That being said, there’s no fixed timeframe. A woman may resume lactating within a matter of days after nipple stimulation begins, or it may take weeks or even months of stimulation.
- Several important factors come into play:
- The duration since the woman stopped lactating.
- The baby’s age.
- Physical characteristics (such as inverted nipples or weak suction, for example).
The chances of relactation success are higher with younger babies. Generally, babies up to 4 months old respond much better and more easily return to breastfeeding.
However, if your child is older, don’t be discouraged! Even if it’s not possible to establish a complete milk supply, meaning you can’t provide all of the baby’s feedings, being able to lactate partially is still a better alternative than complete breastfeeding cessation. Babies will always benefit from breastfeeding, even if not as frequently as the mother would prefer.
So, to answer our initial question…
Is it Possible to Resume Breastfeeding After Stopping?
Yes, it is entirely possible! The relactation process is more common than it might seem and generally does not involve invasive or chemical techniques. With the right stimulation and informed guidance from a Lactation Consultant, most women can resume lactating, even if they stopped producing milk weeks or even months ago.
Seeking help as early as possible is ideal. The sooner, the greater the chances of successful relactation. If you have difficulty finding a Lactation Consultant in your area, reach out to the Milk Bank at the nearest hospital or maternity ward and seek support from the Maternity nurses—they can provide guidance! 🙂
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