How to Relactate or Induce Lactation So You Can Breastfeed

There are many reasons that mothers quit breastfeeding. Some never start. However, it is not unusual to experience the desire to breastfeed weeks or even months after making the decision to use formula. If you have ever given birth, it is possible for you to relactate. Having nursed a child in the past increases your chance of success. Relactation or induced lactation takes a lot of time and patience, but it is, indeed, possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hospital Grade Breastpump
• Breastmilk Collection Bottles or Bags.
• Supplemental Nursing System (SNS)

1. 
   Find a Lactation Consultant

   Find a good lactation consultant. Your lactation consultant will work with you closely to give you the tools that you need to be successful. She may help purchase equipment, teach you how to use a breastpump, give you a pumping schedule, and get a prescription written for any medications you may need.

2. 
   Supplemental Nursing System

   Purchase an Supplemental Nursing System (SNS). Some women can relactate using this method alone. If you have nursed in the past, and it has not been long since you quit, all you may need is the stimulation of your baby nursing to restart your milk production. Whenever it is time for your baby to take a bottle, use the SNS instead. There will be instructions in the kit, and your lactation consultant can help you learn to assemble, wear, and latch the baby on to the system.

3. 
   Rent a Breastpump

   Rent a hospital grade breastpump. Even if you are having success with the SNS, a breastpump can speed up your progress. It is essential to those who have never breastfed, or who have a baby older than 4 months old. Your lactation consultant will help you make a pumping plan, but generally, it is recommended you pump ever 2-3 hours, 24hrs a day. This means waking up in the middle of the night to pump. Try to use both the SNS (when baby needs to feed) and the pump (still every 2-3hrs, even if baby just ate) for the greatest success.

4. 
   Collect Your Milk

   Collect your milk. Use sterile breastmilk collection bottles or bags to store your pumped milk. Even if you only pump a quarter of an ounce, save it. It is best to keep your milk in a bottle in the refrigerator and then feed it to your baby within 24hours. Freezing milk in bags is possible, but it decreases some of the health benefits. You can feed your pumped breastmilk to your baby through the SNS. Feed them your collected breastmilk first,(at first you may need to combine the milk from several pumpings to get a significant amount) and then finish up with formula.

5. 
   Take Herbs or Prescription Drugs

   If you feel your milk supply is not increasing fast enough, you may choose to take herbs, such as Fenugreek, to increase your supply. You also have the option of taking prescription medications. Reglan is often prescribed to increase milk supply, but it should only be taken on a short term basis. Please talk to your lactation consultant to determine what medications, if any, are right for you.

6. 
   Don't Get Discouraged

   Don't get discouraged. It can take weeks for your milk to come in, and some women never develop a full supply. Take pride in the fact that you are offering your baby a special bonding experience- even if you cannot produce all of her food. Once your baby starts solids, her milk intake will decrease, and you may, at that time, be able to be her sole source of milk. If you have an older baby that does not latch on to the breast well, you can always continue nursing by giving pumped breast milk through the SNS, or you can switch to giving your breastmilk in a bottle. You have to choose what is best for your family.

Tips & Warnings

• When trying to bring in your milk supply, you can do "super pumping" sessions. This is where you pump for an hour in intervals. Pump for 10 minutes, then rest for 5. Repeat this cycle until the hour is over.
• While pumping, try to look at your baby or think about your baby. This will help stimulate milk-producing hormones in your body.
• If you don't have family support, it can be very difficult to dedicate so much time to nursing and pumping. Do what is best for your family. Breast is best, but not if everyone is stressed!

Resources

• Relactation
• Pumps and Nurser Systems

[RDKVDV]

on 12/2/2008 This article is amazing. I didn't even know is was possible to re-lactate. I wish i had though. I would like to know if there is a maximm amount of time that is acceptable between quiting and re-lactating. I breastfed for the first three months but now my daughter is ten months old. Anyway thank you for all the useful information.

[AlexsMom]

on 10/27/2008 Good article. Thanks for the info. I personally took Reglan to try to increase my supply (I exclusively pump because my baby couldn't figure out how to get enough milk out of me), and it made me feel so tired that I became depressed; here I was trying to take care of a newborn and I had no energy to do anything. Luckily, I figured out that it was the Reglan and stopped taking it. I take Fenugreek and that seems to work well enough (my son's now 8 months old and only needs 2-6 oz a day of formula to supplement my milk).