I stopped breastfeeding and want to start again, suggestions on how to get my milk producing?
2 November 2009 7 Responses
A Parent asks, My son is 8 weeks old now, and I stopped breastfeeding at around 4 weeks. I still have some milk, because when I squeeze my nipple, milk comes out. How can I get my milk production back up to continue breastfeeding? Or is it too late?
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I don’t know if it’s too late, but breastmilk is produced on a supply and demand system, so the more your baby feeds from your breast, even if she’s only getting a tiny bit of milk, the more your breast will produce. I would try each time she’s hungry to put her on the breast, let her drink what’s there until it’s completely empty, and then formula feed her the rest of the meal. Gradually you’ll make more and more milk if she keeps sucking. I’d also try a supplement like fenugreek to up your production.
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You can relactate, but it’s a lot of work.
You need to get a hospital grade pump and pump every 2 hours for 15-20 minutes.
You need to get baby to nurse as often as possible. Baby may become frustrated because there is no milk there, so I would suggest getting a supplemental nurse (medela has one, and so does lact-aid) http://www.Medela.com or http://www.lact-aid.com (I liked the lact-aid one better) It is an investment though whereas the medela one is cheaper and may be available from an LC.
Take fenugreek (3 capsules 3 times a day) or blessed thistle. You can also get an RX from you obgyn called Reglan. (or you can order domperidone but much harder to get)
You can also order More Milk Plus from motherlove.com (It’s a combo of herbs that may help than just the single ones.
I would also try http://www.mobimotherhood.org. They have a whole list of herbs to take to help milk supply.
I would google relactation (www.kellymom.com has a lot of info. Or Dr. Jack Newman does too)
Eat long cook oatmeal. (It really will help)
The more you stimulate the more you will make. You may not have your full supply back, but it will be close.
I tried to go back to nursing after strictly pumping and she refused because my milk was so slow. You may have better luck.
Email me if you need any more info
jaygirl01@yahoo.com
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Like the other poster said, pump pump pump, as much as you can with an electric pump.
I had a low supply and this did it for me. If you try now it may not be too late. I had to keep pumping until around 4months, when finally my milk supply adjusted and I got to where I needed to be to exclusively breast-feed my baby.
If you are comfortable with it and can do it responsibly, you could ty co-sleeping with the baby as the night-time feeds stimulate milk production more than any other time of the day. Prolactin is higher in the early hours. You could try breast-feeding lying down, that’s what we did anyway and baby and you both go back to sleep with baby attached.
Breast=feeding releases a hormone that makes you feel sleepy so that you go back to sleep when baby wakes for a feed, but it also releases a hormone that stops you entering the 4th stage of sleep, the very deepest sleep, to stop you from rolling onto your baby.
Anyway, I digress, good luck with it, hope you get it back
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Hi, I agree with Sara K. she gave a great inside. For me was very helpful drinking tea with milk (English style). I drunk a cup(big one) an hour before breastfeeding and I felt it coming. There is many other natural stimulants, but I would be afraid to suggest something without knowing your physical conditions and allergies.
Also I am sorry to disappoint you, but when you squeeze the nipple milk shows up it is not necessary that you have milk left. I breastfed my daughter for almost a year and I was able to squeeze some milk out three years after.
Good luck.
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get a prescription for reglan and pump/put him to breast every two hours
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Get a pump and express. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink a lot of fluids, not caffiene. The more stimulation your breasts have the better. A looser bra allowes for more expansion. Warm showers, using a warm compress helps also. Let the baby nurse, stimulating your nipples in any way encourages milki to come back. Supplement the babys’ diet with formula until you are sure that there is enough breast milk to keep it healthy. If the baby loses weight, see a doctor.
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Its possible to relactate if your committed to breastfeeding. Agree you need to either offer baby to breast or pump 2-3 hourly. If baby is in skin to skin with you this will aid your hormonal responses to release milk (let-down reflex). Breastfeeding should be led by baby and allow him/her to go to the breast as often as he/she wants for as long as he/she wants to feed. This will ensure all the baby obtains all the nutrients from the feed. It should be baby that dictates when the feed ends.
Some people recommend having a warm bath with your baby (check temperature no too hot), it is thought to make baby think he/she has just be born and often stimulates those first feeding responses in mum and baby. Regular skin to skin contact will also encourage these responses as well as aid bonding with your baby.
It is not necessary to take herbal supplements as we don’t know enough about the affects on these remedies have on baby’s as some may pass through the milk. Trust your body, think of long term health benefits for you and baby. Good luck!
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