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:
- You changed your mind about breastfeeding.
- You were separated from your baby due to illness or an emergency.
- You discovered your baby was sensitive or intolerant to infant formulas.
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.
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If 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:
- Try to breastfeed eight to 12 times a day, with at least two night feedings, for 15 to 20 minutes per session. Your baby’s suckle is more effective at getting your hormones to produce milk than a breast pump.
- Finish each nursing session with five to 10 minutes of pumping. This will ensure that your breasts are thoroughly drained, which in turn will help stimulate milk production.
- Try adding in a daily session of power pumping, which boosts your milk supply by mimicking a baby’s cluster feedings (this often happens during a growth spurt). For an hour a day, pump for 20 minutes, rest for 10, pump for 10, rest for 10 and then pump for the remaining 10 minutes.
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.
- Fenugreek. This herb is often consumed in tea form. It’s thought to contain estrogen-like compounds that may help increase milk production. Fenugreek is generally considered safe for breastfeeding women, but check with your doctor or lactation consultant before taking it, as it's not for everyone (such as women with a history of hormone-sensitive cancers) and may cause side effects.
- Oatmeal. Nursing moms often swear by oatmeal, although there's no research to back their claims up. Still, there's no harm in adding more oatmeal to your plate. It’s a rich source of iron (half a cup of dry oats has about 2 mg of iron, or around 20 percent of what breastfeeding moms need per day).
- Fennel seeds. Crunchy, licorice-flavored fennel seeds often feature in so-called lactation cookies because they are thought to contain estrogen-like compounds that may ramp up milk supply. A handful of small studies have found fennel seed consumption does increase milk supply, as well as infant weight gain. But other studies haven’t found any benefit. More large-scale research around their supposed breastfeeding benefits is needed.
- Lean meat and poultry. These foods are all rich in iron, which is key for milk supply. But there are no studies showing a direct link between meat consumption and increased milk production.
- Garlic. There isn’t much research to back claims that garlic boosts milk supply, other than one small study that found that infants whose mothers were given garlic capsules nursed 30 percent longer than moms who received a placebo.
Tips to make relactation or induced lactation easier
If 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.
- Focus on skin to skin contact. Lots of close snuggles can help your baby associate activities such as nursing with pleasure and comfort. Offer to breastfeed before he's too hungry or too sleepy to make it more pleasurable.
- Keep calm. Trying to get a bottle-fed baby to nurse can be stressful, but you don’t want to convey any anxiety to your child. Relaxation exercises such as deep breathing techniques can be very helpful.
- Be realistic. Depending on how long it's been since you stopped breastfeeding, you may find it hard to regain a full milk supply. Rest assured that even if you only end up producing a little, your baby will benefit from the breast milk you can provide, as well as the time you’re spending in close contact with one another.
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