Hi everyone,
I am writing as i would love to breastfeed my son again. I gave up when he was 6 weeks old for various reasons but would like to relactate.

My son is almost 12 weeks now. Is it too late to try relactate?

Thanks for any advice,

Karen

Karen it is not too late. It is so wonderful you want to do this for your baby. Will he still latch on? Do you have a pump? The one of preference is the Medela Pump In Style. There are different ways to try to relactate. You can stimulate your breast by nursing and pumping. Some women use a lact-aid so they can nurse their babies while bringing in a milk supply. Are you familar with the lact-aid. There is a link for it on one of the front pages. The sooner you start trying to relactate the better. Let us know more about what you are prepared to do to get your milk back. Can you express anything at this point etc... We will all do what we can to help you out. You can even email Lenore for specific help. Go to the contact us link at the bottom left of the page.

Hi,
Well I have the ameda pump and have started pumping and I get a drop of really thick sticky stuff come out. Other than that nothing. Baby wont latch on at the moment as there is no milk but I am sure once Ihave some milk he will be interested again.

What other ways can I relactate?

Karen

You can probably do the protocal but you may not need to . Lenore is a lactation consultant and has helped hundreds or it maybe thousands now, lactate. Please email her she is glad to answer your questions and since you are a birth mom relactating I am pretty sure things will be a little different for you Her email is lenore@asklenore.info

Hi,
I am so sorry but what is the protocol? Well at least I am starting to get somehting out now. I am pumping every couple of hours so hopefully something will happen soon! I will email Lenore, thanks for your advice.

There are two protocals. They consist of taking a birth control pill (bcp) straight through without the sugar pills. The time varys based on the situation. But the protocols are intended for Mom's who did not give birth to their children but want to breast feed. So the bcp along with a med callled domperidone tricks your body into thinking you are pregnant. But since you gave birth, breastfed, and still have milk I don't believe these are what you need. That is why I suggested getting in touch with Lenore. If you have trouble with the email try this one, she posted it in a different topic last night. Apparently some people were not able to get through to the one. lengold@sprynet.com

Hi Karen,

The oldest baby that we helped to return to breastfeeding was 13 months. A 12 week old can learn to breastfeed again.
What bottles are you currently using? We've found that the AVENT system with the newborn (1 hole) nipples can help to get baby back to the breast. Short stubby nipples should be avoided as they do not encourage a good latch.

Since it's only been about 6 weeks since you last breastfed you can try re-lactating without the birth control pill. Domperidone would help to increase your supply but if you live in the US you'll have to bring it in. You can find it at www.globaldrug.tv. But please let your doctor know what you're planning so you can be monitored.

The starting dose for birth moms is 10 mg 4 times per day before meals and at bedtime. Then after about a week, you can increase to 20 mg 4 times per day.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do is contact an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) to assist you with breastfeeding. You didn't mention why you stopped. The IBCLC can help you to overcome any number of concerns. You can find an IBCLC near you at this website www.iblce.org Just click on the "About IBCLE" button and the US and International Registries pop up.

There are several videos on our site that may help you as well. Just click on the "Breastfeeding" button and scroll down to "Video Clips".

A good double electric breastpump would help you as you rebuild your milk supply. Most of the mothers on this site have been successful with the Medela Pump in Style. I've used it to induce lactation twice myself. The Medela Lactina Select also works well. The idea is to pump 8 times in 24 hours but do what you can. If you can get your baby to the breast with the help of a nursing supplementer you may not need to pump as often. You can find one here www.lact-aid.com The idea is to feed baby at the breast which stimulates your own milk to come in. Then pump when you can. It takes work in the beginning but you can do this.

Warmest regards,

Hi

I have been pumping and I am getting something out now but not much though. Baby will latch on but very sporadically but his latch is definately better this time round.

Can I relactate without using domperidone or is it best to use it? And if I do hav to use domperidone how long would I have to use it for?

Whilst breastfeeding first time round I was in so much pain and my baby would scream and not feed and I got to the point where I could not deal with it any more so I gave up but I really want to breastfeed him again. My nipples were also cracked and bleeding. Is there anyway I can avoid all the pain this time round.

If I continue pumping and latching him on as I can will my milk supply come in on its own or do I need help in building my milk supply again?

Thanks for your advice and help,

Karen

Karen, you may be able to bring in your supply just by latching him and pumping. The best way to avoid sore nipples is to have a great latch. I think finding an IBCLC is the way to go. They can help you to get him latched and also help with ways to increase your supply. Some herbal remedies work well for natural moms. More milk tincture is a good one can be found in most health food stores it is made by mother love they have a website too www.motherlove.com there is also a tea that can be used I think it is called Mothers Milk tea I can't remember it is made by Traditional Medicinals. Eating oatmeal seems to help and making sure you are getting plenty of water. some say 6-8 8 ounce glasses a day. I believe Lenore teaches drink to thirst, meaning don't drown yourself in water but do drink plenty so you don't get thirsty. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Hi,
I think I may try the milk tincture first before I try the domperidone tablets. So I can use the milk tincture to bring my milk in? i see there is also goats rue milk tincture, will that work to?
Thanks so much for your advice,
Karen

I used goats rue, wild lettuce, fenugreek and blessed thistle before I did the protocol. My daughter is adopted and I was trying to induce on my own, I had previously breastfed two bio children. I don't know about goats rue by itself. Here is another website where she sells some tinctures and she (Annie) is a Board Certified LC http://www.growinglife.com/tea.htm

Hi Karen,

If you had difficulty with breastfeeding then you really do need to see a board certified lactation consultant. She can probably solve your problem with one visit. The key is to have baby latch PAST the nipple, and well and truly onto the breast. The deeper the better, with lips flanged outwards, like he's biting into a big apple.

The tincture is fine for low milk supply but I'm not sure if it will help with "no" milk supply. You can give it a try for about a week and if you don't see a visible difference in your milk supply while pumping, please consider domperidone. It usually only takes about a month for a mother in your position to resume breastfeeding with the help of domperidone.

Warmest regards,

Hi Lenore,

Thanks for the reply. I am still pumping and Michael has started latching on now. He is definately latching on better than he was first time round. His mouth is definately bigger. When I was breast feeding I saw 4 lactation consultants who all said that his latch and positioning was good. i just had so many problems, hoping this time will be better.

If I use the domperidone will I be able to stop taking it after a while or will I have to take it for the rest of the time I am breastfeeding?

I am getting something out now when I pump although it is only a drop. Not sure if this is what I am supposed to be getting but I do hope that my milk will come in soon. I have only been pumping for 5 days so I am hoping that things are going good!

Karen

Hi Karen,

Sounds like you're off to a good start. CONGRATULATIONS!!

There are a lot of people "out there" calling themselves lactation consultants. Unfortunately, not all lactation consultants are created equal. Were the ones you saw board certified? It makes a big difference.

Breastfeeding should not hurt. As long as your baby is latched well and truly onto your breast you should be fine.

Most biological mothers only need the domperidone for a short time. Try it for a month and see, and you can always stop if you're not comfortable.

Warmest regards,

Hi Lenore,
One last question - if I start domperidone and when my milk supply is in can I stop taking the tablets and keep my milk supply as long as my baby feeds or if I stop will I lose my milk supply? i really dont want to take tablets but I think this is my only option so I would like to come off them as soon as possible.

Are there any side effects that I should worry about? What is the longest time you think I will have to take the tablets for?

Karen

Hi Karen,

Once your milk supply is well established you can wean off the domperidone. Some mothers pump after feeds while weaning off the domperidone to maintain their milk supply. The most important thing you can do is frequent draining of your breasts. This is what builds your milk supply. The domperidone helps to increase Prolactin which is necessary for milk synthesis.

Side effects most often reported are a headache the first week of use, tummy ache because domperidone was originally designed to help people with upper gastrointestinal problems, and weight gain because domperidone moves food through your system a little faster than normal and so you get hungrier faster.

Does anyone have any other side effects to report?

As for length of time on the domperidone, that depends on you and your breasts. Hard to say. It can be quite fast since most biological moms do not need to stay on the domperidone as long as moms inducing lactation. I just worked with a bio mom whose milk supply had completely stopped after an illness and she was able to relactate with domperidone within 72 hours. But in all fairness, give it at least 2 weeks to a month.

Warmest regards,

Hi Lenore,
I have ordered a lact-aid and was wondering if I use this will this help my milk supply come in? I want to try getting my supply in naturally with pumping and latching before I turn to tablets but if nothing happens soon i will try domperidone. My baby will latch on now and time varies from 2-6 minutes a time so this is improving.

With baby latching and pumping how long does it generally take to get your milk to start coming in?

Thanks for all your advice,

Karen

Karen, how often is he latching? The more often you get him on the breast the quicker your milk will increase. If he is staying on for 2-6 minutes it sounds like he is getting something. Is that total time or each side?Do you nurse him first then give the bottle? How much supplement is he taking? If he is willing to suckle let him often. The lactaid will help. It takes a little getting used to. I used one with my daughter. I think you are doing great Karen, keep it up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi Karen,

You can try the Lact-aid. It will take time...not sure how long...everyone responds differently. If you're not comfortable with domperidone, think about fenugreek. It's a herb that is known as "the mother of all galactogogues". You would still be bringing in your milk "naturally".

Warmest regards,