Not many people know, but right after giving birth isn't the only time a woman can begin lactating, or producing breast milk. For a woman who has lactated before, she can relactate. For a woman who has never made milk before, she can induce lactation. Someone might want to do this to nurse an adopted baby, or to try to nurse a baby who weaned too early or stopped breastfeeding for some other reason.
Breast is Best
It is common knowledge that breast milk is the best nutrition for babies. The World Health Organization recommends that a woman breastfeed her new baby exclusively for the first 6 months, then continue for 2 years while the baby begins eating other food.
Women's breasts are made to feed baby, but sometimes it isn't easy. Some women might make milk, but have trouble feeding their baby, and therefore start to "dry up" and give up without seeking help. Other times a woman might successfully breastfeed but then wean by choice or by necessity. The sooner after weaning a mother decides to relactate, the easier it will be.
Nursing an Adopted Baby
If a woman adopts a baby, it is possible to induce lactation so as to breastfeed the child. It is much easier to do if she has already breastfed a child, but all women are designed to breastfeed. There is no reason why a woman can't breastfeed a child she didn't personally give birth to. While relactating or inducing lactation may work, the woman might not have a full supply and might still need to supplement with formula or donor milk. However, many women feel that the closeness and bonding with the child makes up for it.
Relactating After Weaning
Sometimes things don't go as planned and a woman might not breastfeed her newborn, or might be forced to wean sooner than she wants. Needing surgery or other medical procedures, taking medicine, being away from the baby, or personal preference might interrupt the nursing relationship.
Many doctors and health professionals aren't very knowledgeable about lactation, so women could inadvertently be told they need to stop breastfeeding. After any of these circumstances, the mother might decide to give nursing another chance. Again, the sooner the decision is made to relactate, the easier it will be for the mother to create a full supply of milk.
The main methods of relactation, or inducing lactation, are by pumping with a strong, hospital-grade pump, and/or by using medications or herbs. Pumping will need to be done several times a day, regularly, in order to get the body to start making milk again.
Anyone wishing to do this should consult a licensed lactation consultant, as individual circumstances vary. The International Lactation Consultant Association is the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). Parents can consult the ILCA website to find an IBCLC in their area.
Allison Russo - Allison Russo holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Most recently she ...
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