Is It Possible To Resume Breastfeeding - Relaxation

Most people think of breastfeeding as something that only happens after a woman has given birth. But you should know that lactation (the process of milk production) can occur in other circumstances.

There are situations in which for one reason or another the mother cannot continue breastfeeding and the child has to be weaned. Milk secretion decreases and gradually stops.

After such moments, more and more mothers ask themselves the question: "Is there a chance to start breastfeeding again after a long break?".

Yes! Often mothers have such an opportunity. It is possible for lactation to be restored and even induced in women who have never given birth!

The hormones prolactin, progesterone and estrogen prepare the breasts to produce milk during pregnancy. Prolactin alone can do the same job and is also released when the nipples are stimulated, such as breastfeeding or expressing a breast pump. This means that you do not need to be pregnant to breastfeed.

Few people realize that lactation can be restored, even after weeks or months of stopping it. This is especially important for premature babies. The time they spend in an incubator often causes the mother to stop producing milk.

In addition, women who have adopted a child wanting to experience all aspects of motherhood may struggle to breastfeed. In both cases, with the help of a breastfeeding consultant, the fight can be successful.

What does "relaxation" mean?

A term that refers to the resumption of breastfeeding at any time after the mother's breasts have stopped producing milk. This term is also used to refer to inducing breast production in women who have adopted a child (who have never been pregnant or breastfed before).

What are the chances of success?

There are few studies, but the available ones firmly show that with proper support, most mothers can partially or completely restore breast production. In several studies, the degree of partial or complete relaxation ranged from 75 to 98%. But one important factor must be pointed out - in most of these studies, mothers have received help from well-trained breastfeeding counselors.

How long does it take?

Milk production can return in a few days or weeks and varies from woman to woman. In most mothers, recovery from lactation usually begins within about a week. The duration of resumed breastfeeding is also strictly individual (some mothers manage to breastfeed for only about a month, and others until they decide it is time to wean).

The earlier you start the relaxation process after you have stopped breastfeeding, the better your chances of success. But that doesn't mean you have to give up if you have an older child. The World Health Organization suggests that lactation can be restored in babies of any age, even those over one year old.

What is necessary?

In order for a woman to breastfeed, several conditions must be met:

• the mammary alveoli to be developed;
• these alveoli to secrete milk;
• breastfeed regularly (by breastfeeding or pumping).

Hormones, the most important of which are prolactin, are needed for the development of the alveoli. Proper stimulation of the breast leads to its release from the pituitary gland, the formation of the mammary alveoli and stimulates milk production.

Advice from a consultant

The relaxation process is difficult and there is no guarantee that it will succeed. It is very important for women to have the support of a breastfeeding counselor and to be highly motivated. Not without reason, it is often said that breast milk is "produced" in the head.

What will be the amount of milk released?

This is difficult to predict. Some mothers can fully restore milk production and others only partially, but any amount will benefit.

Factors determining the success of relaxation

Maternal determination is perhaps the most important factor. If a woman is not motivated enough to breastfeed, it will be difficult to restore lactation. She needs to be convinced of the benefits for herself and the baby, both healthily and emotionally.

The professionalism of a consultant - the role of the consultant is paramount here. His cooperation, the assessment of the factors that can hinder relaxation, as well as his ability to skillfully motivate the woman are extremely important.

The mother's relationship with her child is especially important for mothers of premature babies who have been in the hospital for a long time, as well as for women who adopt children. In both cases, the connection may not be too strong or broken.

What can be useful in these cases is the "Kangaroo-mother-care" method, also known as skin-to-skin contact . With it, a naked baby is placed on the mother's breast. It is recommended mainly in the care of premature babies, but is also used in other situations.

Maternal health - this refers to the general health of the woman as well as her mammary glands. If a woman has had problems with milk production (low amounts), it is necessary to determine the causes and eliminate them.

Previous breastfeeding experience - a woman's attitude towards breastfeeding and whether she has any previous experiences with it plays a very important role. If there is trauma or severe anxiety, relaxation can be very difficult.

The length of the so-called "lactation distance" is one of the key factors. The longer the duration of the interruption of breastfeeding, the lower the chances of success. This is because in this longer period babies get used to with bottle feeding and flatly reject breastfeeding.

The baby's desire and readiness to suckle is - the smaller the child and the shorter the "lactation break", the greater the chance of successful relaxation. It is also important how the baby has been fed so far and what are the reasons for stopping breastfeeding.

Support from the environment and professionals - an environment that supports women and makes their decisions, has a positive impact on the process of restoring lactation. The counselor must motivate the mother and provide her with all the necessary information about the relaxation process and her chances of success.

How to restore lactation?

In order to produce milk again, it is necessary for the baby to return to the breast. But the first and perhaps most important thing is to seek qualified support from breastfeeding consultants or pediatricians. This help is extremely important, but do not underestimate the support of other mothers, relatives and friends.

The most important thing in the process of restoring lactation is placing the baby to the breast. It's a good idea to do this every hour or two. It is necessary for the counselor to help during the first attempts, to evaluate the breastfeeding technique (to improve it where possible) and to find the best position for the mother and the child.

Squeeze the breast while breastfeeding your baby. This is especially effective if the child is more sleepy.

In some cases, nipple protectors may be used if the baby is used to drinking too much milk from a bottle. They will be likened by the baby to the pacifier on the bottle.

Studies show that breastfeeding at night has a more effective effect on prolactin production, so it is recommended not to avoid it. Another thing that has a positive effect is sleeping with the baby. Moreover, frequent physical contact between mother and child stimulates the release of oxytocin in the body, the attachment hormone, which is also responsible for the effective secretion of breast milk.

Detailed information about breastfeeding at night can be found in the topics:

• "Night breastfeeding - why it's so important"
• "How long to continue breastfeeding at night"

At the beginning of the relaxation process, when little milk is produced, the baby needs to be fed extra milk. A good way to do this is with the supplementary feeding tube. Use it while breastfeeding your baby. It attaches to the breast and the milk drains into the baby's mouth during sucking. As a result, the baby stimulates lactation while feeding enough milk.

Do not force the baby to the breast. It can only touch, lick or suck the nipple without properly grasping the breast. It takes a lot of patience in these moments. Squeezing a few drops of breast milk (or formula if there is still no milk) on the breast may encourage the baby to breastfeed.

If frequent breastfeeding is not possible or it does not suckle effectively, the best way is to express your breasts with a pump. It is important to do it regularly (at least every three hours), so it is best to use an electric pump, and for even greater convenience double. Do not pause at night!

As long as the baby is well fed and milk production is regulated according to demand, you can continue to express in order to increase lactation.

More information on choosing a breast pump and breastfeeding can be found in:

• "What breast pump to choose"
• "Expressing and storing milk"
• "Manual breastfeeding"

What is the composition of milk during relaxation?

Whether produced after birth, later after relactation or induced lactation, breast milk is breast milk. Experts have found that mothers who are not pregnant do not produce colostrum. Instead, their milk is similar to transitional or mature milk.

What is induced lactation?

Induced lactation is a process in which milk production begins without the woman having ever been pregnant or had a recent pregnancy. Lactation is induced in women who have adopted a baby and want to experience all aspects of motherhood while having a healthy relationship with their children through breastfeeding.

Some experts agree that pharmacological drugs are not needed for successful relaxation. Moreover, some of them have unpleasant side effects. For example, they can cause depression, excessive drowsiness or heart problems. Metoclopramide and domperidone are the most commonly used and best studied drugs to stimulate lactation. However, they should be taken only under the supervision of a doctor, strictly following his recommendations. There are also specific foods and herbs that are believed to help produce milk.

There is no rule as to how long it takes to restore lactation, nor is there a guarantee that the attempts will be successful. However, it is worth a try! Breastfeeding is the best choice for baby's health! It also provides health-promoting effects for you. For women who have adopted children, it can be a beautiful beginning of the relationship with the baby, as well as a fulfilled dream of motherhood.

Is relaxation really possible?

Yes. There are many success stories of breast milk recovery, especially in communities where the culture of breastfeeding is strong. Women recover breastfeeding very successfully when children are sick, severely malnourished, or weaned too early.

Here's what research shows:

A study of 139 Indian mothers who stopped breastfeeding for about ten days found that 84% were able to fully or partially recover:

• 61% of them have done it completely;
• 23% in part (ie the giving of formula has halved);
• 16% failed.

Another study of 84 mothers of babies (average age 2 months) in Korea gave the following results:

• 75% of mothers were completely relaxed (ie 90% or more of the meals were only breastfed);
• 25% of mothers have partially regained lactation.

An older study of 366 mothers in the United States:

• more than 50% fully regained milk production within one month;
• 25% took more than a month to fully achieve the target;
• the other mothers breastfed and supplemented with formula until the children were weaned.

A study of 50 mothers of sick children under the age of four months showed the following results:

• 92% of mothers have fully resumed breastfeeding;
• 6% partially.