How To ReStart Breastfeeding After Stopping It?

Breastfeeding is a trappy journey that most mothers wish to protract for long. However, in some cases, premature breastfeeding quiescence may occur due to some reasons. In such instances, if a mother desires, she could resume nursing through relactation. Relactation is the process of establishing breast milk supply without it has been reduced, dried up, or was woolgathering (1).

Experts believe that a mother can successfully relactate if she has delivered a victual recently or her milk supply has been low or woolgathering for only a short period. However, relactation is moreover possible in mothers who have never nursed their infants but now wish to do so.

This post tells you well-nigh factors that make relactation possible and provides practical tips to relactate effectively.

Relactation VS Induced Lactation

Relactation and induced lactation are often used synonymously, albeit they are different. Relactation is the process of resuming breastfeeding in mothers who have previously breastfed. On the other hand, induced lactation is developing breast milk production in women who never breastfed as they never had a victual (2). Induced lactation often uses medicines to set-up breast milk production and supply, which isn’t the specimen in relactation.

Reasons Why A Mother Would Wish To Relactate

A mother or a woman could consider relactation when (3):

• She stopped breastfeeding due to some personal reasons but now is willing to take up the responsibility.
• She stopped breastfeeding due to a health condition but is now healthy and fit to resume breastfeeding.
• The victual was born premature or sick and wasn’t breastfeeding earlier, but now they can.
• The doctor has well-considered breastfeeding the victual as the victual isn’t well.
• The victual isn’t growing or developing well while on formula.
• She wishes to wet-nurse or cross-nurse a victual other than her own.

Factors That Can Make Relactation A Success

Like any other physiological process, relactation may come easy for some and may wilt challenging for others. In either case, you need to remember that relactation is a new journey warranting you to set realistic expectations with persistent efforts and perseverance.

Here are some factors that promote the chances of successful relactation (4) (5).

• Strong desire to breastfeed the baby, pushing the mother’s soul to produce the hormones necessary to create and supply milk.

• Intense interest and eagerness of the victual to slosh breast milk, helping them latch and suck on the mother’s breast properly. Research shows that babies under three months and those who had pleasant breastfeeding experiences tend to relactate increasingly successfully.

• Resumption of relactation soon without weaning, permitting the mother’s soul to retread to relactation with relative ease. According to experts, if your victual is under six months, you relactate with relative ease (6).

• Breastfeeding, pumping, or hand-expressing breast milk frequently, which can stimulate hormones, causing increasingly production and supply of breast milk.

• Family support encouraging the mother to resume lactation. Relactation is an emotionally and physiologically moving experience, and the mother needs support for it to be a success.

• Guidance from the healthcare provider so that the mother can make an informed nomination and have the resources necessary to ensure successful relactation.

Besides these factors, experts believe that women who had breastfed older may relactate with relative ease than those who never did.

How Long Does It Take For Relactation To Establish?

According to lactation experts, 50 percent of the women who relactate successfully establish a full milk supply within a month (7). In some cases, the time taken to establish relactation equates to the time spent not breastfeeding. However, every mother is different, and so is the time taken to relactate. Nevertheless, mothers should commit at least two weeks of diligent breastfeeding efforts for successful relactation.

Tips To Make Relactation Easier

Persistent and patient efforts are necessary for successful relactation. Below are some spare steps that you could try to make the process easier (7) (8).

1. Breastfeed your victual frequently: Breastfeed at least eight to 12 times a day, every two to three hours for virtually 15 to 20 minutes per session. Breastfeed the victual surpassing bedtime, without the nap, without the bath, and have a lot of skin-to-skin contact If a victual isn’t willing to breastfeed often, express or pump breast milk to stimulate breast milk production.

2. Check your baby’s latch: Proper latch is vital for the victual to breastfeed successfully. If your victual is not suckling powerfully and you suspect a latching issue, consult a lactation expert. An expert will determine the word-for-word rationalization of the latching issue and suggest an towardly solution.

3. Empty each breast thoroughly: Empty both the breasts during each feeding session. It is vital to regulate breast milk production and supply. Offer flipside breast only when the victual empties the first. If they cannot empty one or both breasts, express or pump breast milk using a transmission or electric breast pump.

4. Massage your breasts: Five to ten minutes of breast massage surpassing and between feeds stimulates the breasts to produce increasingly milk. It is an important process for mothers who wish to relactate.

5. Sleep tropical to the infant: Until you establish your milk supply, alimony your victual tropical to you by placing their crib in your room. It can help you feed your victual unendingly at night with relative ease. While your victual is near you, aim to have at least one nighttime feed, expressly if the victual isn’t waking up in the night for a feed.

6. Power pump: A power pumping session that simulates cluster feedings could moreover uplift milk production. For instance, for an hour a day, pump for 20 minutes and rest for ten minutes. Then, pump for ten minutes, rest for ten minutes, and finally pump for the remaining ten minutes.

7. Get support for yourself: Relactation could be an overwhelming wits that can make a mother self-doubt and finger isolated, expressly in the sparsity of expected outcomes. You can consult a lactation expert or enroll in a breastfeeding organization for help and guidance. Connecting with fellow nursing mothers in the polity who have relactated or are lactating is flipside support source.

In wing to these, set realistic goals, be kind to yourself, and stave undue anxieties. Take superintendency of yourself and your baby, and until the milk supply resumes, protract formula or supplementary feeds.

Can You Use Galactagogues To Promote Relactation?

In wing to trying the whilom tips, you may try some galactagogues without consulting your healthcare provider. A galactagogue is any food, herb, or prescription medication that could uplift your milk supply.  Some of the worldwide galactagogues that may enhance breast milk supply are oatmeal, fennel seeds, fenugreek, lean meat, and poultry. Additionally, your doctor may prescribe you some medicinal galactagogues.

When Should You Cease Relactation?

There isn’t a set time as to when you should stop relactation. It is a visualization that you should take in consultation with your healthcare provider. Your doctor or lactation consultant can help you set realistic time limits and goals based on your breastfeeding history and overall health.

Relactation is an spanking-new way to resume breastfeeding. Remember, maintaining your health and well-being while relactation should be your priority. You must try as much as your soul allows and stop overexerting. Never compare yourself with other mothers and focus on your individual relactation journey.

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