can u begin breastfeeding when your baby is 2 months old? i want to re-try...?

Answer 1

YES YES YES ABSOLUTELY.

Please contact a lactation consultant and/or the La Leche League ( http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html -change the country at the top if you are not American). La Leche League is free.

Also read the whole article part of which is quoted below. The article is all about relactating.

And feel free to e-mail me if you need help or just encouragement.


http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
"If your baby is 4 months old or younger it will generally be easier to relactate. It will also be easier if your milk supply was well established (frequent and effective nursing and/or pumping) during the first 4-6 weeks postpartum. However, moms with older babies, moms who did not establish a good milk supply in the beginning, and adoptive moms who have never breastfed can also get good results. Keep in mind that breastfeeding is not just about the milk. Your child will get numerous benefits from breastfeeding even if you do not have a full milk supply. "

Answer 2

Yes, it is possible to relactate. Even women who have never been pregnant have been able to breastfeed their adopted children. Isn't that amazing?!

You should get in touch with a lactation consultant or knowledgable doctor in your area. I believe there are things you can do or take to induce lactation, including eating the right kinds of foods (oatmeal is supposed to help), taking herbal supplements like fenugreek, and even taking a medication called domperidone which has a "side effect" of inducing lacation. More info on that can be found here: http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/domperid.htm

But first consult your doctor about any these things. I have no idea how safe any of it is, I am just going by what I have read on breastfeeding forums in the past and have never tried this myself. Good luck... you can do this!!! I think it's fantastic that you're giving it a second shot!

Answer 3

My sister-n-law had to go 'back' to breastfeeding after she had quit already and her DOCTOR informed her that CARROT JUICE re-kicks your milk supply. I never tried it, but she swears by it and she has six kids! And it's juice, so trying it couldn't hurt anything.

Also, I don't know if this is true, but I found this on the internet: ..."While many herbs are credited with the ability to increase milk production, none have been proven to do so. The claims that some herbs act as galactogogues (milk-makers) are based on anecdotal reports, meaning people are describing their impression of what happened. This kind of evidence is not as reliable as controlled scientific studies, especially in regards to milk supply which mothers may evaluate in highly subjective ways. This does not mean that galactogogues don't work or they're not safe, it just means they have not been studied. The two most popular galactogogues are" {the herbs} "Fennel and Fenugreek seeds...."

Hope it works out for you!

Answer 4

yes it should be fine! i stopped breastfeeding 6months ago and i still have milk and i could still breastfeed again if i wanted or had to. it will take time but just put baby on the breast for a few minutes or as long as baby's happy to suckle often during the day as well as still giving formula as you probably won't have enough milk to start off with and soon enough in a week a month etc you should be able to breastfeed fully. women who adopt newborns and haven't actually even been pregnant have been able to breastfeed so there's every chance that you will too and it will be even easier as you'l already have had a supply!! best of luck!!

Answer 5

Yes, you are physically able of doing it, the question is how long has it been, and are you still producing? You'll have to get the baby used to latching on, and supplement until your supply is high enough to feed exclusively.

I'd highly suggest the services of a lactation consultant (usually found at your local hospital) or the laleche league. Most breastfeeding moms don't get enough support anyway.

Answer 6

I'm not totally positive, but hasn't your milk dried up by now? Unless you've been using a pump and giving your baby breast milk in a bottle. I didn't know this until I looked it up, but it is possible to restart lactation. You will need to use a pump for a period of time to restimulate your milk production. It can be restarted by having your baby suckle, but while you are waiting for your milk to return, your baby will not be getting anything. See the Wikipedia article on lactation, and look under the subtitle "breastfeeding". Please, for your baby's sake, talk to your doctor about the details of how to do this.

Answer 7

Any woman who has given birth can re-build her lactation supply with ALOT of effort and patience. Some times, even adoptive moms are able to successfully nurse even though they didnt give birth.
I highly recommend you contact your local LLL (La Leche League) as they are great support for breastfeeding moms all over the world. Good luck!

Answer 8

Have you pumped milk in the last two months to keep your supply? If not maybe try! I've heard of a type of medication to increase your milk supply, check on WebMd. However, producing milk may not be your only obstacle. Your baby may be too used to bottle feeding and the large amounts of milk she gets in less time. Your baby's doctor should be able to help you with this, but if you want another opinion, your local hospital should have a team of breast feeding experts that would be more that glad to help.

Answer 9

I tried this with my son and found out that I was pregnant with another baby so we gave it up. There are some drugs that can help increase your milk. Ask your dr about Domperidone. Some drs wont prescribe them. There is also a device called lactaid. Which helps get your milk flowing again.

http://www.lact-aid.com/rpt022.htm

Answer 10

as long as you are still making your own milk its worth a shot but since she is two months old she may be used to the bottle and have a hard time switching to the breast. But don't give up on this may be easier for you to pump into a bottle if she wont take the breast because of her use to the bottle.