re-establishing breastfeeding? is it possible?

Question

my son is 3 1/2 months old now and i exclusively breastfed for 4 weeks. after that, he developed thrush and passed it on to me. it then became very painful and uncomfortable and could only breastfeed for abiout 5 minutes before i would break down crying from the stinging raw skin. i began supplementing with formula and eventually, my supply dried up. i had a hard time dealing with this, somewhat depressed. is it in any way possible begin breastfeeding exclusively again? its been about 12 weeks realistically that hes been on formula. occasionally when i squeeze a nipple, it produces a little drop of milk but more times than not, it doesnt. how can i make him want to feed from me even if i could reestablish rather than a bottle now that hes used to it? or is all hope lost...... i will definetly be doing it again with any other children i have and hoping things go well, but i really feel like he may be missing out on something not breastfeeding.. whether it be nutritionally or in our bond

Answer 1

Absolutely! It's going to take work, and you may not be able to build a full supply back up, but you definitely can at the very least, re-establish milk production so that you can provide some breastmilk to your baby. ANY is better than none, and while straight from the tap is best, even a little bit pumped into a bottle is beneficial.

The sooner you start, the better. Basically, you can take a number of natural remedies to get the milk production flowing, such as Mother's Milk tea, fenugreek, and blessed thistle. There is also at least one prescription medication that can boost supply: It's called Reglan, and was designed for acid reflux, but it is often used by lactation consultants to boost supply. You'd have to talk to your doctor about that one; some don't do it, others do.

The main thing you're going to do is pump, pump, pump. You can also look into something called a supplemental nursing system (SNS) - it's basically a tube feeding system which you tape to your breasts, and can be used to feed formula or expressed breast milk while giving your nipples stimulation to produce more milk. It may be tough to re-teach your baby how to latch, but it may not... you can only try. Remember patience is key, and don't force anything. YOu want it to be a pleasant experience for both of you.

In the end, if it doesn't wind up working for you, you will know that you gave it your best. There is a special connection that happens when you breastfeed (I've never gotten the same feeling from a bottle - I really can't describe it, and mothers who have exclusively bottle fed one child reported a definite different in later children that are breastfed) but your child will love you NO less. He will still bond with you, and still see YOU as the center of his world. You're not the first mother to deal with depression or such feelings after not succeeding at breastfeeding, for whatever reason, but it's not the end of the road, and you can still do this.

Nutritionally, there's nothing better in the world (both nutritionally AND immunologically speaking) but formula will meet your baby's needs for growth if you have no other choice.

Good luck, and also try and get in touch with a lactation consultant or La Leche League Leader in your area... one-on-one support and instruction is irreplaceable.

Answer 2

Yes! You can re-lactate. You'll need help from La Leche League or a certified lactation consultant. Find an LC by calling the hospital where you delivered and asking to speak with the lactation consultant. Remember that we're no meant to deal with breastfeeding problems by ourselves. We're meant to be surrounded by sisters, aunts, neighbors, grandmothers, etc. Those more experienced mothers used to pass on their breastfeeding wisdom. Now La Leche League and LCs are the keepers of that wisdom, and they're happy to help any mother who wants to nourish her baby at the breast. I'm proud of you. You've got a lot of work ahead of you, but it's totally worth it!

Answer 3

You could try nipple shields. They a soft silicone shield with small holes that you place over your nipple while nursing. It helps to pull your nipple out and makes latching on a little easier. The shape is also similar to that of a nipple from a bottle. It would be a great way to transition to the breast. And no, it is definitley not too late! It's only been two days. While it may be slightly more difficult, you're not too far gone. Try the nipple shields and good luck! :) P.S. You can get them at Target, they're pretty cheap.

Answer 4

If it's really really important to you- you can do it! A breast pump would help ALOT. A hospital grade double pump... and hook up to it every 2-3 hours or in between offering him the breast. Just make sure it's either him, or the pump every 2-3 hours. This will get you going, without needing to frustrate your little dude too much. They are expensive... but sooo worth it! I have a Medela personal double pump and I couldn't have continued breast feeding without it. OH, and drink LOTS OF WATER!!!!

Oh, and did you try lanolin for your nipples? That helped me in the beginning, but now I just express a little milk- rub it on the nipple and let it air dry for a few minutes... that works wonders. I agree with you about the importance of breast feeding, but if all else fails, don't worry so much. Both my husband and I weren't breast fed, and we both love and cherish our moms very much!! A happy healthy mommy is what baby needs.

Answer 5

Yes you can restart lactation with alot of hard work. You should probley talk to a lactation specialist. There are several prescription drugs available to help increase milk including domperadone and maxeran (metocolpromide) as well as herbs like fenugreek. Hope this helps

Answer 6

* Ask yourself why you want to do this. If you'll be happy with the experience of nurturing your baby at your breast, and not necessarily nourishing him from your breast, you're likely to have a more positive experience than if you have your heart set on providing a set amount of milk. It's very rare for all of a baby's nutritional needs to be met with induced lactation and may even be difficult with relactation.
* Be prepared for a stressful first few weeks, during which time your baby may resist suckling at the breast, your milk may be slow in coming in, and you'll be nursing almost constantly around the clock and supplementing your baby's diet with formula.
* Find a support system, consisting of people who will encourage and help you through the difficult days. These people can include your husband, doctor, lactation consultant, La Leche League leader, and, most important, another woman who has done what you want to do, either relactated or nursed an adopted baby.
* You'll find it easiest to relactate if your baby is under three months old.
* Expect initial resistance from your baby, who is used to getting milk some other way. It may take ten days or longer for him to nurse well, but after that he is very likely to become an avid nurser. Don't give up too soon.
* Nipple stimulation is the most important mechanism for bringing in your milk. The best kind of stimulation is your baby's suckling. Other techniques include breast massage, nipple rolling, and hand expression or breast pumps. (Expressed milk can be fed through a nursing supplementer.)
* Nurse your baby frequently, whenever she shows any signs of hunger, such as increased alertness or activity, smacking her lips, making sucking motions, or moving her head around in search of the breast. Do not wait until your baby begins to cry, which is a late sign of hunger. In one study, most of the relactating babies nursed eight times a day, at intervals of two to three hours, with two night feedings. (This is an average; some babies need to nurse more often than this at the beginning.) The average duration of each feeding was about 20 to 25 minutes.
* The most popular form of supplementing the baby's diet is the use of a nursing supplementer (see Chapter 15 and the Resource Appendix). This ensures your baby of adequate nutrition while providing stimulation to your nipples. Many women who considered their experience highly successful continued to use a supplementer throughout the course of breastfeeding.
* It is extremely important to have your doctor follow your baby carefully for adequate weight gain. The suggestions given in Box 6-4 in Chapter 6 will help you and the doctor assess whether your baby is being well enough nourished for healthy development.

TECHNIQUES THAT ARE HELPFUL INCLUDE:
* Increasing your fluid intake and the amount of protein in your diet;
* Resting as much as possible, and lying down to nurse when you can;
* Asking your doctor to prescribe some other drug, like chlorpromazine or theophylline for the first week or so;
* Stroking your baby while she's nursing to help you relax and let down your milk.
* Providing as much skin contact as possible between you and your baby. (See the description of "kangaroo care" earlier in this chapter.)
* Also see the suggestions given in Chapter 15 for encouraging a baby who's gone "on strike" to nurse.

TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NOT HELPFUL INCLUDE:
* Keeping the baby hungry to try to encourage him to nurse;
* Using nipple shields;
* For adoptive mothers, trying to stimulate the breasts with the nursing infants of friends (the babies usually refuse to suckle at a breast that's not producing milk).

Answer 7

Yes, it is!! There are mothers that adopt adn breastfeed!! Contact www.lalecheleague.com . They may be able to send a consultant out to visit you and help. Theya lso have an online chat board where Ims ure you will find mother swho have already done what you want. Godo luck!

Answer 8

I rather doubt it to be honest. BUT you gave him the best start possible by feeding him yourself for 4 weeks, so don't stress it now! So long as he is thriving and happy - let it go.