Thinking About Breastfeeding Again

hi M.,

i'd say do it, just because you want to. is there a better reason? and would any baby say no if they had a chance to be held next to the heart that much and be soothed with breast milk? go for it dear one,

A. m

Hi M.,

I don't know if you can, but if you can La Leche will be able to help you. You can contact them through their website at http://www.lllusa.org/

Good luck.

I went through at lot of heck (and thus a lot of research) over breastfeeding.... but now that my daughter is 5.... hmm... there is so much that goes into being a good parent, that to focus so much on FOOD at 9 months.... enh... there are plenty of other areas to stress over?

The drug is Reglan, and you will have to google up all the side effects and contra-indications as your doctor will most likely have never heard of it. Seizures and stuff make it contra indicated for some.
Many women working out side the home, and pumping, need support of Reglan to just keep a supply up. Re-lactating at this stage in your situation seems like a monster challenge.

Most babies balk not over "nipple confussion" but over a low supply. So you would also want to get an SNS feeder to tape to your nipple in addition. (The Medela site sells them)

Unfortunately, it's not just take a pill and you are back in business ;-) it's a TON of work, that a mom who is out of the house 40 hours a week.... might be too much!

There is an old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If he is "doing fine" at 9 months old, why would you want to change it? If you started again, then you would just have to wean him again in another few months. Apparently, he doesn't need it, why would you???

There are plenty of other issues coming soon to deal with
-- teething, bedtime issues, potty training, etc, etc, etc.

Just relax, enjoy him, and find something else to occupy your "spare time."

From a 70-year-old Grandma

Hi M.,
I just wanted to give you encouragement and support. I agree with the advice you received regarding contacting La Leche League, a Lactation Consultant, and websites for relactation.

There was an article on relactation in the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Mothering Magazine and the Sept/Oct 2007 issue had an article on the benefits of extended nursing/nursing your toddler stating that "Breastmilk feeds the emotional, cognitive, and physical development of toddlers as well as babies", you can order back issues if you're interested.

Relax, enjoy your time with your baby and whatever amount of breastfeeding you give him. You have already given him a gift of breastfeeding for 2 months, and every bit you give him now will also benefit him. Take excellent care of yourself, drink plenty of water, and get good nutrition. The benefits of breastfeeding go beyond the nutrition of the milk itself, he gets the skin to skin cuddling among other things. I wish you the best, K.

Hi M.,
Wow! That is such an awesome idea. You can take Phenegreek and Goats Rue. There are some pills called More Milk Plus...

http://www.motherlove.com/products_extracts.php

check out this website. There are pills that will get your milk going again. Adoptive moms can use them if they want to breastfeed their adopted babies. I don't know how well they work but I have used the More Milk Plus and my milk supply doubled overnight. I don't have to take them anymore now that my milk is established.

Best Wishes!

E.

Hi M.! I thought I'd just share my own experience with you quickly. I had had a breast operation years before giving birth to my children. The doctor had told me that with such a complicated operation, there would be a chance that I wouldn't be able to breastfeed my babies. I took the chance anyway. When my children were born, it seemed as though they favored the breast that had only been biopsied, not operated on. After 3 months of breastfeeding, the boys completely gave up breastfeeding. I tried my best to keep them going. I'd try giving them half a bottle then putting them on the breast again, I tried using the breastfeeding contraption that hung around my neck, and I tried putting them on the breast after they completely finished a meal. My first son liked the closeness, the other two boys pulled away. My fourth child, a daughter, breastfed for a whole 10 months with supplemental bottles. It was a blessing to know that I could actually succeed (or so I thought). The doctors just told me I didn't have enough milk. No worries! My eldest is 6'1" and 200 lbs. at age 15 right now. They're all fairly healthy kids, too.

I know how you're feeling. Follow your instinct. If you want to keep trying, do so. There's nothing wrong in wanting to try everything to give you child that closeness and comfort. Even if you don't have enough milk, try, try again! There have been studies done that indicated that women could induce the production of milk even when they had not given birth to a child, simply by stimulation and the presence of a baby. Our bodies are amazing!
Good luck and God Bless!
D.

Relactation is a great gift for your son! However, you'll need to see an Internationally Board-Cerrtified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) to really get a full supply. Check out you local La Leche League chapter for some advice, or e-mail Sonja Massey, RN, IBCLC if you want. Her e-mail is ____@____.com has a LOT of information on the subject. It's not impossible, and it's so so SO good for your son! Go you!

Dear M.,
If it really means alot to you to attempt to begin breast feeding again, I won't judge you about it. It's a personal decision. And La Leche Leauge might be able to give you some advice.
That said, after 7 months of not nursing, I don't know why you would put yourself and your baby through trying it again. Please don't take that the wrong way.
I was told I could never have children. It was a complete miracle when my daughter was born and you better believe I intended to nurse her for as long as she wanted. She was very healthy, but very small, even full term, and by 3 months, my milk just didn't keep up no matter what I did. I thought I could supplement with formula and from the first bottle, she never looked back. She loved it. She was done with me. The first few days were hell. I became so engorged that I was begging her to nurse and she wanted nothing to do with it. I admit I wasn't ready to quit and even felt like I failed her. But, she was happy and healthy and eating. By 9 months she was eating scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey and chicken and fish. She just wasn't a boobie baby. And she turned out perfectly fine. She's 22 now by the way.
Even if you find a way to make enough milk, at 9 months, I don't know if that's the best thing. I'm not speaking from a nutritional stand-point. Sorry. I know all the benefits of nursing. There are other ways to bond with your baby and he's going to be going through so many transitions as it is. Crawling, walking, talking, sleeping in a big boy bed. If you re-introduce the breast only to eventually have to take it away again, at this point, I don't know if that's a good thing. It could be confusing to him. He may not want anything to do with it anyway and it could just make you feel worse.
If he is fine and happy and thriving, take your cues from him and know that you are doing a wonderful job.
He has a loving mommy so he will be okay either way.

M.,
You can take an herb called Fenugreek and you can get it at the health food store. Mind you, you will smell like Maple syrup and if you don't, take more until you do.
I want you to know that this will not be easy. You can and should start pumping as often as every 1-2 hours. If you are really wanting to do this if can be done, just know if will take lots of patience.
But remember your baby will be able to switch to whole milk at 1, so think about this. If may not be worth all the trouble you will put into this transition.
Good luck,Trish

There is an herb called "blessed thistle" which can be made into a tea and used for stimulating milk production. One resource for this is www.herbshopconnection.com or 1-888-235-3265 in Utah. I have not used this, and have only read about it. I've been told it can even be used to stimulate milk production in adoptive mom's! Ask them for suggestions by calling. Also, Dr Christopher's son takes free call in questions some hours each week, and they can tell you the hours. I have used other products from them, and they were very helpful. J.

Hi, here's a great resource for you - scroll down to the section on 'adoptive breastfeeding' (yes! even moms who adopt can breastfeed, so it's totally possible for you to do it again too!)

http://www.asklenore.com/breastfeeding/abindex.html

Also, here's another site where you can chat with other moms who are working on relactating too, and find out what is working for them - check out the Breastfeeding Challenges forum - http://mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=23

I disagree of course with the previous poster - who said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" - it IS broke, if you feel a desire to return to breastfeeding instead of giving a substitute. Follow your heart, mama!

You would not 'just have to wean in another few months', the best medical minds in the world recommend that breastfeeding last longer than a year. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Family Physicians both advise parents that breastfeeding should last a minimum of two years - a far cry from our current cultural habits! So if you start now, you have plenty of time to give your son as much breastmilk as you can. Even if you don't develop a full supply, getting even a portion of his diet as breastmilk is of excellent benefit. Not to mention it is nature's best calming trick for cranky toddlers!

best of luck, the nursing relationship is so unique and special, I applaud you for aspiring to continue breastfeeding.