Tips and time-proven suggestions for the mother who chooses to induce lactation or relacatate to noursih her infant.
Sometimes a woman is unable to breastfeed her child from the moment of birth due to medical reasons, or a personal preference for the bottle. Other times the mother nurses and has to stop temporarily. Still other times, an adoptive mother of a small infant may choose to induce lactation to help nurture and form a bond with her adoptive child. Regardless of the reason which prevents a mother from nursing her child, she may still choose to induce lactation at a later date or without having given birth. These tips and time-proven suggestions will help you, if you are a mother who has chosen to relactate or induce lactation.
1. Make sure you know why you want to breastfeed. Mothers who relactate with the attitude that they want to nurture the baby at the breast are often successful. Inducing lactation after a cessation can often be a slow process, and your infant may still need additional nutrition other than that he initially receives from the breast.
2. Be prepared for stress. Learning relaxation techniques, or otherwise preparing yourself for stress can be especially helpful in the first few weeks when your baby may resist sucking or your milk may be slow to come in. In addition to the added stress of nursing round the clock, you will also be supplementing with a bottle and formula, which is stressful both emotionally and physically.
3. Set up a support system. Surround yourself with encouraging people that support your need to nurse your infant. Have family and friends around to help out with supplemental feedings when your overly tired or stressed. Get your husband or significant other to help around the house so you can concentrate on nurturing your child instead of keeping up with dishes and meals. Let your pediatrician or family doctor know of your attention and take advantage of their learned wisdom and suggestions.
4. Expect resistance. Your infant is used to getting milk in some other manner, most likely a bottle whose nipple is very different than your own and requires a different sucking technique. It may take a week or a month before your infant gets used to the change and is nursing well from the breast. Don't give up too soon, be patient.
5. Stimulate your nipples. The key to milk production is nipple stimulation, and the best means to achieve this is your child's repeat nursing. The more you nurse your child, the more your milk will come in. Your best bet is to feed on demand. Don't be afraid to try alternative means of nipple stimulation as well. Breast massage, nipple rolling and expression of milk by hand or breast pump all encourage milk production. Also, expressing your milk and giving it to your baby in a bottle is a good way for him to get used to the new taste, while still having the comfort of his usual sucking techniques.
