Friend needs help- willing to relactate to nurse 4 week old

[RockStarMom]

My friend has a 4 week old daughter who has been formula fed since birth(as well as a 3 year old son who was FF). She had no interest in breastfeeding her daughter, and has now suddenly changed her mind, but knows nothing about breastfeeding or relactating. She doesn’t know anyone who has breastfed, I haven’t had any challenges so I can’t help with the relactation issue, and I live too far from her to show her what to do.

-What medications and/or herbs can she take to help relactate?
-Should she start pumping to try to build up her supply?
-How likely is it that she will be able to relactate?
-Will it take days? Weeks? Months?
-Will it hurt?
-Is it possible for her to build her supply up enough to 100% breastfeed?
-Can you recommend any good websites that she would likely find very helpful?

These are questions she asked me today- I am so eager to help her but know nothing about this. I'm sure she would appreciate any other tips or words of encouragement. I’ll be sending her this thread and also help her get in touch with LLL and a lactation consultant.
Thanks so much!

[tash11]

The LC will be the biggest help. She should show your friend how to do all of this and should be able to reccomend and help obtain medications and/or herbs. Not every herb works for everyone. Since I am BFAR I take more milk special blend and have noticed more results with that then with just fenugreek alone, or with mothers milk tea.

pumping would prolly help her supply, again she can talk over that with her lc. she will need to get a pump, prefrably a double electric hospital grade (symphony would be good).

Most likely it will hurt the same way as it would hurt if she had started after the birth. Her breasts need to get used to having a baby latching on

I dont know any relactating sites but the bfar.org site might help. there is also a site for adoptive moms that want to nurse: The adoptive breastfeeding resource site

[MarcyC]

I had a friend who exclusively pumped for her baby for 4 months, then decided to put the baby to the breast. Obviously, milk supply wasn't an issue but nipple confusion was a big issue. My friend had to get a nipple shield since her daughter was already used to the silicone feel.

Your friend should get an SNS or lact-aid system. This will feed her baby at the breast and stimulate her milk production. She should also take herbs to help with supply and ask her dr. about Reglan or Domperidone.

[operamommy]

I'd recommend she get an SNS or a Lact-Aid as soon as possible. That way the baby can stimulate her breasts while drinking the formula supplement at the same time.

1. More Milk Blend, as the pp suggested.
2. Pumping every 2 hours is ideal - but if she uses an SNS she won't need to pump that often as babe will be the "pump" for her
3. VERY likely she will be able to relactate - I relactated after not nursing for 2 months
4. Usually it takes as long for your milk to come back as you didn't nurse, but that varies I believe
5. No, it will not hurt
6. She can definately shoot for 100 percent. I think since her babe is so young she has a good chance.
7. kellymom

Hope that helps! Good luck to your friend; it's great she's going to relactate!

[PudnHead]

There are several boards on Yahoo Groups dedicated to moms who are relactating or adoptive moms. I went to this site: http://groups.yahoo.com/ and typed in relactating and came up with 3 groups.

I exclusively pumped for the first month of my son's life and learned so much from the pumping moms group on Yahoo. Hopefully the relactating groups will be just as helpful to your friend. What a great mom! I hope she finds the support she needs.

PS - My LC was great. I didn't have a lot of milk in the beginning and she gave me great advice. It took me 2 months, but I finally got to a point where I produced 100% of his milk. He is now 2 years old and is still breastfeeding.

PSS- My son latched on after 4 weeks, so it is possible to get a child to start nursing after 4 weeks. I actually used the baby honeymoon technique (I think that is what it is called). I took off my shirt and bra. I also took off all his clothes except for his diaper. Then I put him on my chest. He maneuvered himself on to the breast and started sucking. I was so amazed and happy. I nursed him in that position for at least a day. Then I slowed introduced other nursing positions. Within the week, he was nursing like a champ.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by RockStarMom

My friend has a 4 week old daughter who has been formula fed since birth(as well as a 3 year old son who was FF). She had no interest in breastfeeding her daughter, and has now suddenly changed her mind, but knows nothing about breastfeeding or relactating. She doesn’t know anyone who has breastfed, I haven’t had any challenges so I can’t help with the relactation issue, and I live too far from her to show her what to do.

-What medications and/or herbs can she take to help relactate?
-Should she start pumping to try to build up her supply?
-How likely is it that she will be able to relactate?
-Will it take days? Weeks? Months?
-Will it hurt?
-Is it possible for her to build her supply up enough to 100% breastfeed?
-Can you recommend any good websites that she would likely find very helpful?

These are questions she asked me today- I am so eager to help her but know nothing about this. I'm sure she would appreciate any other tips or words of encouragement. I’ll be sending her this thread and also help her get in touch with LLL and a lactation consultant.
Thanks so much!

Definitely make sure she sees a lactation consultant (a couple would be good so she can get different suggestions).

-What medications and/or herbs can she take to help relactate?
They make many tinctures, teas and capsules specifically for lactation and there may even be some specifically for relactation. Blessed Thistle is an herb that is especially good for relactation. Since she's relactating she needs to take quite a bit so have her follow the basic rule of taking it until you start to smell like IHOP (lol, the fenugreek smells like maple syrup). Also, tell her to drink LOTS of water, eat comfort foods, get as much rest as she can and cut down/out caffeine, alcohol and other things that can hinder relactation.
-Should she start pumping to try to build up her supply?
Yes, she should pump in between feedings. Make sure she gets a really good electric double pump (if she qualifies for WIC she may be able to get a free one from them). She may want to look into renting a hospital-grade pump for this. LLL Leaders should be able to help her out with buying/renting/borrowing a pump that works best for this.
-How likely is it that she will be able to relactate?
It is very likely. Unfortunately, it will take quite some time, but she will be able to do it. She also should IMAGINE that she has milk. The more she BELIEVES she has milk, the quicker it will come (I have an article on it if you would like me to look it up - it's quite interesting).
-Will it take days? Weeks? Months?
It depends on her will, support, how she goes about it and her own body. Most likely a few weeks to a few months but it will DEFINITELY be worth it!
-Will it hurt?
Just until she gets used to the pump and baby and then it should be just fine (so roughly about 2-3 weeks).
-Is it possible for her to build her supply up enough to 100% breastfeed?
Yes, it is very likely, especially since the baby is so young. Breastfeeding is based on supply and demand - the more baby nurses, the more milk mother makes. Also, the first 12 weeks are the most crucial to building a milk supply so if she starts now working on it she should be able to build it up before the prolactin levels start dropping which would make it harder (but definitely possible).
-Can you recommend any good websites that she would likely find very helpful?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
http://www.lact-aid.com/rpt025.htm (this has a picture of the SNS that I will mention below)
http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBrelactation.html
Tell her to google relactation - there's TONS of information on it.

She should also talk to a LLL Leader and/or lactation consultant about using a supplemental nursing system. It's basically a bag containing formula or pumped breastmilk with a tube running up that's next to the breast so when baby nurses he stimulates mother's breast while getting a supplement (this is great for preventing baby from getting frustrated from little or no milk, particularly when they are used to the "lazy baby" way that artificial nipples work). This is definitely a MUST in my opinion.

I hope it works!!!!!!! Once she gets a milk supply started and everything is going smoothly she won't know how she EVER did without it!

Oh, and tell her, particularly if she gets an SNS, to stop using bottles. No doubt the baby already has nipple preference (the lazy baby thing) and getting rid of the bottles will help considerably once her supply building. It would be okay to use them for some of the first few days but tell her to slowly do more feedings with SNS than a bottle until eventually they're all with the SNS. Oh, and weaning the baby off binkies is a good idea as well since that, too, can cause nipple preference. A lactation consultant/LLL Leader will be able to give her more information on this.

Tell her I said good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smeep]

Originally Posted by operamommy

I'd recommend she get an SNS or a Lact-Aid as soon as possible. That way the baby can stimulate her breasts while drinking the formula supplement at the same time.

2. Pumping every 2 hours is ideal - but if she uses an SNS she won't need to pump that often as babe will be the "pump" for her

Yes, be sure to tell her that a baby nursing is more effective than a breast pump.

Oh, and tell her to get "The Breastfeeding Book" by Martha Sears and William Sears. It's a great book and will give her lots of information and is also great to have on hand if you have a question you want to look up real quick.