Relactacting question

I recommend asking this over in the breastfeeding forum. The ladies there will have a LOT of great advice for you!

I definitely think you want to get the best pump available. Is your ds latching at all? If he's not at the breast, you need to get the most stimulation possible with your pump. You might also want to try herbs like fenugreek and blessed thistle and eating oatmeal in order to increase supply.

How long and how much completely just depend on the woman. How long has it been since you nursed? Is he taking the breast at all? How old is the baby? How long did you nurse to begin with? Lots of things factor into it. But even if you can't get a full supply, some breastmilk is better than none!

Good luck and definitely check out the breastfeeding forum for some better information.

How long has it been since you were last producing milk? If you can still express some drops of milk, maybe something like a medela PIS would help...otherwise, you should probably rent a hospital grade. Will the baby latch?

PS -- I have a Malachi, too -- great name!

Get a Lact-Aid or an SNS immediately. IMHO, this is even more important than a pump. By using a lact-aid or sns, baby will be able to get the formula supplement he needs while stimulating you better than a pump can all at the same time. You can still pump, of course, but using one of the things I mentioned will most likely solve your latching issue as well. I began relactating with ds after 2 months of not breastfeeding and he was much the same way as far as getting frustrated. But..once he found out that he could get milk once he latched...well, he *refuses* bottles now!

The best thing to do is nurse, nurse, nurse. Drink at least 32 oz. of water daily, rest, and you can even look into taking fenugreek or even dom. When we began I only had drops of milk, and am now taking care of about 40 percent of ds's nutrition! Recently we even stopped using the lact-aid at all for the first morning feeding.

Feel free to PM me.

: The fact that he will latch is a great sign -- I second the idea to get an SNS asap. You might find a good price on ebay! This is a great thing you are doing for your baby!