Breastfeeding

Inducing Lactation

Hi,

I have a gestational surrogate, and am interested in inducing lactation. I've been pumping for 20mins 3-4 times a day, with my Medela pump in style breast pump. I started about a month ago. However, I'm wondering if anyone out there has been successful in inducing lactation.?

Re: Inducing Lactation

  • I don't have any experience with this but have you checked out kellymom.com, they have some wonderfual articles that may help you, good luck
  • i have absolutely no experience with this...but it sounds as if you're doing the right thing. but know that part of breastfeeding is psychological - your baby & his cries are part of what stimulates your milk production. my guess is that you may have better luck after your holding that beautiful bundle of joy!

    you're probably priming the pipes, so to speak right now...maybe you could try envisioning your little-one-to-be while you're pumping and really relax.

     good luck! i think what you're doing is absolutely amazing and so inspiring!

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  • I think what you are doing is wonderful and amazing!!

    Its not the same thing but I have a girlfriend that adopted a baby and was able to successfully breastfeed (although she did have to supplement with formula a bit).

    Another poster recommended kellymom which is my favorite breastfeeding resource as well.  Here is a link - I searched the site for "induced lactation" and pulled up this page of resources...

    https://www.kellymom.com/bf/adopt/relactation-resources.html#linksadopt

    Also you can find a ton of info online searching "adoptive breastfeeding" which isn't what you are doing but along the same lines...

    Best of luck to you!!!

    Hannah

  • I kind of did..  I stopped BFing when DS was 2.5 weeks because I had an awful case of mastitis which turned into bilateral breast abcesses.  I had surgery a few weeks later to drain the abcesses and after I healed from the surgery I was able to induce lactation again - I was still producing some milk though.

     Here's what I did -

    1 - Pump every 2 hours while awake, every 4 hours at night.  I alternated between 20 minute sessions and power pumping (5 minutes on, 5 minutes off) for 30 minutes.

    2 - I take 3 fenugreek capsules 3x a day and 1 blessed thistle capsule 3x a day.

    3 - I used a supplemental nursing system (Medela makes them) when I gave DS formula so that he was still stimulating me.

    It worked :) I'm still supplementing with formula, but he's mostly breastfed now :)

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  • I think its amazing that you are doing this for your baby. Have you contacted a LC or LLL near you? They may have worked with other moms doing the same thing and have some good advice.

     

  • I had for some reason very low supply from the beginning so my LC had me on a protocol similar to relactation.  In any case, Dr. JAck Newman is your guy.  He's come up with three different protocols for inducing lactation, regular, accelerated (if your baby is going to be here really soon), and after menopause.  https://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/regular_protocol.html

     Good for you!

    Mama to Lucy (7/06), Lexi (5/09), and Max (11/11) M/C 12/17/10
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