Can I restart breastfeeding again?

[babymommy]

Hello

Unfortunately, I stopped breastfeeding my lo at 8 weeks for reasons too long to go into. DS is now 19 weeks and I have recently started to regret giving up and am feeling really sad and selfish about it. Fortunately, I have been too busy to think about till now.

Do you think I might be able to do it? Breasts feel very soft.

What methods/ways do you think might work best/quicks? Got a toddler too so have ds breastfeeding all day isn't possible.

Finally, sadly I started smoking, how many days do you think I should give it so that all effects from smoking leave my system.

bye

You certainly can get your milk back, but I'm not sure how long it takes. You'd have to get the baby sucking or express a fair bit.

Perhaps someone will come along who has done it. Otherwise try the kellymom website as it deals more specifically with breastffeding issues. Or The Breastfeeding Network.

Good luck.

bump i'd be interested about this too.

babymommy - yes, you can but you need motivation, support and infornation. Call any of the bf helplines and they will give you details.

basically, you need a co-operative baby, and in your case, an effective breastpump. Express at least 8 times in 24 hours and put your baby to the breast with lots of skin to skin contactc day and night.

To be realistic, this is not something that is easy and esp not easy with a toddler. If you express less often and put your baby to the breast less often, you are reducing your chances of changing things....but you might get some milk back.

It will take several weeks to get a full supply back.

Start doing it today - effects of smoke in your system last hours not days.

Good luck!

Tiktok if you wanted to go back to bf but only wanted to do it once or twice a day , first feed and last feed for example would you still need to express as often as possible at first or would you only need to do it at the times you wanted to feed?

Ledodgy - it all depends.

Someone who has only stopped for a short while after a long time bf could probably restart easily and 'tailor make it' to two feeds only.

Someone who only bf for a short while and then stopped for a long time would prob need to aim to bring back a full supply in order to do what you are suggesting.

tiktok, the first times you express, would you expect to get anything at all?
I half-heartedly tried this and got nothing, so assumed I couldn't do it. I assume if I'd kept going, lactation would have started again?
(I didn't really want to do it deep down, though.)

It all depends, Pruni - each situation is individual. It is common to express and get nothing if you have left it a while....but if you keep on going, and aren't half hearted, then it does come back.

I desperately want to try this too! I stopped whilst recovering from surgery when my little one was only 2 weeks old. She's now 14 weeks. Has anyone ever managed this or know someone who has?

She will still latch on, but there appears to be no milk production. This was the problem post-surgery too which is why the hospital insisted she needed formula. I think that was true, but surely now that the trauma is over, I should be able to produce milk again??