A challenge to all you bf-ing experts - Am I nuts? Relactation - stupid after 6 months of ff-ing?

[Probablystupidquestioniknow]

I know it's unnecessary, but have namechanged as rather embarrassed about this question. I do realise I'm probably being stupid. Here goes:

I stopped bf-ing about 5 months ago, dd2 now 10 months old. Mixed fed from 1 to 5 months btw. However, after a series of colds, bugs etc etc, I have lately been thinking about bf-ing her again. Would it even make any difference anymore?

To make matters worse, I am back to working full time, so any feeding would be mornings and nights only.

I have been reading articles on Kellymom re relaction, and as I can still squeeze out a tiny bit of milk, I guess this is just about doable. But would you recommend it or should I just leave it for now?

Make that 5 months. I can't even count anymore. Also forgot to add, dd has teeth and bites, so I would need to express and bottle feed.

Relactation is definitely do-able. After all, men can relactate with hard work and some medication! AS can mothers who adopt.

Sure someone will be along soon that can give you some practical advice.

Oh, but you can still breastfeed when your baby has teeth

You could certainly try expressing if you wanted to. If you can express a little milk then you might be able to build a supply up to some level. I would guess that after breastfeeding for 5 months (even after stopping 5 months ago) at one stage you had a fairly well established supply. Have you tried offering her the breast to see if she remembers how to latch? It's probably unlikely, but not impossible. When you say she bites, does she bite your breast? Whilst breastfeeding the teeth are covered by the tongue, so this might not be a problem.

Even a small amount of breastmilk alongside a mixed diet can provide valuable immune cells and antibodies. The info on breastfeeding a toddler is relevant in this respect, see here.

There's info here on www.kellymom.com/bf/adopt/index.html. Being constrained to mornings and nights might be difficult.

It might be worth talking to someone on one of the helplines first to work through your feelings and be sure this is how you want to proceed. They would also help you establish what is really realistic for your particular situation.

Oh, I agree completely that you can bf when they have teeth. I think the problem here is that it has been so long that she hasn't, combined with teething. We like cuddling in the bath, with her lying on my tummy. She's still fascinated by my nipple and wants it in her mouth. Every single time I have let her have a try again though, she nearly bit it off!

Personally (so that means this is not Expert Advice ) I would only consider it if I could latch baby on. I find expressing tedious and tiring (did it three weeks non stop while ds in scbu - he was full term so needed lots) so to relactate that way seems very hard work to me.

I would also expect your body to react better to your dd suckling. would she be interested?

Sorry, x-post, thanks for that, Grendle. I'll have a proper read of your links now. Great to hear even limited addition can help with immune cells and antibodies, but yes, not being able to express regularly will make building up a decent supply almost impossible, won't it?

I used to have really good supply and she had an ok latch. I can't get her to latch on properly at the moment at all though, only the biting (not even sucking).

Madmouse, I wish she would. Or rather, I suspect she might faintly remember something, as she eyes up my nipple every time , but I don't think she knows what to do, and once she bites me I flinch, so that might not be very conductive either!

Well, our bath routine is similar to what they suggest on Kellymom. She would be on my tummy, and then crawl up and put her mouth over my nipple. And then bite, unfortunately. The fact that she knows about putting her mouth there is good I guess, I just have to work on the latch. I really don't know how to do this! Am off to search for the breast pump now. I know it probably won't work anyway, and aren't even sure if this is worth it.