Restarting breastfeeding after 4 months...

[FoxyFoxFifty]

Myself and my DD were ill when she was born and breastfed for about 2 weeks and then ended up on formula as difficulty latching/me too unwell to feed/

Have felt really low about this

Woops...

Have huge regrets about this and still get upset that I didn’t/don’t feed her.

Someone suggested with a hospital grade pump I might be able to get milk back? Is this totally ridiculous and unrealistic?

Get in touch with La Leche League, they have lots of info on restarting breastfeeding ( www.laleche.org.uk/relactation-induced-lactation/ ). Their helpline may be useful so you can talk it through with someone. Kellymom is another useful website ( kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/ ). If available in your area, you could contact a breastfeeding peer support service and/or a ibclc lactation consultant (you would probably have to pay for this though). Also ask your HV to refer you to the local infant feeding coordinator.

To start with lots of skin to skin and offering the breast before a bottle whenever possible. Lots of expressing too to stimulate your supply. Good luck!

It’s possible! This link could help:

kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/

And making one of these could help if you needed it: breastfeeding.support/homemade-supplemental-nursing-system/

Good luck, whatever you decide! Formula is fine too!

It’s not impossible but it might be quite hard work and I think it’s worth considering how much time/effort you want to spend.

After 4 months of not bf at all it would be difficult and require a very big commitment and a lot of effort. I agree that LLL would be a good place to start. Also the nct, I know in my area they rent out pumps too.

Thanks all.
Figure it might be worth at least trying, considering 4 months down the line I still feel really sad about it.
I’ll get in contact with LLL

I looked into this after only stoping for a couple of weeks and regretting it. In the endI found that dc became so distressed when put near my breast but was so happy with the bottle that I didn’t do it. At that stage I think I’d have been doing it more for me than for them.
We have a great bond but it took me a long time to fully accept ( think years not months).

I did this 😁

It can be done don’t worry and it’s actually not as tricky as I thought it’d be. I was in ICU when my baby was 10days old and at about 4months old she was back on boob, then ebf until 10months (my choice to stop). I’ll find the routine I used.. also I just used a hand pump so doesn’t need to be hospital grade although I’m guessing that would have been easier.

Ok so it seems really rigid and I did name my boobs Boob1 & Boob2! But it did work for me. I found this routine on the internet and figured anything was worth a go. As far as I remember DD2 didn’t have a problem latching on it was more that I’d completely dried up. This took about 2weeks ish I think?

Pic1

Pic2

I haven't breast fed myself however we have brought a barren mare into milk through injections therefore there must be something also available for people.

You can get domperidone prescribed but I don't know how easy it is. You could ask your health visitor to refer you to the infant feeding coordinator in your local area and they may be able to advise on this.

Second advice about la leche. What happens just now if you put your baby to the breast, do they latch ok?