In plain words
Relactation is the process of bringing back breast milk production. Some people stop breastfeeding and later want to start again. Others never had a full milk supply after birth, or had to stop early because of illness, medication, or surgery. Relactation usually involves frequent milk removal, at the breast or with a pump, along with and support from a lactation professional. Results vary a great deal. Many parents make some milk, and some make a full supply, but the amount depends on their history, the time since the last full supply, and their body. Induced lactation is a separate process for people who have not been pregnant recently, and it begins milk production from the start. A can help you plan the first weeks.
The deeper version
Relactation is the re-establishment of lactation after cessation, or after lactation failed to establish. It differs from induced lactation, the initiation of milk production in a person who has not been pregnant recently or ever, including adoptive mothers, intended mothers in surrogacy, the non-gestational partner in a two-mother couple, and transgender women. Both rely on frequent milk removal and breast stimulation, sometimes with a such as domperidone, which is used off-label in this setting. The evidence is mostly from case series and clinical protocols, rather than randomized trials. Outcomes vary with prior lactation history and time since the last supply. The main controversy is how much supply can reasonably be expected, and how much medication adds to outcome.
Where it comes up
- Feeding choices and guiltFeeding Your Baby
- Relactation and induced lactationFeeding Your Baby
- Weaning: gradual, abrupt, and baby-ledFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about relactation
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine — Clinical Protocol on Induced Lactation
- Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM — Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 8th edition (2016)