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Just as there can be many reasons for stopping breastfeeding, there can be many reasons for wanting to resume after your milk has dried up. Maybe you went through an illness or hospitalization, or perhaps a temporary separation from your baby. No matter the reasoning there are steps that you can take to return your milk supply and start breastfeeding your baby again.
Hormones
Hormones are the key to milk production, the two key players here are prolactin and oxytocin. Regularly pumping, or if your baby will latch, dry nursing will take care of the prolactin side of things. Simply skin to skin contact with your baby will release oxytocin. A relaxing bath with mom and baby with plenty of on chest skin to skin contact is a great way to stimulate oxytocin.
Pumping
Until your supply is re-established you are going to have to keep a strict pumping schedule. Experts recommend 8-12 times a day for 20-30 mins when relactating. You will want to space your sessions out 2-3hrs apart. If your baby will latch, studies have shown that dry latching the baby for the same schedule will bring your milk back faster then simply pumping.
Skin to Skin
Try and implement skin to skin as often as possible when you are relactating. Even if you are bottle feeding for a particular feeding, you can practice skin to skin. The more skin to skin time the higher your hormone production will be and the easier it will be to get your milk back.
Lactation Consultant
A Lactation Consultant, can not only provide you support and guidance during this journey, they can also help you identity what went wrong originally so that you will be successful this time around.
Galactagogues
These are foods, herbs or in some cases prescription medications that can help increase your milk supply. Fenugreek is a common herb that is used to increase milk production and can be purchased at most health and vitamin stores. There is also an extensive list of foods including oatmeal, coconut, pumpkin and sweet potatoes just to name a few. While research varies on the effectiveness of such foods and herbs, adding them to your diet may help bring your milk in quickly and maintain your supply going forward.
Don't Wait
If your baby is extremely hungry when you start to try and nurse, they are going to get frustrated at the breast quickly as the milk will be slower. This will be even worse if they have gotten used to being bottle feed and have not been pace fed. If you start your nursing session at the first signs that your baby is hungry, you will have better success.
There are many successful relactation stories, you can restore your milk supply with some patience and a bit of work. It can take time though, while some women see results in a couple days, be aware that it can take a few weeks. Just keep working at it, offering the baby the breast first at each feeding, and then supplementing (pace fed) if the baby is still hungry after. Remember that the amount you are getting at your pumping sessions is not an indication of your supply level, look to your baby to see how satisfied they are after a feed and if they are gaining weight.
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