How to increase breastmilk after baby has weaned

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hi All,

I had to wean my baby off because I thought I was going back to work in August. She was fully breastfed until 10 weeks and I slowly dropped feeds and then started only feeding her breast at night

2 weeks ago she totally rejected my breast and now my milk seemed to have dried up. I dont even need to wear a breastpad anymore because there is no leakage.

After thinking about it and working out our finances, Ive decided to stay home longer with bubs and want to start giving her breastmilk again.

How can I do this? My breast seems totally dried up and she HATES sucking from them now =(

Thanks in advance!

[MantaRay]

Phoenix, congratulations on getting more time at home. That is fantastic news.

I don't have time now to find them for you, but there have been a couple of threads recently about this. If you do a search for posts containing "relactation" you should find them. I highly recommend you contact the ABA. They will be able to give you great advice and they also have a booklet about relactation for $5.

I wish you all the best with this. I am sure you will find it rewarding.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

well done on your decision - regardless of how you feed your baby, your baby will benefit from having you home with him, and you will benefit from being home with him. Parenting a baby is a rare and precious thing - most of it only get to do it once or twice in our whole lives, and yet society is yapping at our heels to have us put our child in low paid childcare while we go back to work - makes no sense at all to me!
The second myth we are sold is that we have to wean to go back to work. Not so! Many, many women combine work and breastfeeding very successfully. In fact, by breastfeeding their child, their child remains healthier and they have fewer days off work to care for a sick child - so greater productivity.
It is alway easier to protect the milk supply than to restart it. Mothers thinking of weaning should think about this so carefully, but so often the information is so glibly given out by friends and even health professionals - "just put them on the bottle" as though it's as completely as unimportant as deciding which pair of jeans to buy.
You can get your milk supply back. I would suggest that you join the Australian Breastfeeding Association - their support will be invaluable. As Manta said, get a hold of their booklet - relactation and adoptive breastfeeding for $5 and hire an electric pump. You need to first concentrate on building up your milk supply, and then gradually get the baby to the breast. You will be looking at pumping 6-8 times in 24hrs, so you need the good equiptment - don't be tempted to do this with a handpump -it's a lot of work
Let us know how you go, there are several other threads on BB about mums who have fully or partially relactated for their babies.
Warm Regards
Barb

[Mum2SweetCs]

Thanks for the advice Manta and Barb.

Today I tried to give her the boob again and she took it and tried sucking on it and then spewed all over me.

Everytime, I try she wants to take it but somehow it makes her gag, poor baby.

Thanks again =)

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

That's OK - prob worse for you than for her! How long was she onthe breast for? Try her each time you feed.

Regards
Barb