Relactation is the process of re-establishing breastfeeding after a period of cessation. It is often a difficult task which requires support and guidance, especially from professionals.

Whether a parent stopped breastfeeding due to personal reasons, medical issues, or cultural factors, relactation offers an opportunity to resume breastfeeding and provide valuable benefits to both the parent and the baby.

As a CBC, you should be familiar with how relactation works, why one might relactate, and realistic expectations for relactation.

What Are The Benefits of Relactation?

If relactating is difficult, why do some parents choose to try? Simply put, breastfeeding has significant benefits and is our biological norm. There are a variety of reasons why a pause in breastfeeding occurs with a later interest in relactating.

1. Bonding: Breastfeeding fosters a strong bond between mother and baby, promoting emotional connection and security.
2. Nutritional Benefits: Breast milk provides essential nutrients and antibodies that support the baby’s growth and development.
3. Health Benefits for the Parent: Breastfeeding can reduce the parent’s risk of certain health conditions, such as breast and ovarian cancer.
4. Convenience: Breastfeeding is convenient and cost-effective, as it requires no preparation or cleanup compared to formula feeding.
5. Environmental Impact: Breastfeeding is eco-friendly, producing no waste or packaging compared to formula feeding.

The immediate postpartum period is filled with healing, adjustment, and many variables which impact breastfeeding initiation and duration. A new parent may feel overwhelmed, there may be a medical challenge, or perhaps they did not plan to breastfeed but formula feeding presented unexpected complications.

Whatever the reason for a cessation in lactating, it is not uncommon for some parents to have questions about relactation.

Challenges of Relactation

As mentioned above, relactation can be difficult. Like breastfeeding, the challenges are similar. However, with relactation you are asking the body to produce milk without the benefit of immediate postpartum hormones.

Breastfeeding is the natural process immediately after pregnancy. After the expulsion of the placenta, the body is most receptive to hormones encouraging lactation when there is nipple stimulation via latching or pumping.

With relactation, you are asking the body to produce milk at a time the hormones are not naturally adjusted to respond. It is still possible for many, but it is difficult to ask the body to do something out of order.

The shorter the duration from birth to attempted relactation, often the easier it is. If breastfeeding had been successful, the shorter the duration since weaning can also be easier.

For those who have never been pregnant or never breastfed, it is still very possible to lactate. However, often it takes more time and intervention to get a supply. It is also important to discuss realistic goals. In some cases, it may not be possible to relactate and get a full milk supply. However, it is possible to get some supply which has benefits and baby latching can aid in bonding.

Common difficulties include:

1. Milk Supply: Re-establishing milk production can be challenging, especially if the parent’s milk supply has significantly decreased.
2. Latching Difficulties: Babies who have been bottle-fed or weaned may have difficulty latching onto the breast again.
3. Emotional Factors: Some mothers may experience feelings of guilt, frustration, or inadequacy related to their decision to stop breastfeeding initially.
4. Time and Dedication: Relactation requires commitment and persistence from both the mother and her support system.
5. Support System: Lack of support from healthcare professionals, family, or friends can hinder the relactation process.

Strategies for Successful Relactation

As a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor, it is important to remember you role and scope. You are there to provide support, information, etc., about relactating. However, you do not need to guide through medication options, weight concerns for baby, etc. Your role is to help support, educate and guide.

These are things which can help clients with relactating:

1. Seek Professional Support: Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in supporting parents through the relactation process. Offer guidance, encouragement, and resources to help mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals. A referral to an IBCLC is almost always necessary.
2. Establish Realistic Expectations: Educate parents about the relactation process and set realistic goals based on individual circumstances. One rule of thumb used is if it has been a month since breastfeeding, expect it to take two months to relactate fully. It is often however long since stopping, multiplied by two. Not always of course, but that can provide a realistic timeline.
3. Skin-to-Skin Contact: Encourage frequent skin-to-skin contact between the parent and baby to stimulate milk production and promote bonding. It is ideal to remind parents that regardless of milk supply, time spent skin-to-skin is never wasted and is ideal for bonding.
4. Breast Stimulation: Advise mothers to use breast pumps or manual expression to stimulate milk production and maintain milk supply.
5. Offer Emotional Support: Address any emotional concerns or barriers that may impact the mother’s confidence or motivation to relactate. Provide reassurance and empathy throughout the relactation journey.

As CBCs, it is essential to provide support, guidance, and encouragement to parents who wish to relactate. By offering personalized care, education, and resources, we can empower parents to successfully re-establish breastfeeding and experience breastfeeding.