Relactation after 6 months

Milkology Q&A

Question:

Can you please send me some tips and help me relactate? I have low milk supply since I got a mastitis when my daughter was 1 month old. She is now 6 months now and on a lot of formula.

Relactation after 6 months

Answer:

Relactation can be challenging. It’s not clear how much breast milk she is taking at the breast. It might be beneficial to do a pre- and post- weight check with a lactation consultant. That could give you an idea of how much she’s getting at the breast.

Besides breastfeeding as frequently as possible and doing lots of skin-to-skin/resting/cuddling/comfort nursing with your baby, it might help to increase pumping. It’s important that you have a good pump. The best pumps are hospital grade pumps, which you can rent from a healthcare facility, lactation consultant, or even a baby store.

Then you want to aim for very frequent pumping, 8-12 times in 24 hours, for 20-30 minutes each. If that sounds too much, just do your best. You can also try power pumping, which is where you pump every 10-15 minutes for an hour or so, to mimic cluster feeding.

Remember that with relactation, it can take a while to increase supply, at least a week or two with diligent pumping, and often more. Have realistic expectations and set your own personal goals.