What happens when you stop breastfeeding and start again?

The Journey of Weaning and Relactation
When a mother decides to stop breastfeeding, the journey can be both emotional and physical. The process of weaning, which involves gradually reducing breastfeeding sessions, can lead to significant changes in the mother’s body and emotional state. However, what many may not realize is that it is possible to start breastfeeding again after a period of cessation, a process known as relactation.
The Weaning Process
Weaning is a personal decision that varies from mother to mother. It can be influenced by various factors, including the baby’s age, the mother’s comfort level, and lifestyle changes. As mothers begin to wean, they may experience physical changes such as breast fullness and discomfort. This is because the body gradually reduces milk production in response to decreased stimulation from breastfeeding.
Emotionally, mothers might feel a mix of relief and sadness. The bond created during breastfeeding is profound, and the transition away from it can evoke feelings of loss. Experts suggest that mothers prepare for these emotional shifts by seeking support from family or breastfeeding groups.
What Happens When You Stop Breastfeeding?
Physically, when breastfeeding stops, the body undergoes several changes. For instance, many mothers find that their menstrual cycles return within six to eight weeks after stopping breastfeeding, especially if they were exclusively breastfeeding prior. Additionally, breast size and shape may change; breasts often become smaller and may not return to their pre-pregnancy state.
Some mothers may also experience a condition known as engorgement, where the breasts become overly full and uncomfortable. This can happen a few days after stopping breastfeeding, as the body continues to produce small amounts of milk.
The Possibility of Relactation
For those who wish to resume breastfeeding after a break, relactation is a viable option. This process involves increasing the frequency and duration of breast stimulation to encourage milk production. It can be particularly relevant for mothers who may have stopped due to temporary circumstances, such as a formula shortage or personal health issues.
Relactation can take time and patience. Mothers are encouraged to use techniques such as pumping or hand expression to stimulate milk production, alongside frequent skin-to-skin contact with their baby. While it may not always be successful, many mothers have successfully re-established breastfeeding after a break, highlighting the body’s remarkable ability to adapt and respond to the needs of both mother and child.
Conclusion
The journey of breastfeeding, whether continuing, stopping, or starting again, is deeply personal and can be filled with a range of emotions and physical changes. Understanding the processes of weaning and relactation can empower mothers to make informed decisions that best suit their circumstances and their baby’s needs. Whether embracing the end of breastfeeding or exploring the possibility of returning to it, the focus remains on nurturing the bond between mother and child.

When is it too late to relactate?

Relactation is the method of training your body to produce milk after not lactating for a period of time. It’s possible to relactate if you haven’t produced breast milk in weeks, months, years — or ever.

What are the side effects of relactation?

Changes Moms May Experience During Relactation: Breasts may become more full and tender and areolas may get darker. You may experience mood changes due to hormones as well as changes in your menstrual (period) cycle.

Can I relactate just by pumping?

For most people, relactating or inducing lactation starts with expressing. If your child is not yet willing to suck on your breast, or you are preparing for breastfeeding before you have your child with you, you can use a breast pump and/or hand express to build up a milk supply.

Can milk supply come back after drying up?

Some parents impacted by the baby formula shortage may be wondering if they can start breastfeeding again. A process known as re-lactation can help patients produce breast milk, even if it has been weeks or months since they did so.

How do you restart breastfeeding after stopping?

How to re-lactate. Re-lactation is typically achieved through a combination of skin-to-skin contact with the baby and breast stimulation either through a latching baby and/or pumping every two to three hours day and night, which mimics how often a baby feeds.

Is it bad to stop breastfeeding and start again?

Restarting breastfeeding after stopping
Stopping breastfeeding does not always have to be permanent, but starting again may take a lot of time and not everyone will produce enough to meet their baby’s needs. It partly depends on how well-established your milk supply was already.

What happens if I stop pumping and just breastfeed?

Nursing and pumping can exist independent of each other!
The opposite is also true – the less that your breasts are emptied, then the less milk will be produced. Avoid a sudden, drastic dip in your breast milk supply by understanding and staying in tune with your body.

How long does it take to fully relactate?

How long will it take? Commit 2 weeks to making breastfeeding your main concern. The amount of time it takes to relactate is about equal to how long it has been since breastfeeding stopped. About half of the women who sucessfully relactated had a full milk supply within a month.

What are the side effects of stopping breastfeeding?

Some might experience headaches or migraines, while others feel exhausted or even dizzy immediately after weaning. Another common post-weaning issue? Acne. Big hormone changes can really throw your body for a loop.

Is it possible to go back to breastfeeding after exclusively pumping?

There could be many reasons why you stopped breastfeeding, but now you want to get your baby back to the breast, and the great news is that it is definitely possible, regardless of how long your baby has been away from the breast.