Inducing lactation without pregnancy is the process by which a woman can stimulate her breasts in order to produce milk for her baby. Among the reasons for going through this process are:
- Adopting a newborn.
- Restarting breastfeeding after it has been interrupted for any reason.
- A couple of two women in which the non-gestational mother wants to breastfeed her baby.
In today’s blog post we tell you everything you need to know about inducing lactation without pregnancy.
If there is no pregnancy, is it possible to induce lactation?
Yes, non-gestational mothers can breastfeed even without a pregnancy, although some preparation beforehand is needed. When there has been no pregnancy and the aim is to breastfeed, the first step is to activate the mammary gland so that the breast develops properly.
The time left until the baby arrives will determine which type of induction we carry out. There are a number of reference protocols for this process, created by the paediatrician Jack Newman and the lactation consultant Leonore Goldfarb.
Both specialists developed two types of induction to achieve the development of the mammary gland.
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Regular protocol: six months before the baby arrives.
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Accelerated protocol: 4-8 weeks before the baby arrives.
Although the nutritional composition of the milk is entirely suited to meeting the baby’s needs, it is impossible to predict how this practice will turn out. Inducing lactation does not always guarantee enough milk production for exclusive breastfeeding, so it is best not to go into this process with fixed expectations.
Sometimes, if the future breastfeeding mother has enough time to prepare before she needs to breastfeed, her healthcare provider is likely to prescribe hormone therapy. Along these lines, oestrogen or progesterone supplements are the ones most often prescribed.
In any case, to go through this process it is essential to consult professionals who specialise in breastfeeding: gynaecologists, midwives and lactation experts. They will make the process easier, depending on each case.