Breast Milk That Came Back

Just to let you know up until my daughter was 2 and a half if I squeezed my breasts milk would come out..so that part is not abnormal...

I breastfed my youngest til she was a little over 18 mos, I think if I were you I would definetly try to bring back the supply. Maybe even try letting one of the babies nurse maybe that would be better than pumping (I always hated pumping and I never got much milk pumping, but my kids always nursed really well)

my supply dried up when my daughter was a month old due to stress. with my son, i always had a weak milk supply and had to supplement him with formula. i don't think it would hurt the babies. try pumping to bring the supply back and see what it looks like. if it looks good and healthy, let the babies try it. they will let you know if it is not for them.

don't feel guilty though if you have to use formula. at least we have that alternative. remember reading about the times with wet nurses? I would rather use formula than give my child to someone else to nurse for me.

By all means, if you want to, do it! I breastfed my son until he was 18 months and the only reason I stopped then is I had to start taking some heavy duty medication for a colon problem. I cried all the time becuase I didn't want to give that up. My son did too. It was heartbreaking. Even today, (years later) if I squeeze my nipples, I can get drops of milk to come out - hard to believe but true. If you start pumping, or even if you have your children suckle for a while, in a few days it will come back. It's healthy and soothing for your babies, it is cheaper than formula (and better!) and if you want to GO FOR IT!
M.

Hi M.. It's completely normal to leak for a long time after you stop nursing. I'm still leaking 6 months after weaning my last son. You can certainly start pumping to build up your supply if you want to go back to nursing them. Please understand that your breastmilk will always be beneficial to them -- it's a myth that breastfeeding loses its nutritional qualities after 6 months. Babies do need to have solid foods added to their diets around the 6 month mark (though both my youngest refused solids until they were well over a year-old, so I breastfed them both exclusively), but your breastmilk is unique because it adapts to the needs of your baby as he/she grows. Antibodies are always adapting to the environment and to what you (and your baby) has been exposed to, which is extremely beneficial for your baby. Most women (and men) don't realize that germs from the baby's mouth are transferred to Mom's nipple, which, in turn, makes Mom's body create antibodies to that particular germ which she, of course, will pass back to the baby when nursing. Most people also do not know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (and many other leading health organizations) recommend that a baby be fed only breastmilk for the first 6 months and that breastmilk continue to be the baby's primary source of nutrition for the entire first year. Here's a link for you:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

You can also find answers to your questions/concerns on the La Leche League website. Good luck!

Breastmilk is definitely beneficial for your babies so it's worth a try to nurse again. You may need to work with a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader to get your supply up or make sure they have a good latch. Even if they never latch on again, you may pass on beneficial antibodies by pumping what you can.

Just an FYI ~ If you need to take any medications, you can have someone look up in the book Medications and Mothers Milk by Dr. Thomas Hale to see how compatible the medication is with breastmilk. SOmetimes if one drug is known to decrease milk supply, he will have alternative medicaitons listed that you could discuss with your doctor.

I didn't have the same situation as you. I breastfeed my daughter until she weined herself around 15mths. I do know that breastmilk is the best for your babies and you should breastfeed for the first 12mths. Thus if you have milk I would definately start breastfeeding agin. Also, there is medication you can take to stimulate breastmilk so you don't go dry I had a friend that did that when they adopted. it was very important for her to breastfeed and surprisingly she was able to. Your babies will definately still benefit from breastmilk and if you can and are willing then I would definately continue.

I think it is wonderful that you still want to nurse. You may have read about adopting mothers breastfeeding, if so then yes, you can cause you have a head start with your milk coming in. Will the babies still take the breast? If so let them nurse often to bring your milk up. If not you could use a good grade pump (Medela) cause breastmilk if good for babies for as long as they get it! They will continue to get the antibodies that help protect them. Also, remember breastfeeding is much more than just milk, it is security, comfort. I wish you the best. contact La Leche League on line for more help or meetings in your area or just a leader to talk to.