Inducing Lactation & Relactation

Did you know that:

It is possible to lactate even if you have not been pregnant!

Inducing lactation means that a person is taking action to begin producing milk and has never been pregnant. Re-lactation is when you have made milk before and want to bring it back.

FUN FACT: prior to having reliable infant formula, inducing/re-lactation was a common practice amongst grandmothers and non-gestational carriers to assist an individual that is unable to feed their baby!

The milk that is made from stimulating lactation is just as nutritious as someone who has recently given birth! The amount of milk produced can vary greatly. Some individuals will be able to exclusively breastfeed/chestfeed while others will produce a smaller amount. Regardless of the volume produced, stimulating lactation can be an incredibly meaningful journey for all involved and have benefits that last a lifetime!

There are countless reasons for deciding to stimulate milk production:

  • adoption

  • surrogacy

  • LGBTQ+ couples wanting to co-nurse

  • having weaned, but baby is not tolerating formula

  • formula shortages

  • and so many more unique circumstances!

There are many different ways to stimulate lactation depending on your individual circumstances, goals and timeline. Protocols can involve hormones or not, and focus on stimulation and removing milk. The sooner you start the better, but we can begin the process anytime!

If you would like to explore inducing/re-lactation please reach out to our clinic! During your appointment we will review your history, reasons for stimulating lactation and goals. We will then discuss the different protocol options available to you, and will follow your progress!

Appointments are free with a referral.

“When I first got pregnant a few years ago, one thing I was most excited to do was bond with our baby by breastfeeding. After our second loss and starting our surrogacy journey, I was completely prepared to bond while bottle/formula feeding. When my amazing midwife [Tiffany] told me I could possibly breastfeed our baby without being pregnant, I was beyond excited to say the least! I started my meds just a few weeks ago and am so proud of how progress is going so far! I cant thank The Milk Clinic enough for helping me induce lactation, and its only the beginning!”

— Happy patient