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The First Drop!
Inducing
lactation is a true labor of
love. It takes a strict
adherence to a schedule of
breast expression. It takes a
deep
conviction to reach a goal. But
eventually there will be one day
that you will find success. This
image is the first drop of milk
that this lady was able to
express from her breasts after
doing the necessary process to
reach lactation. She was a very
happy lady.
If you are
thinking that it is something
that a woman your age could
never accomplish, this lady is
post-menopausal, and she has
reached a very important
plateau... she has expressed the
first of many drops of milk yet
to come.
When it
seems that it will never happen,
do not give up. If you believe
it will happen, and if you
follow a good schedule of breast
expression without fail or
deviation, you will likely find
success. There is no guarantee
that it will happen, but with
support and effort it very
likely will happen. |
Permission granted by model |
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When a woman is
pregnant, her breasts will develop beyond
Tanner Stage
Five (final adult breast development stage
without lactation), and
establish lactation, which is the process of
producing breast milk. The term "re-lactation"
refers to the process by which a woman (or a
man) causes their breasts to lactate (produce
milk) without the benefit of ever being pregnant
or having been pregnant within the previous few
years.
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Why Would Anyone Want To Re-Lactate?
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Re-lactation is undertaken by:
- An adoptive
mother (or father), for the purpose of
breastfeeding an infant without the benefit
of going through a pregnancy immediately
prior to commencing to breastfeed.
- Menstruating
women, for the purpose of stopping menses
(periods) which have become painful or
unusually troublesome.
It is not encouraged as a reliable
method of contraception.
- A couple, for
the purpose of developing a closer, more
intimate bond through an Adult
Nursing Relationship (ANR).
- Anyone, as a
means of producing breast milk for
medicinal use by others.
- Anyone, as a
means of producing breast milk for
personal medicinal use.
- Any woman, to
satisfy a need to feel more feminine.
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Re-lactation can be
induced through the repetitious
expression of the breasts on a very
strictly followed schedule for a period
of time. You can read the details on
How To Get Started .
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How Do I Monitor My
Progress Toward Establishing
Re-Lactation?
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Physical
changes to your breasts that are
seen or felt are good indicators of
the progress that your breasts are making
toward meeting your goals of
re-lactation. You can see examples
of these changes in
Visual Signs of Re-Lactation As
indicators of progress toward your goal of
producing milk, you will likely see changes in:
-
the
color of your areolae (usually becoming
darker)
-
the
size of your areolae (usually increasing in
diameter)
-
the
size of your nipples (usually becoming wider)
-
the
size of your breasts, possibly increasing as much as
one or two "cup-sizes"
-
the
appearance of more dominant blood vessels below the
surface of the skin on your
breasts
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the
amount (and color) of fluids that are expressed from
your nipples
-
the
sensations of tingling or minor 'growing pains'
within your
breasts
Sometimes we
get concerned when we see our
areolae becoming larger or turning
darker pigmented when we are
preparing to lactate. Although
everyone will not necessarily have
larger areolae, under Anatomy
Galleries we have included
images of breasts that have
larger and darker areolae. Also,
our breasts may tend to take on a
different size or shape, which
facilitates the process of suckling.
One anomaly is referred to as
"tubular breasts".
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Are there some "case
histories" I can
read? |
We
offer you some examples of
testimonials describing how
others have faced issues,
and how others have used this
information to their
advantage and application. We
welcome contributions
from anyone that has found
re-lactation to be
beneficial to their
lifestyle. These include:
-
Bonding experiences
between partners
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Improvements in
monthly menstrual period
pain
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Improved quality of life
of patients
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What
Complications
Will I Have?
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These can be varied, but
a few of them are
addressed here:
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What do I tell my
OB/Gyn about why
my breasts are
lactating? Or should
I even tell him/her?
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How do I deal with
working all day
where I cannot
express my breasts
during a meeting?
(Use Of A TENS Unit)
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Will there be
problems when I have
a
mammogram?
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Are There Some Aides
Available?
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Some
contributors have generously
contributed some ideas and
devices that can be helpful to
you. We offer them to you as
shared information only. You can
determine if the information can
be helpful for you. Some
examples are found on
Tools & Gadgets.
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