It is a common practice in many cultures for a grandmother to relactate so that she may breastfeed her grandchild. It is truly an act of love. UPDATE: We are getting a TON of questions about colostrum and induced lactation and relactation and how menopause affects this, etc!
But it is required that she is healthy and does not have an illness that the child has a possibility of contracting. “So, grandmothers can still produce breast milk and breastfeed babies, irrespective of their age.
“If they feed for as long as they want to they will naturally wean. “In a lot of countries it's perfectly normal to breastfeed older children and they will do it for a lot longer than we do in the West.”
Yes, you can breastfeed a baby to whom you did not give birth. In fact, breastfeeding an adopted baby is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Once she stops expressing the milk, the breasts can stop lactating, till pregnancy happens once more. According to the medical practitioners at AMRI Hospitals, one of the best hospitals in Kolkata, a woman can produce breast milk for twenty, thirty or more years, as long as there is a constant need for it,.
Breastfeeding beyond babyhood is normal
But children outgrow breastfeeding on their own, just as they outgrow other toddler behaviours. This process of 'natural weaning' can allow a child to develop at his own pace, giving up breastfeeding according to his own timetable.
The answer is yes! Although rare, there are historical records of men breastfeeding their infants, usually when the mother was unable to because of illness or death. One of the earliest mentions comes from the Talmud, which describes a man who nursed his infant after his wife's death during childbirth.
While the FDA doesn't say that women shouldn't cross-nurse, it does warn that feeding a baby with milk from a source that isn't its mother is risky. It also says it's best to talk to your doctor first.
Many modern day experts say that the risk of infectious diseases is quite high when it comes to breastfeeding another's child. The wet nurse can pass on infections like HIV, hepatitis and yeast, bacterial and viral infections. Also parvovirus, herpes, rubella and CMV can be transmitted through breast milk.
The World Health Organization recommends that all babies be exclusively breastfed for 6 months, then gradually introduced to appropriate foods after 6 months while continuing to breastfeed for 2 years or beyond. Stopping breastfeeding is called weaning. It is up to you and your baby to decide when the time is right.
Galactorrhea (say "guh-lak-tuh-REE-uh") happens when a teen's breasts make milk but she is not pregnant. The milk may leak from one or both breasts. Sometimes milk leaks only when the breast is touched.
: to take care of but not breastfeed (another woman's baby) : to act as a dry nurse to. : to give unnecessary supervision to. dry nurse.
Generally speaking, breastfeeding your husband or partner is OK. It's not perverted or wrong if you want the person you are intimate with to breastfeed, or if they ask to try breastfeeding or taste your breast milk.
Breastfeeding your older child along with your newborn can be tiring, but it can also be a rewarding experience. As long as everyone is satisfied with the situation, you can choose to continue nursing both children together for as long as you feel comfortable.
Good for Your Husband
There is no harm in breastfeeding to your husband; in fact the breasts can produce as much milk as required, just think about some mom breastfeeding 3 or more babies. You just need to drink plenty of fluids, eat healthy, and have enough rest.
The only necessary component to induce lactation—the official term for making milk without pregnancy and birth—is to stimulate and drain the breasts. That stimulation or emptying can happen with baby breastfeeding, with an electric breast pump, or using a variety of manual techniques.
In some circumstances, having another woman, such as a friend or relative, feed your baby might be a good option. This nursing arrangement is sometimes called "cross-nursing" or "wet nursing," which means feeding a child who isn't biologically yours.
When the new baby finally arrives, continuing to breastfeed an older child can help them to feel connected as their parents tend to the newborn's unique needs. Tandem breastfeeding also supports bonding between siblings.
Normally, without suckling, milk production ceases 14 to 21 days after birth. PRL- mediated milk production and secretion, however, may continue as long as the breasts are stimulated, as evidenced by the ability of wet-nursing for many years (16).
So far there have been no successful attempts documented of men producing breast milk by pumping. Relactation (producing milk again after stopping breastfeeding) and induced lactation (producing milk if you've never breastfed) is possible for women.
In Mongolia, breastfeeding is celebrated and public breastfeeding encouraged with 65 percent of babies being exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding also tends to continue until after the second birthday.
Your body could be making extra amounts of a hormone called prolactin, which can cause a white discharge from your nipples. It doesn't have an odor. Occasionally teen girls have a milky breast discharge called galactorrhea, pronounced “gah-lack-toe-ree-ah”, which looks like milk.
It also continues to provide the balance of nutrients your baby needs. The World Health Organization recommends that all babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their life, and from 6 months babies should start eating solid foods as well as being breastfed for up to 2 years or longer.