Understand how breastfeeding is induced by women who are not (and have not been) pregnant
Caitlin Sheil, a 24-year-old British woman, is known on social media through her TikTok profile Caitlin and Leah, where she shares her relationship with Leah, whom she married in November. In her most recent post, she explains How could you breastfeed your baby even without getting pregnant? – since the one who ran little Oakley was his wife.
“The human body is quite extraordinary,” says Caitlin, describing the process she went through: “When Leah was 17 weeks pregnant, I I contacted a lactation consultant. So, she indicated that I should take the pill [anticoncepcional] to develop breast tissue e [o remédio] domperidone, which stimulates lactation,” he recalls. the use of any medicine should only be done with a doctor’s prescription and professional follow-up.
Eight weeks before giving birth, she stopped taking the pill. Previously she had already started to stimulate milk production with her hands, making a milking motion. “I started producing a little milk and, then, I started expressing every three hours, even during the night. Over time, my production continued to increase,” she says. Today, Oakley is three months old and able to breastfeed normally.sharing the role with Leah.
How is lactation induction performed?
According to Cinthia Calsinski, an internationally certified nurse midwife and lactation consultant, this is a common practice. “It consists in carrying out the physiological process of lactation through medication and milking at a time unrelated to the postpartum period. The use of the pill (hormone) stimulates breast development, simulating pregnancy, childbirth and placental delivery, because in each of these stages there are specific hormonal changes,” she explains.
Domperidone promotes milk production, but its use should be carefully evaluated by the obstetrician. “If there is any contraindication, there is the possibility of opting for a different protocol, using phytotherapy”, he points out.
The consultant also points out that the regular protocol takes a significant amount of time. “Begin six months or more before birth”, careful, thinking about the best results. But the possibility is not excluded for those who have a smaller range.
Finally, it is interesting to differentiate this process from the so-called “relactation”, which refers to the practice of women wanting to produce milk again. “This technique consists of having the baby suckle at the breast together with a probe that works like a straw. In this way the baby sucks and swallows the milk that comes out of the tube, stimulating production and feeding at the same time”, explains the professional. It is therefore different from inducing lactation.
“It is not possible to know whether the volume of milk produced will be sufficient to exclusively feed the baby, but the benefits for him and for the breastfeeding are always precious”Cynthia concludes.
Check out the video below, which already has more than 2.6 million views:
@caitlinandleahsheil How I can breastfeed without being pregnant! 🥛
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
