Breastfeeding Without Lactating

Sometimes I meet a non-gestational parent for whom inducing lactation is not a fit for their body or their life. The good news is that lactation is not the only way a parent and their baby can benefit from the comfort and connection of a breastfeeding relationship or the ideal nutrition and immunities of human milk. Let's break it down...

BREASTFEEDING = BREAST + FEEDING

Latching baby at the BREAST without making milk

Comfort nursing. Non-lactating parents can latch their baby at their breast for comfort without any flow of milk, much as they would use a pacifier. Honestly, the breast was the original pacifier! Just as not every baby is interested in taking pacifier, not every baby is interested in comfort nursing. You may need to meet your baby before you know whether comfort nursing will interest them.

Even if your baby may be interested in comfort nursing, they will quickly become frustrated if offered latching at your breast (without flow) if they are hungry. To successfully comfort nurse, offer the breast at a time when baby is not hungry. After or between feedings are generally good times, although parents do sometimes find comfort nursing for just a few minutes keeps baby calm while waiting for a bottle to warm up or your lactating/breastfeeding partner to get out of the shower;)

Nursing supplementer (SNS). A nursing supplementer consists of a bag or bottle filled with human milk or formula with a tiny feeding tube that leads to the nipple. Baby is latched onto the breast and the feeding tube. It can help to think of the nursing supplementer as an "external milk duct" that allows baby to feed at the breast without any milk production.¹

FEEDING Human Milk

Just because you will not be producing milk doesn't mean your baby cannot benefit from this ideal infant food. Several avenues exist for safely obtaining donor milk:

From the gestational parent/carrier. In surrogacy arrangements, sometimes the gestational carrier will express milk for a period of time. Or if your partner is lactating, filling the nursing supplementer with their milk is perfect for your baby.

From a non-profit milk bank. This milk must go to very ill and preterm infants before it is made available to the public, so it may not always be attainable. And even when available, it is a very expensive option at $4-$5 per ounce. While purchasing milk from a non-profit milk bank is rarely a long-term option, it may be worth considering for the first few weeks.

Through informal peer-to-peer milk sharing. Milk sharing can be a beautiful way for families within a community to support each other. Start by checking in with lactating family members, friends, or within your local communities to connect with a parent with surplus milk to give you. Otherwise, look online to milk-sharing Facebook groups specifically for your city. When using safe milk sharing practices, peer-to-peer milk sharing is a safe way to provide human milk for your baby.²

You may choose BREAST (latching for comfort and/or using a nursing supplementer) or FEEDING (human donor milk) or both. It is all about what meets your goals, needs and abilities.

How can an IBCLC help you with "breastfeeding without lactating"?

An IBCLC can help you navigate your options for feeding and nurturing your little one. There may be more options for inducing lactation than you realize, so inducing lactation may actually be an option for you with an inducing lactation plan customized to your needs. And when inducing lactation isn't a fit, then an IBCLC can help you manage feeding, choose and use a nursing supplementer (SNS), practice safe milk sharing and storage, and more.

If you have any questions or need guidance in determining whether inducing lactation may be a fit for you and what your alternatives may be, feel free to schedule a free mini consultation with me HERE. Or if you are ready to jump right in with inducing lactation or other alternatives, check out my consultation packages HERE. I work with parents in person or via telehealth from wherever you are.

References

¹Auerbach, K. G. & Avery J. L. (1981). Induced lactation: a study of adoptive nursing by 240 women. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 135(4), 340-343.

²Walker, S., & Armstrong, M. (2012). The four pillars of safe breast milk sharing. Midwifery, 35.