• Adult Breastfeeding And Nursing Relationships Wiki
• What is Adult Breastfeeding? What is Induced Lactation?
• Brief Physiological Overview of Lactation
• Overview for Inducing Lactation in People of Any Gender: Frequency and Methods
  • Frequency of Breast Stimulation for Inducing Lactation
  • Methods for Breast Stimulation
    • a. Suckling the Breasts
    • b. Marmet Method (or Marmet Technique)
    • c. Breast Pumps or "Pumping"
    • d. TENS Unit (BEFORE the milk comes in)
• What to Expect When You're Inducing
  • What about colostrum? Will that come out too? (The Answer is No)
• Maintaining Milk Production
  • Power Pumping
• Proper Latching and Practicing a Good Latch
  • Reddit Posts Discussing Latching for Adults
  • Articles Discussing Latching for Adults
• Information about Breast Pumps
  • Breast Pump Settings
  • About Letdown Mode
  • Mega Thread about Recommended Breast Pumps
• Inducing with Medications and Hormonal Manipulation
  • Newman-Goldfarb Method
  • Domperidone for Dummies
    • Where to Get Domperidone
    • Recommended Dosages for Domperidone for Induced Lactation
    • Possible Side Effects of Domperidone
• Regarding Supplements for Induced Lactation
  • Commonly Recommended Supplements
  • Possible Galactagogues
• Additional Information and Useful Links

Adult Breastfeeding And Nursing Relationships Wiki

Welcome to the Adult Breastfeeding (ABF) and Adult Nursing Relationship (ANR) Wiki. The Wiki will provide a general overview to inducing lactation. Please check out our FAQ for answers to questions you may have. If the FAQ or Wiki are not able to help you find the information you're looking for, we encourage you to search the ABF community for more information that you might find to have been discussed in previous posts, or to submit a post to ask the community for insight on what you're trying to learn. You can reach out the moderators if you have suggestions for additions we could consider adding to the Wiki at any time.

What is Adult Breastfeeding? What is Induced Lactation?

Adult breastfeeding can be conducted between two people in one of two ways: wet or dry. Dry nursing is in reference to people who engage in the act of suckling breasts without anyone involved actively lactating or producing milk. Wet nursing, in the context of this subject, refers to the act of adult breastfeeding between peoples where someone is actively lactating or producing milk from their breasts. In fact, lactation and adult breastfeeding does not only occur between a person and someone who has just given birth. With a lot of time and effort, lactation can actually be induced, and wet nursing can be achieved, without anyone having ever been pregnant before or recently! We refer to this as Induced Lactation and much of the discussion within the ABF community that takes place centers around people that are discussing the ins and outs of achieving this.

Brief Physiological Overview of Lactation

Please see below for some great links to help you understand and learn about the anatomy of the breast and of the mechanisms of lactation in human beings. Please note that, while these resources do make reference to lactation as it occurs in the breasts of females who have given birth to children, that this information does apply women who have not given birth and to males too.

• Breastnotes Breast Anatomy Overview
• Khan Academy Medicine: Overview of Anatomy of the Breast
• Khan Academy Medicine: Explanation of the Letdown Reflex in Mothers

Overview for Inducing Lactation in People of Any Gender: Frequency and Methods

There are a lot of opinions and methods to get any number of desired results. Everything from just a few drops, to several ounces per session, can generally be achieved through the methods listed below. The breasts make milk based on supply and demand. In the context of a recently pregnant person, the breasts develop and prepare to make milk for the incoming child and supply milk based on the frequency that the child nurses from its mother. Inducing lactation is essentially tricking the body through performing the methods of stimulation in this wiki to make milk. Making milk at all and how much milk you make depends primarily on how often you stimulate the breasts. Inducing lactation involves a lot of time, patience, and hard work, but it can be done by stimulating the breasts often throughout the day and night, similarly to the feeding patterns of a hungry baby. By employing the techniques listed in this wiki, you will demand that your breasts make milk, and they will, in turn, supply you with milk over time.

1. Frequency of Breast Stimulation for Inducing Lactation

In general, you should aim to stimulate the breasts 8 to 12 times a day, around every 2 hours, for between 10 to 30 minutes. This includes, whenever possible, waking up in the middle of the night to stimulate the breasts. Not everyone can make such a huge change in lifestyle for this and not being able to does not mean that you cannot succeed, but it may not be as sufficient for getting the message through to your brain that you want changes to happen to make milk.

2. Methods for Breast Stimulation

The following sections list the ways that you can go about stimulating the breasts with the intention to induce lactation. These methods can be used interchangeably with each other, based on your lifestyle and circumstances. The most important thing is to figure out which of these methods work best for you to be able to stimulate the breasts as frequently as inducing lactation demands. Selection of which methods to use should be based on what you're most comfortable with doing, what you have the most time to do based on your own circumstances, and based on what you can financially afford.

a. Suckling the Breasts

Although to some this may go without saying, we feel that it is worth saying that frequently suckling the breasts can stimulate them to produce milk. Suckling the breasts and sucking on the breasts, common in typical sexual activities, are completely different. The act of suckling the breasts must be done with what is referred to as a good latch, meaning that the technique of suckling the breasts must closely mimic that of a nursing infant at their mother's breast. A poor latch will normally result in poor experiences for both parties involved, ranging from sore nipples, to sore mouths. Please see the "How do I get a good latch?" section for more information.

b. Marmet Method (or Marmet Technique)

The Marmet Method is a popular method used to manually induce lactation and, later on, to express milk from the breasts. It involves stimulating the breasts by hand by going through the motions of what someone with milk would do to get the milk. Many people rely on this method on its own or in combination with other methods to stimulate the breasts. If you cannot stop during the day to have someone suckle your breasts or to use a breast pump, simply using your hands to stimulate can be a suitable substitution.

The Marmet Method can be difficult to apply if you have never been pregnant before or have never experienced having breasts with milk in them before. Many people have posted about feeling insecure about whether they are performing the method correctly in practice or not. In the early stages of inducing lactation, before the breasts have had time to fully develop for this goal, it is harder to be comfortable performing this for many people. However, with practice, and with time as the breasts develop, you will literally get a better feel for performing the Marmet Technique. For some, it doesn't make sense until the milk comes in, which is why many rely on other methods to stimulate the breast.

c. Breast Pumps or "Pumping"

The Breast Pump Method is a popular method used to induce lactation involving the use of a breast pump to stimulate the breasts. This can be done by pumping the breasts one at a time or both at once, and can be done using a manual hand breast pump or an electric double or single breast pump. If you have time and money to invest, the breast pump is a convenient and efficient method to stimulate the breasts. Please see the "Information about Breast Pumps" section to learn more about breast pumps.

d. TENS Unit (BEFORE the milk comes in)

The TENS unit is a popular method thought to help with inducing lactation when none of the aforementioned means to stimulate the breasts are not an option. The use of a TENS unit is simple, discreet, noiseless, and incredibly convenient for people who want to induce lactation but lead busy lifestyles. Once the milk comes in, the TENS unit loses its usefulness due to not being a method that can actually promote actual expression of the milk like the methods listed before. Nonetheless, it is a valuable tool for those who want to induce.

What to Expect When You're Inducing

Now that you know how often you need to stimulate your breasts, and which methods you can use to do so, you'll need to know what to expect once you start setting this in motion. Everything we will talk about in the following sections varies from person to person.

Additionally, the timeline or the speed at which any of what is discussed below varies too much from person to person to be able to guess when to expect any of this. Again, it's just a general overview of what you might experience when beginning to induce. The timelines mentioned below are for the purpose of reference to when during the induced lactation journey some of these symptoms and changes can be expected.

• Sore, tender, or sensitive nipples
• Sore, tender, or sensitive breasts
• Uterine contractions during breast stimulation
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Changes in mood (for better or worse)
• Changes in libido (for better or worse)
• Breast growth and increases in cup size
• Frequent sensation of heaviness of the breasts
• Changes in menstruation frequency and reduced PMS or menstruation symptoms
• Increased fatigue periodically, especially near periods of time during or following breast stimulation

Later on in the induced lactation journey, the following symptoms and changes will usually occur:

• Discharge from the nipple of varying colors (brown, clear, yellow, green)
• Oily substance on the inside of breast pump flanges (natural nipple lubrication production)
• Prominence of veins throughout the breasts
• Sensations throughout the breasts that might be nearly painful that radiate throughout the breasts (aka "stabbies")
• Sensations of achiness and the feeling of an almost yearning to stimulate the breasts

The liquid secreted through the nipple at first is referred to as physiological discharge. As the breasts develop over time, the liquid that is expressed from the breast will eventually become milky nipple discharge, and then breast milk.

What about colostrum? Will that come out too? (The Answer is No)

Colostrum is ONLY made in people who have just given birth to a newborn human. People who induce lactation will experience nipple discharge in various forms, but will not have colostrum. Yellow colored discharge is normal and any nipple discharge initially can sometimes be sticky. It is because the discharge sometimes has these features that it can easily be thought that, incorrectly, colostrum is being exuded. If you have not recently created another human, we can assure you that it is not colostrum being discharged by your body!

Maintaining Milk Production

Once you have reached the point where you are making milk, you will be able to say that you have successfully induced lactation. The name of the game now changes to maintaining milk production and, for some, increasing milk supply.

Maintaining milk supply will require continued stimulation of the breasts. The time it takes for the amount of milk you produce varies from person to person. Since we are not peoples who have recently given birth, you will not initially or later be likely to produce amounts that rival that of a mother. You will, though, be able to experience the fun and fulfillment of going from drops, to sprays, and beyond.

Power Pumping

Power pumping is well known for increasing milk supply through the use of a breast pump. It can also be performed while in the process of inducing lactation, but for sake of its benefit to milk output it has been placed here for discussion.

Power pumping involves changing the time of a session of using a breast pump from one set amount of time, to a series of stop and go sequences, to mimic that of a particularly hungry infant. To power pump, you simply start by pumping for 20 minutes, then stopping for 10 minutes. You then resume pumping for 10 minutes, then pause for another 10 minutes. You resume pumping for one final time and that completes the power pumping.

To summarize, power pumping is:

• 20 minutes on; 10 minutes off
• 10 minutes on; 10 minutes off
• 10 minutes on; Complete.

Proper Latching and Practicing a Good Latch

The best sources on information for how to perform a good latch are usually made for breast feeding infants. This information can be easily adapted for adults. The following sections list various resources for you to learn more about how to achieve a good latch when suckling the breasts, for the purposes of inducing lactation or for suckling the breasts as a part of an ABF/ANR.

1. Reddit Posts Discussing Latching for Adults

• Suckling Advice written for Adults
• Awesome Comment on Latching

2. Articles Discussing Latching for Adults

• Proper Latching 01

Information about Breast Pumps

Breast pumps are devices used to help express milk from the breasts. They come in several forms, including: -electric and non-electric -portable (and/or wearable) or stationary (plugged into the wall) -single breast or double breast

For inducing lactation purposes, almost any pump should be suitable, but breast pumps that are deemed, "hospital grade," are known to have stronger suction and are preferred when possible.

One final note, regarding the use of a breast pump and its effectiveness: "No breast pump is completely comfortable. A baby's mouth suckling is the perfect fit. A partner's mouth is nearly as good. Any breast pump currently made will come in third."

1. Breast Pump Settings

Breast pumps vary in terms of what kind of settings they offer, but the advice on which settings to use remains the same: a level of suction that is NOT painful and is just below discomfort of the nipples while in use is what you are looking for. The stronger the suction does NOT mean that you will necessarily be stimulated more; in fact, it is more likely to do damage to your breasts if you use too strong of a suction, which will set you back in progress.

Many electric breast pumps have two to three different settings, but not all of them do. These settings are based on lactating mothers, so we don't necessarily have to go with how they are intended to be used. We will discuss these settings briefly: - Letdown or Stimulation mode: Usually the first setting the breast pump starts with. It is thought to stimulate the nipple to release oxytocin and incite the letdown reflex. It does not always work to do this, especially in peoples who are inducing lactation! The idea behind this mode is to get the letdown going and get the milk flowing. - Expression or Massage mode: Usually the second setting of the breast pump, normally following after a short period of time on stimulation mode. It is slightly slower in speed and slightly stronger in suction normally than stimulation mode. This is normally to continue to get more milk out once the milk gets flowing after stimulation mode. - Mega Expression or Deep Expression mode: Not all breast pumps have this, but enough of them do to mention this. Some breast pumps include a third setting where the speed of suction is slower and the strength of the suction is deeper. In a lactating mother, this is meant to be used at the end of a session to help further empty the breast.

Whether you're trying to get the milk in or your milk is already in, you can use the settings that feel most comfortable to you and that won't make your nipples feel sore. It varies from person to person what feels best, so play around with the settings of your breast pump to find what works for you.

2. About Letdown Mode

One additional note to mention is about the first mode of typical electric breast pumps, usually called Letdown Mode. Letdown is not guaranteed to be something that people who induce lactation achieve regularly. It is normal in lactating mothers because they constantly have babies at their breast suckling and causing the letdown reflex to occur. Many people who induce lactation do not experience letdown because the pump might not be able to cause your brain to respond to it the way a mother's brain responds to the suckling of a baby. It is important to not stress out about letdown happening or not while breast pumping. The breast pump will ultimately make it more convenient to stimulate your breasts and, later on, get a good portion of milk out of your breasts, which is what it's meant to do. Nothing is wrong with you if you do not have a letdown when pumping!!!

3. Mega Thread about Recommended Breast Pumps

For more information about which breast pumps you might consider buying, please visit the following link to review our mega thread about breast pumps. In this post, members of the community have commented to share their experiences with their breast pumps, as well as mention any pros, cons, or advice for you to consider before purchasing your own. You will also find links to websites for the breast pumps listed, where you can learn more about them from their manufacturer.

Link to a reddit Megathread

Link to community Megathread

Inducing with Medications and Hormonal Manipulation

This section discusses using medications to manipulate the hormones and encourage necessary changes in the body needed in order to induce lactation. It is not a requirement to go this route in order to induce lactation, but it can be highly effective.

1. Newman-Goldfarb Method

The Newman-Goldfarb method involves the use of birth control pills, taken in a specific way, to trick the body into believing that it is pregnant and, thus, to begin development of the breasts. There are two versions of this method, including the normal method and the accelerated method. These methods vary in terms of how much time you want to invest into allowing the opportunity for your breasts to develop before fully pursuing induced lactation.

The hormonal method can be effective and safe but, like anything involving medications, they can have side effects. We always suggest that you consider talking to your doctor before proceeding with any methods involving any medications, especially if you have any heart conditions (particularly in terms of the medication discussed frequently called domperidone). With that in mind, many people have induced using this method successfully.

Please see the links below for information on the protocols and how to follow them:

• Newman-Goldfarb Protocol

2. Domperidone for Dummies

Domperidone, often referred to as "dom", is a medication available through prescription only for gastroparesis and for increasing breastmilk supply. It increases the levels of the hormone called prolactin in the body, which is needed for lactogenesis, or the creation of milk. Prolactin levels needed to make milk are higher in pregnant people and are difficult to achieve for leisurely breast milk production, as in by induced lactation, through stimulation of the breasts alone.

a. Where to Get Domperidone

Dom can be taken either in accordance with the Newman-Goldfarb Methods or alone in combination with methods for stimulating the breasts. Simply taking this medication alone will not result in lactation! It is not a widely available drug and, in many countries, is not available without a prescription from a doctor.

Domperidone can be obtained through purchase at any of the websites listed below:

• In-House Pharmacy

In-House Pharmacy has the best customer service of the three websites listed here and they email you every step of the way throughout your order. Their available payment methods might be a hassle for some, but they are the most reputable source of domperidone and other medications in this sub.

• AIPCT Shop

AIPCT Shop has limited customer service and are not as quick to send emails, if at all, about your orders, but they have been known as another confirmed source for ordering domperidone. Their payment methods might be a bit less of a hassle compared to In-House.

• Wan Store (ships to Canada!)

03/03/2024: There have been posts recently complaining about poor and non-existent customer service from Wan Store. We have had enough people successfully obtain dom from this website, but we want to give warning here that you may not have an easy time of reaching out to them regarding your order if you ever need to and to keep this in mind before ordering from them. They are also the only website of the three listed here that ships to Canada. If we continue to see reports of folks having a poor experience with this website, it will be removed from the Wiki at a later date.

b. Recommended Dosages for Domperidone for Induced Lactation

According to Jack Newman, who helped to pen the Newman-Goldfarb methods:

• You can start right away with 30 mg (3 x 10 mg tablets) taken three times a day. You do not have to start with this amount; most people start with smaller amounts and work their way up to this dose, but whether or not you do so is completely up to you.

• You can go up to 40 mg (4 x 10 mg tablets) taken three times a day, or 30 mg taken 4 times a day.

• Everyone is different and everyone responds to domperidone differently. There is no set or concrete timeline to expect results. It can take at least two weeks to see results, but for some people it can be shorter or longer than this.

c. Possible Side Effects of Domperidone

While not everyone experiences side effects while taking dom, there are some side effects that are commonly reported, including (but not limited to):

• Increased thirst

• Increased hunger

• Itchiness of the skin

• Headache

• Dry mouth

• Vivid or lucid dreams

• Heartburn or sour stomach feeling

• Burping more frequently than before

IN RARE CASES, heart stuff, such as arrhythmia, palpitations, or increased heart rate. Anyone with any heart-related symptoms should probably stop taking domperidone and get cleared by a doctor before continuing to take it!

Additionally, some people report changes mentally, such as experiencing a sense of dysphoria. None of these symptoms are guaranteed to happen to you but you still assume the risk of any of these symptoms, and possibly others, happening to you.

Regarding Supplements for Induced Lactation

There are many herbs and supplements that have been purported to support the efforts of induced lactation that have come up in discussion over the years. A herbal supplement differs from a prescription medication in that it is not proven scientifically to work. That being said, there are many anecdotes where people have felt that ingesting herbal supplements has helped their cause.

Commonly Recommended Supplements

The following section lists supplements that are commonly or frequently mentioned that may or may not support induced lactation. Please note: It is NOT A REQUIREMENT for you to take any of these supplements in order to induce lactation! This list should be viewed as a resource for suggestions of herbal supplements you could consider trying, if you so choose to.

• Goat's Rue

• Fenugreek

• Lecithin (Sunflower or Soy): thought to help keep lactiferous ducts lubricated and to help reduce clogged ducts.

• Shatavari

• Blessed Thistle

• Moringa

• Milk Thistle: supports liver health.

• Fennel

Possible Galactagogues

The following section lists foods or supplements that are known as potential galactagogues. Galactagogues are foods or substances that are known as able to possibly increase lactation. Like supplements, these are not required to be taken in order to induce lactation! This list should be viewed as a resource for suggestions of galactagogues to consider incorporating into your diet, if you choose to do so.

• Oats (or oatmeal)

• Barley

• White radish

Additional Information and Useful Links

Please find below other useful links and information we have gathered over the years on various topics related to inducing lactation. We hope that these links help you to further your understanding of everything in addition to what we hope you have learned from our Wiki.

Articles/Posts Covering Inducing Lactation Overall

• The International Breastfeeding Center: "Inducing Lactation"

• Breastnotes: "How to Get Started with Re-Lactation"

• The Experience and Timeline of a Couple from reddit: "Our Complete Experience/Timeline Inducing Lactation & Taking Dom"

• Video: "How to Massage and Hand Express to Remove Milk"

• Old but Useful Wiki for Additional Reading: Lactation Wiki

• Dreams of Milk: Website for Basic Info and Personals

• A detailed post by reddit user: "What we have learned so far, 2 months into inducing"

Articles/Posts Discussing Domperidone

• An Article by Jack Newman of the Newman-Goldfarb Methods: "Information Sheet: Domperidone"

• The Royal Womens' Hospital: "Domperidone for Increasing Breast Milk

• Mayo Clinic: General Information and Counterindications for Domperidone

• An informative reddit post: "Things to Know About Domperidone"

Articles/Posts Discussing Breast Pumps

• A cool video showing the differences in sounds and noises among several pumps: "The Quietest (and loudest) Breast Pumps! | Sound comparison of 20 breast pumps"

Articles/Posts Pertaining to Induced Lactation/Miscellaneous

• An article that discusses the decision to take the controversial supplement Fenugreek or not: "Should you take fenugreek for low milk supply..."

• A general article discussing supplements often suggested for nursing: "Nursing Supplements..."