Welcome to the AdultBreastfeeding F.A.Q.
Please find below commonly asked questions and their answers. If the FAQ does not address a question that you have, you should head over to the Wiki to look for more information. You can also search the community to see if others have asked your question, or submit a new post to ask the community for their help. Please send a mod message with any suggestions or concerns regarding the FAQ.
Q: Can I lactate without being pregnant or having been pregnant in the past?
A: This is the most commonly asked question when people think about entering an adult nursing relationship (ANR). The answer is that most women, and even most men, can produce breast milk if given enough time and effort. If you are thinking of starting the process of inducing lactation, there are a couple of things you should think about first.
Things to think about:
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Do I want to try doing this naturally or do I want the help of drugs?
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Should I buy a pump or find a partner for an ANR relationship?
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What materials will I need to induce?
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What materials will I need to sustain lactation?
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Do I have the ability to dedicate time and/or money to this?
The Wiki is a great place to start. We encourage you to check it out to learn more information about inducing lactation.
Q: How can I induce lactation faster?
A: Unfortunately, there is no fast way to induce lactation. Remember that it takes roughly nine months of intense hormone therapy (normally called pregnancy) for a woman's body to modify the breasts to produce large quantities of milk. There are medications that cause lactation as a side effect, most notably Domperidone. Even with the use of these drugs, you still need to build up from scratch the large amounts of milk producing and storing tissue that is normally developed over the 9 months of pregnancy. The length of time from when you start inducing until you see clear drops depends on genetics, age, medication you are taking, and if you have been pregnant before. The length of time from when you see clear drops to having full milky breasts also depends on those things. If you are inducing, it can take several months to get to the amount that you are happy with.
Q: How can I produce more milk?
A: The simple answer is to express the breasts and nipples more often. The way the breasts produce milk is by hormones, and the way the brain knows to release hormones is by the act of expressing or stimulating the nipple. The process is very much a supply and demand driven mechanism; the more often you express, or you or your partner nurses, the more milk your body will create. When you only have a very small amount of milk, for example if you just started getting clear drops, you should then stimulate or express as much as you can. The recommended amount of times to stimulate or express is 5 - 8/ 8 - 12 times a day whether you are just starting or are trying to maintain your current milk supply.
Q: Can I induce lactation while on an IUD?
A: The general consensus is that, yes, you can induce lactation while on an IUD. IUD's are progesterone-based birth controls and are thought to be less detrimental to the inducing process than other types of birth control.
Q: Help! I was playing around with my nipples and drops came out! Is this milk? Am I lactating?
A: All humans sometimes have what is referred to as nipple discharge. It comes in different colors and it's completely normal to sometimes have some come out. It is also extremely common for people who enjoy frequent nipple play to have some come out. It is not milk, though, and drops from time to time do not usually mean you are lactating. Some people who have made milk in the past can continue to make small amounts of milk, but in most situations like this it is just nipple discharge.
Q: I'm in the middle of the Newman-Goldfarb Protocol and I already have drops! Should I stop the protocol and begin pumping?
A: The longer that you can give the protocol the time it needs to work, the better. You should continue the protocol to completion for best results, even if you have drops already. Give your breasts as much time as possible to develop before proceeding with pumping; this is what the goals of the protocol are. You're more likely to obtain better results by waiting to pump until the protocols say you should.
Q: I've been feeling hotter than usual lately and I seem to be sweating more frequently than normal. Is this because I'm inducing lactation?
A: Producing milk is associated with several biochemistry changes in your body among which are a speeded up metabolism. You have to consume enough calories to maintain your body weight as well as enough calories to produce milk. The metabolic changes increase your basal temperature just a tad and keep it revved up both day and night. This is compared to normal where we are slightly warmer in the day and usually a tad cooler at night. When inducing, metabolism tends to stay high day and night. In addition, you will be thirsty and will drink more water. This helps immensely with lactation with the side effect that it is a lot easier to sweat.
More calories intake + slightly revved up metabolism + increased water intake = more likely to sweat as well as milk being produced.
Q: Can inducing lactation make my boobs bigger? Is this a method of breast expansion?
A: In many people, the breasts do get bigger in size. Results vary from person to person, however, and there is no way to be able to predict the changes that will occur for you. Some people go up a cup size, while others go up several cup sizes. Technically this may be considered a method of breast expansion, but there are normally differences between the sizes and shapes of breasts filled with milk versus not.
Q: Help! I have a tiny blister on my nipple! What do I do and what causes this?
A: Blisters on the nipple are normally caused by friction while pumping, due to not enough lubrication of the nipples. Our bodies usually make enough lubrication on our own, but when it doesn't, blisters can occur. Coconut oil, balms, or even simply spit are sufficient to lubricate the nipples before pumping.
Q: Will I leak milk if a baby cries like a breastfeeding mother does even though I induced lactation?
A: New mothers leak from the sound of their baby crying because it is quickly followed up by breastfeeding said hungry babies once they begin to cry. Since we induced lactation without a stimulus, the sound of a baby crying will not make us leak like it might do for a new mother. However, patterns unique to you in your own life may create situations where you leak or experience letdown more easily. There are anecdotes of people who leak when near their partners who suckle them and more.
Q: Is inducing lactation a guaranteed means of breast expansion? Will my boobs grow if I induce lactation?
A: It varies too much from person to person to say, "Yes, your boobs will grow if you induce lactation." It is not guaranteed that they will and, for many, even if they do, they do not always stay enlarged even when you stop your induced lactation efforts. The answer to this is they may or may not grow. It depends on your genetics.
Q: Is there any benefit to taking supplements for inducing lactation in advance before beginning my efforts to induce?
A: Information about the efficacy of supplements for inducing lactation is limited to anecdotes mostly. There isn't any information proving with any certainty that taking supplements meant to enhance lactation in advance before beginning to induce would prove to be of any advantage. It is probably better to wait until you actually begin to induce to begin to also take any supplements for that, as supplements for inducing lactation are not likely to provide any benefit on their own.
Q: Can I induce lactation without the use of domperidone?
A: Yes, inducing lactation is possible without the use of domperidone. It should be noted, however, that success without it varies SIGNIFICANTLY from person to person, and that it usually takes much longer to be successful without it. It should also be noted that, in most people, the amount of milk that one produces is normally less than what might be produced compared to when taking domperidone. However, it is absolutely possible to induce lactation without using domperidone.
Q: Can I induce lactation without the use of domperidone as a trans person?
A: Yes, inducing lactation is possible without the use of domperidone in trans peoples. It should be noted, however, that success without it varies SIGNIFICANTLY from person to person, and possibly especially so depending on if you are taking hormones or other medications or not. In people who have never lactated before, it takes a great deal of time to develop breast tissue for the purpose of lactation regardless of if you take dom or not.
Q: How soon after I start taking domperidone can I begin to use a breast pump or begin to stimulate my breasts? Do I need to have been taking it for any given amount of time before I start to pump or can I start right away?
A: You do not need to be on dom for any specific amount of time before beginning to pump or stimulate your breasts for the purpose of inducing. You can begin to pump or stimulate right away.
Q: I'm experiencing dreams or thoughts about pregnancy, or baby fever, during the Newman Goldfarb Hormone Protocols or during my efforts to induce lactation. Is this normal?
A: It is totally normal to experience heightened thoughts about, or desires to be, pregnant or nursing while going through the motions of inducing lactation. This has been known to happen both to people who are on their way to inducing by doing the Newman Goldfarb Hormone Protocols, as well as to people actively inducing lactation.
Q: Which breast pump should I use to induce lactation?
A: There are many breast pumps out there to choose from. They vary in many ways, including (but not limited to): - by being powered by hand, battery, or cord - by being portable or by having you have to sit down in one place to use it - by allowing you to pump one boob at a time or two at a time - by overall design (pumps come in so many different sizes, shapes, and forms) - by noise level (some are louder and some are quieter) - by ease of use (some are just "push a button and go" and others are app-centered for controls) - by suction strength (hospital grade pumps have stronger suction capabilities than non-hospital grade)
You can choose to buy a breast pump new or second hand; many people re-sell their breast pumps after using it during their pregnancies and many people also sell brand new pumps for less expensive prices compared to buying it brand new from the manufacturer; for those who want to keep costs at a minimum, buying second hand is worth looking into.