Induced Lactation After Menopause
Many mature women and their partners are becoming interested in ANR and, as a result, the question of whether you can induce lactation after menopause comes up frequently. The short answer to the question is a definite YES!
What You Need to Know
As long as you have healthy breasts, and the time to devote to the process, you can induce lactation after menopause. A uterus and/or ovaries are not required, so if you've had a hysterectomy or other surgery you can still have a successful ANR with your partner — or solo!
Getting Started with Lactation After Menopause
I found it rather slow going (and honestly kind of frustrating) to induce while experiencing the effects of menopause. There is a lot going on in your body during this time, especially with the hormones required for successful milk production.
My attempts at inducing involved the co-operation of my partner, and a lot of breast suckling to stimulate the milk-making process. This was somewhat successful and I was able to produce some milk, and the odd time, an exciting little spray of milk.
Of course, I was not satisfied with the amount of milk I was making, so I opted to add domperidone into the mix. This turned out to be a great addition, and within a few months I was able to produce almost 2oz of milk a day. This may not sound like a lot, but you should be aware that inducing seldom gives you the amount of milk that you would have if you had gone through a pregnancy — the two cannot be equated — the hormonal changes in the body during a pregnancy are just not something that we can fully duplicate. That being said...
The Newman-Goldfarb Menopause Protocol
The Newman-Goldfarb lactation protocols are designed to mimic the hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy. After a period of time, the protocol is abruptly stopped. This sudden change in hormone levels, along with breast pumping, will encourage milk production.
For menopausal women (and/or women over the age of 35) there is a slightly modified protocol that does not use the estrogen/progesterone combination birth control as there are some health risks — the menopause protocol instead relies on using just the progesterone component in combination with domperidone.
Does It Work?
I have tried several different ways to induce lactation and I have had the best success with the menopause protocol. If you choose to go this route, one recommendation that I have is that you make sure that you have a good quality double electric breast pump to support your efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most common questions we receive about inducing lactation after menopause.
Yes, provided your milk ducts weren't too extensively damaged during surgery. Even if some ducts were affected, you may still have enough functional tissue to produce a limited amount of milk. Every surgery is different, so results will vary — but it's absolutely worth trying if you're interested.
Absolutely — milk is milk! The Newman-Goldfarb protocols are commonly used by adoptive parents to nurse their children. That said, induced lactation may not produce enough milk to fully sustain a growing infant, so supplementing with formula is often necessary. A Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) can help with this — it's a small bottle with a thin tube that attaches alongside the nipple, allowing the baby to nurse naturally while receiving supplemental formula at the same time.
There's no hard upper age limit. There are documented cases of women in their 60s successfully relactating — one well-known case involves a 60-year-old grandmother who hadn't breastfed in 18 years, yet was able to produce milk within days and nursed her grandchild until he was a year old. The WHO has also documented cases in South Sudan where grandmothers relactated to feed malnourished grandchildren after their mothers had passed away. In many communities around the world, this is a long-established practice. As long as you have healthy breast tissue, age alone won't stop you.
There's no single right way to do this. Some women never follow a protocol at all — they simply start pumping and see how their body responds. Others combine pumping with herbal supplements and/or domperidone. Follow the path that feels most comfortable for you. As you go, you may find you want to adjust your methods, or you may be perfectly happy with what you're doing. The most important thing is to be consistent and patient with whatever approach you choose.
Working full time doesn't have to hold you back. A TENS unit can be a great ally here — many units are small enough to wear discreetly under your clothes throughout the day. You can also use bathroom breaks for quick hand expression to keep things stimulated. Beyond that, pump before you leave for work and again as soon as you get home. If you're able, adding a 2am pumping session can make a real difference — middle-of-the-night sessions are especially effective for milk production, since prolactin levels are naturally higher during those hours.
