Many mature woman 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 you had gone through a pregnancy – the two can not 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 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.