Reprinted with permission from The StartGate Libraries
Ten things to think about when considering inducing lactation.
1. DO NOT induce lactation for your partner; do it for yourself. If your subconscious motivation for inducing lactation is your partner, and later your partner loses interest, you will have lost your motivation. Lactating and adult nursing is about your own emotional and spiritual growth as an individual. When inducing, focus on yourself and your own needs; there is no sin in being a little bit selfish when it comes to emotional and spiritual growth. If your partner wants to grow with you, wonderful, but don’t make your success dependent on what your partner does or does not do.
2. With the exception of ladies who are inducing lactation for the purpose of adopting an infant, inducing lactation and adult nursing is not about the milk; it is about personal and spiritual growth, and bonding with your long-term partner. Don’t measure your success by how much milk you are producing; rather gauge your success by your inner feelings. As you grow both spiritually and emotionally, the milk will follow.
3. Don’t induce lactation on a whim. If you half-heartedly try to induce lactation and fail, the only thing you have accomplished is creating more emotional stumbling blocks to overcome. Before you start, plan your schedule and set personal goals for yourself. Just as a female athlete makes physical changes in her body when preparing to run a marathon, you are going to use lactation to create changes in your body chemistry that will help you grow both emotionally and spiritually.
4. If you have hang ups about touching yourself, or breast feeding an adult, you will have to get past this mental stumbling block. Even though at times you may become aroused, stimulating your breasts while inducing lactation is not masturbation. And breast feeding your adult nursing partner does not mean you see your partner as a baby. These are physical techniques that you will be using to grow both spiritually and emotionally. This is your body, your mind, and your spirit, be comfortable with the process of inducing lactation, and learn to love yourself for who you are.
5. Learn to read your body language and signs. Long before you see milk, you will likely notice increased sexual arousal, and your emotions will become more sensitive. These are signs that your body is increasing the levels of essential milk producing hormones. The hormone Oxytocin will cause increased sexual arousal and prolactin will increase the sensitivity of your emotions. At times you may even feel like crying when there is no reason to cry. Embrace these new emotions, let them engulf you. When you are inducing, don’t judge your progress by the amount of milk, rather focus on your emotional and spiritual growth; the milk always follows the emotional state. Welcome these new emotions, explore them. As you gain more experience with inducing, your emotions will level out and you will come to love yourself even more. At no time should you ever feel depressed while lactating. The brain chemistry created by lactation moves your mental process away from depression into a state of emotional and spiritual comfort. This is why nursing mothers look so peaceful and happy while breast feeding.
6. In the beginning, don’t use a breast pump or medications to induce lactation. Breast pumps provide very poor stimulation and most women don’t need drugs or herbs to produce milk. With proper mental attitude and good breast stimulation, your body is perfectly capable of producing milk in the quantities needed. If you begin with breast pumps and medication, you will build in a dependence on devices that you probably don’t need. Begin with adult nursing and/or good hand stimulation and a consistent routine; if after a few weeks there has been no success, then you can add Domperidone and breast pumping to your regimen if necessary.
7. Dealing with increased sexual arousal. During your stimulation or nursing sessions, you will likely encounter increased sexual arousal. This is your body telling you that it is producing more Oxytocin. Embrace the feeling, let it grow within you; however, before you respond to sexual arousal, you must finish the 20 minute session of stimulation and/or nursing. The increased level of Oxytocin caused by arousal will also help with your let-down reflex. If you interrupt the session to deal with arousal, it may also diminish your success with let-down. Above all, I believe an individual should have good moral conduct; however, at the same time, whether you are single or with a long term-partner, there is no virtue in denying yourself physical pleasure.
8. DO NOT look for short cuts. In today’s world with advertising what it is, we have become used to instant gratification; we want it now. There is no quick and easy road to emotional and spiritual bliss; it is something we pursue every day of our lives. Plan on lactation and personal growth as a long-term part of your life. It takes time and dedication to induce lactation.
9. Whether you have a dominant or a submissive personality, you must learn to let go, and totally submit yourself to your emotions while stimulating or nursing your partner. It is common in our relationships to hold back a tiny piece of ourselves, (to maintain self control); however, if you hold back any part of yourself emotionally while nursing, you may also hold back your milk. You can only learn true self control when you learn to let go.
10. A support group is an excellent aid to inducing lactation. Inducing is easier when you are involved and excited about your efforts. If you need advice, ask for it; if you have advice to offer, give it. Reach out to others and find out you aren’t in this world alone; there are other women who are going through the same processes that you are. Share your opinions and feelings with others in the group, and be tolerant of the opinions and feelings of others. Make your personal emotional and spiritual growth a priority. It isn’t selfishness to follow your need to grow as a person.
With Regards, Hudson