Key takeaways: Induced lactation means making milk without a recent pregnancy, using breast stimulation and sometimes hormones or medications. Many people make some milk; fewer make a full supply. Plan early with a doctor and an IBCLC, and use an at-breast supplementer so your baby is fed while you nurse.
Adoptive parents, parents through surrogacy, and non-gestational partners sometimes want to breastfeed. Induced lactation can make this possible.
How It Works
Milk production depends on hormones and breast stimulation. Induced lactation tries to mimic pregnancy and birth.
Common Approaches
- Stimulation only: pumping and nursing often, starting weeks or months before the baby arrives if possible.
- Hormone-based protocols: some doctors use hormones (such as estrogen and progesterone, often via birth control pills) to prepare breast tissue, then stop them and begin pumping. Medications to raise prolactin are sometimes added. These are off-label, and evidence comes mostly from case reports and small studies.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. If you want feeding help you can flip to in the middle of the night, my book walks you through feeding month by month, from the very first latch to the first birthday.
Realistic Expectations
- Results vary widely.
- Many people make some milk; full supply is less common.
- Breastfeeding is about more than milk. Nursing can provide comfort and closeness even with partial supply.
Starting
- Talk to your doctor early about your health history and medication options.
- Work with an IBCLC experienced in induced lactation.
- Get a good double electric pump.
- Pump 8 or more times a day once you start.
When the Baby Arrives
- Use an at-breast supplementer so your baby gets enough milk while nursing.
- Skin-to-skin often.
- Track weight with your pediatrician.
Medication Safety
Domperidone isn’t approved in the U.S., and the FDA has warned against it. Hormones have risks, including blood clots. Your doctor can review your risks.
For Co-Nursing Families
In families where two parents nurse, plan how to protect the birthing parent’s supply, especially in the early weeks.
Talk with your doctor before starting any hormones or medications.
The Bottom Line
Induced lactation can let non-gestational parents nurse their babies. Plan early, set realistic expectations, and get skilled support.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Related Articles
- Relactation: Rebuilding Your Milk Supply
- At-Breast Supplementers: Feeding Extra Milk at the Breast
- How Milk Supply Works: Supply, Demand, and Storage Capacity
- Low Milk Supply: Real vs. Perceived, and What Actually Helps
Sources
- Cazorla-Ortiz G, Obregón-Gutiérrez N, Rozas-Garcia MR, Goberna-Tricas J. Methods and success factors of induced lactation: a scoping review. J Hum Lact. 2020;36(4):739-749.
- Brodribb W; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of galactogogues in initiating or augmenting maternal milk production, second revision 2018. Breastfeed Med. 2018;13(5):307-314.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA warns against women using unapproved drug, domperidone, to increase milk production. 2004. https://www.fda.gov
- Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2022.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
