Breast feeding an adopted infant

[Christie2011]

Has anyone tried to breast feed their adopted infant? I read that it is possible, but I'm wondering how difficult it is to make my body comply with my wishes.

 

[studentnurse5]

Producing milk without having the proper hormones circulating in your system and milk let-down reflex that only come with a pregnancy is likely not possible. I'm curious where you heard that!

 

[Christie2011]

There are several websites and protocols which discuss the possibility. None of them say you will be able to produce enough milk to satisfy your baby, but producing any milk and just the act itself is supposed to bring you and your child closer together. Here are just a few sites:

Just do a search for breastfeeding your adopted baby and see all the info out there.

https://www.adopting.org/adoptions/...your-adopted-baby-adoptive-breastfeeding.html

https://mothering.com/breastfeeding/a-special-gift-breastfeeding-an-adopted-baby

https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/30/breastfeeding-an-adopted-baby

 

[Dragonfly]

A very good friend of mine wrote this.
https://www.parenting-with-love.com/breastfeeding-an-adopted-baby/

 

[aliss]

It is possible. It is not easy, but it can be done in many circumstances.

First, I suggest the following:
- Hospital grade medela double electric pump (this can be purchased or rented daily from hospitals/pharmacies)
- A double-pump nursing bra (for your own comfort although not essential)

Here is the exclusive expressing link (you will want to start with a very similar schedule to any postpartum woman who must pump for newborn)
https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/breastfeeding/129033-ins-outs-exclusively-expressing.html

And info from Kellymom
https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/relactation/

Christine, do you already have the baby with you? If yes, then I'd recommend calling a lactation consultant ASAP. If not, then I'd suggest still looking at kellymom and attending some local la leche league meetings to get you prepared. If you know the birth mother and will be present at the delivery, then perhaps you can even get in your first proper breastfeed right after birth. Good luck!

 

[Suffysmom]

Producing milk without having the proper hormones circulating in your system and milk let-down reflex that only come with a pregnancy is likely not possible. I'm curious where you heard that!

Contrary to your belief, it is VERY possible. https://www.asklenore.info/

 

[Gem1210390]

Producing milk without having the proper hormones circulating in your system and milk let-down reflex that only come with a pregnancy is likely not possible. I'm curious where you heard that!

Contrary to your belief, it is VERY possible. https://www.asklenore.info/

I have heard than domperidone can help with this.

 

[Fliss]

Domperidone is the drug that can help - sadly it didn't for me, but its different for every woman - as its an anti travel sickness med with a side effect rather than exclusively intended for relactation it can't be predicted, but when it does work it works well.

Good luck xxx

 

[AriBerri]

You should check out the breastfeeding section of this website! There are many women who have relactated successfully after not having bf for weeks, I think one of them went from making drops a day to ounces and is working her way towards exclusively now. They could offer a lot of advice I relactated but I was still making 3oz a day when I did it (my baby was getting 35+ oz of formula a day and is now at 6.5oz so we are still working on it but I'm not normal because I have PCOS and that affects lactation). This sounds REALLY weird but I'm like obsessed with relactating and I once was wandering the Internet and accidentally wound up on a fetish site where gfs were making themselves lactate (baby free). Gross and strange but makes me think it's even more possible if you actually have a baby lol

My recommendations:

1) talk to your doctor. I think maybe an obgyn might know about this but I've heard there are hormones adoptive moms can take to help with lactating
2) get the electric medela pump. You can find places to buy or rent it from their site. You can start using it before you even have the baby at home. Pump every 2-3 hours everyday AND at night. This stimulation is essential and that's what all those girls on the weird website were doing lol. Using this alone many woman are able to begin lactating because your breast think there's a little baby trying to eat. You want to keep pumping for at least 15 min on each side until its been two weeks since your milk started coming out, after 2 weeks you'll do it until the milk stops coming out but continue for five minutes after it stops and don't pump for more than 30 min on each side. Also don't let how much you pump be a judge of how much you're making, alot of women don't respond to the pump like they would a baby. I make a lot but if I pumped now I would probably only get out maybe 10oz for the whole day. You may want to buy lansinoh lanolin cuz your nips will get sore lol
3) herbal supplements you should take to help make milk: 9-12 600mg fenugreek capsules a day split up to 3 3 times a day (you can find this at vitamine shoppe or GNC is you're in the US or even on amazon). Motherlove's more milk special blend can be bought on amazon and contains more fenugreek, blessed thistle, fennel seed, nettle, and goats rue, follow the directions on the label for best results. Brewers yeast 3 tablet 3 times a day - 250 tablets can be bought at Walmart for like $3 or at vitamin shoppe as well. Take a prenatal every day.
4) if your doctor won't prescribe it cuz US doctors are hesitant (though UK ones aren't) you can buy domperidone at www.inhousepharmacy.biz and you should get the 600 tablet bottle and take 3 3 times a day (90 mg). Don't say it doesn't work for you until you've taken it everyday for at least 6 weeks, I've heard that's the longest it should take.
5)buy an SNS or Lactaid (I prefer the Lactaid but alot of women like the SNS). This way if you do have to use formula the baby will eat it from your breast and not a bottle which will make the baby feel closer to you, help with bonding, and make the baby happier. My DD went on a bottle strike once she started breastfeeding more but I didn't make nearly enough milk for her and after two weeks she was making herself sick from crying all the time and lack of sleep and hunger and finally we bought a Lactaid and BAM problem solved! She looooves it, she went from miserable to all smiles and giggles because all she really wanted was the comfort of her mom holding her close and keeping her warm while she got full and sleepy
7)skin to skin is supposed to do wonders when the baby is little. As soon as you can after the baby is born, take off your shirt and bra and put your baby in its diaper and hold the baby on your chest between your breasts and just cuddle. Doing that everyday is supposed to really help as some hormones get passed from the baby to you and your body realizes "oh hey a baby let me help you with that" lol
7) this is most important, though if you use an SNS then you'll have it covered pretty much. Put the baby to the breast as often as possible. Every time the baby seems hungry, put it to the breast. The baby will be able to get the milk out better than any pump and will signal your body to make more when you're "empty"
8) find support where ever you can! Babyandbumps breastfeeding forum is FULL of helpful awesome ppl who won't judge you. LLLI holds meetings all over. A good LC will love to help you. If anyone ever tells you you can't do it, then they really don't know what they're talking about alot of adoptive moms have done it, it just takes determination and willpower

If you decide to do this you should start a relactation journal in the breastfeeding section!!! You will get a bunch of support and advice good luck!!!

 

[AriBerri]

Four things I forgot:

-the skin to skin should be about one hour everyday but not necessarily all at once
-babies suck either for eating or comfort but both are helpful to make milk so don't get upset if you baby comfort feeds alot
- read this book: https://kindle.amazon.com/work/american-academy-pediatrics-breastfeeding-ebook/B000B11S0Y/B001QA4S1U I read it while I was pregnant and it helped a ton. You may want to research books on lactating for adoptive mothers
- MOST IMPORTANT: drink 80-100oz of water a day. I kid you not. This is soooo important, your body will be using up sooo much water to make the milk and even if you're only making a little of you dont drink 80 oz a day you won't be making the max milk possible and your supply will go down. You'll be peeing all the time but you'll love yourself for it lol