Breastfeeding an Adopted Child, Yah or Nay?
I admit that I know nothing about breastfeeding mainly because I have never been and never will be pregnant. So, I had to do some clinical research to bring you this information.
What I found in my research is that there are two basic issues in breastfeeding an adopted child; getting milk to come in and getting the child to latch, basically what every mother contends with, right? But, because nursing an adopted child is more about bonding and attachment than nutritional support (in my opinion at least) does it really matter how much milk comes in when there are supplements that can aid a nursing mother?
Since there is more to breastfeeding than breastmilk, many mothers are happy to be able to breastfeed without expecting to produce all the milk the baby will need. It is the special relationship, the special closeness, and the biological attachment of breastfeeding that many mothers are looking for. As one adopting mother said, “I want to breastfeed. If the baby also gets breastmilk, that’s great.
That said, what is the “science” of breastfeeding an adopted child?
1. According to many specialists it is possible for an adoptive mother to breastfeed without ever being pregnant. Much like that of midwives, many women lactate at just the stimulation of the glands. Given that, an adoptive mother can begin stimulation by using a breast pump like the Medela Lactina Electric Breast Pump. It is not recommended that mothers purchase these pumps because some women never produce more than an ounce or two of breast milk but they can be rented from pharmacies or borrowed if sterilized.
2. There are also herbs and a drug called Domperidone, which is not recommended as a first choice to facilitate milk production. Dr. Jack Newman has a lactation protocol that is widely used.
3. Most likely an adoptive mother will not produce enough milk for the baby, thus needing a lactation aid. I learned that a lactation aid is a container that holds formula, breast milk, or glucose water and supplies the baby with supplement through a small tube that leads down to the nipple and into the baby’s mouth. This is done so that there is no bottle/nipple confusion.
More tomorrow on the breastfeeding “debate”, as there are many women out there who disagree with breastfeeding an adopted child.
But, I would love to hear your opinions today.
Anyone out there breastfeed an adopted child?
Do birthmoms/firstmoms have opinions about it?
Pre-adoptive parents considering breastfeeding?
Leave your comments here and I will be sure to include them in my next post. I am also compiling a post for Chicago Moms Blog for Thursday’s topic day. You guessed it, Breastfeeding!
I have three girls 16, 4, and 2. I did not breastfeed the oldest one because my life at the time wasn’t conducive to that sort of thing. I did breastfeed the 4 and 2 year old. It is a struggle in the beginning but it is workable. I was a pro by the time the 2 year old came into the picture. However, I will say that I think what is key here is that the baby is fed no matter what method you decide to use. One is not “better” than the other. The key is that the baby is fed, loved, cuddled, and played with. THAT is what’s important. Breastfeeding OR not breastfeeding doesn’t make you more OR less than who you are and a child will grow up and turn out just fine no matter which route you decide to take.
We adopted our 4th child and she cam to us right from the hospital. I would have loved the opportunity to breastfeed just for the bonding. The minute I saw her it was no different than when I had given birth 3 times before. She was a part of me in every way.
I have just adopted my 4th baby from Tanzania and am trying to breast feed this one! It is the first time and I used a pump for the first time today….ingers crossed.
Can a woman breastfeed an adopted child if she has had a partial hysterectomy five years prior?