Some Adoptive Moms Learn to Breastfeed Their Babies

I was looking over this article and am amazed as to how much times have changed with breastfeeding!

My oldest sister was adopted in the 1970's. It was a time were my parents were told that they could not get on a plane because they had an infant. They rode from Oregon all the way to Nebraska on a bus.

My Mother would have jumped at the chance to breastfeed my sister. The problems were that Moms at that time: A) Didn't know that they could. B) Didn't have very good double/affordable pumps.

It's still not the norm for Moms that adopt to breastfeed. It is happening more. Some Moms are making this happen because it adds health benefits for both child and mom. It also builds more of a bond between the two.

“It’s impossible for me to know what our bond would be like if I hadn’t done it, but I could not feel closer to my son,” said Schaeffer, whose son is now 11 months. “He’s got a really wonderful, very secure attachment to me. I don’t know how much (breastfeeding) played into it, but it sure didn’t hurt.” She also said, “It was such a relief, such a consolation that I would be able to have some sort of physical bonding.”  -Schaeffer Article found here.

To produce milk, women take birth control pills for several months, fooling the body into thinking it’s pregnant. The guide also suggests domperidone, a gastrointestinal drug with a side effect of milk secretion.

Domperidone isn’t FDA-approved, and like Reglan, it can cause depression.

With the help of Domperidone and nipple stimulation; breastfeeding an adoptive child can be done. Many women pump a lot the moment they learn they are getting a new baby.

Some women are able to produce breastmilk without the use of drugs. There are also natural herbs like Fenugreek many women use to help produce more milk.

*Consult your doctor when you are taking any medicine to help with breastfeeding.

Many Mom's that attempt to breastfeed an adoptive child do have to supplement. Many that have a natural child have to do the same. Every liquid gold drop counts.

“This wasn’t my biological child, so I wanted to take every opportunity to bond with this baby that I could possibly get,” said Wilder.