One Family's Story
July/August 2002

Who Says You Can't Breastfeed Your Baby?

Not every mom is interested in breastfeeding, but for those who are interested, adoption doesn't have to stand in the way of that dream. I don't remember anyone ever telling me that it was possible to breastfeed an adopted baby. I just knew that I wanted to breastfeed my children and it didn't occur to me that adoption would be any sort of obstacle to that. I've always been a fairly determined person (my mom would say stubborn!) so I just set out to find as much information as I could. After a bit of searching, I found LaLeche League and I was soon on my way with a folder full of information that was both practical and inspiring. Skip forward in time to my daughter's birth. August in San Antonio. The nursery nurse lecturing me about how adoptive breastfeeding wasn't possible. Did I mention that I'm stubborn? I thanked the nurse for her concern, hooked up my nursing supplementer, took a deep breath and put my daughter to the breast. And it worked! The world narrowed down to just the two of us, time stopped, we were showered in rose petals, angels sang, etc. Well, maybe my memory is a little hazy, but it really worked! Through supplementer hassles, extensive travel and all the joys and trials of life with a baby, it worked. It worked so well that I went on to nurse my son when he was born two years later. He had a breathing problem and some neurological issues but breastfeeding went smoothly for him, too. And I'll be breastfeeding again before long as we're currently awaiting our third A.S.A. baby.

So how does adoptive breastfeeding work? In a nutshell, it's the baby nursing that stimulates any woman's body to make milk. Pregnancy gets the breasts ready for milk production but it's breastfeeding that signals the body to keep making milk. Without a pregnancy, the body adjusts more slowly, but nursing a baby will still signal the body to make milk. If a mom has advance notice of a baby's arrival, she may decide to use a breast pump to get things started. Once the baby arrives, she can keep the baby fed and interested in nursing at her breast that isn't yet producing much milk by using a nursing supplementer. A nursing supplementer is a specifically designed bag or bottle that holds supplement (usually regular infant formula) and has a very thin tube that goes into the baby's mouth along with the mom's breast. The baby nurses at the breast and at the same time gets supplement through the tube.

Is there a full milk supply? Most mothers who adopt and breastfeed produce some milk. A few produce no milk, a few produce enough to completely wean from the supplementer. There are prescription drugs as well as herbal supplements that are used by some women to increase their milk supply. These drugs are not required for adoptive nursing but a mom may want to speak with a knowledgeable health care provider about them. Many moms find that developing a relationship with the baby is the major focus once the baby arrives and they find themselves putting very little energy into tracking their milk supply. Will it be the same as "regular" nursing? Just as adopting is a unique way to grow your family, adoptive breastfeeding is a unique way to nurture your baby. It's both the same and different from nursing a baby you gave birth to . You will really be breastfeeding regardless of how much milk you produce and you'll have the joy and satisfaction.

Pamela