It is sometimes possible for an
adoptive mother or mother of a surrogate child to breastfeed. Even if
inducing lactation does not work, you can still experience the closeness
and joy of nursing with the use of a supplemental nursing system. To use
this method, breast milk or formula is placed in a container with a
small tube that is taped to your breast and extended beyond the tip of
the nipple. As your baby suckles, he drinks formula or pumped milk and
you are feeding the baby from your breast. This method also helps to
provide stimulation of the breast which will promote milk production or
increased supply, and it teaches your baby to nurse while helping to
establish your supply. Even if there is not enough breast milk to
sustain the baby, you will enjoy the bond that breastfeeding creates,
and if your baby gets any breast milk at all he will at least be
benefiting from some of the disease fighting components.
If you would like to induce lactation, we strongly suggest that
you have a meeting with a La Leche League Leader or with a lactation consultant several months before the baby is born.
Women have had varying degrees of success with induced milk production
and there are many ways to help stimulate lactation so getting some
help will greatly increase your chances of success. Some women can produce quite a bit of milk
while others produce
only a small amount. Learn about your options in advance so you may
begin preparing before your baby arrives. A website for parents
who are adopting babies and wish to have the joy and closeness of
breastfeeding can be found at
http://www.fourfriends.com/abrw/.
Although the female body is programmed to produce milk in response to
pregnancy and the subsequent delivery of a baby, it
is possible to establish a milk supply in the absence of a pregnancy. The breasts make milk in response to stimulation
- ideally that stimulation comes from a baby, but it can come from a good hospital-grade pump.
You should begin pumping ahead of time, preferably at least six weeks,
if you know when the baby is due to arrive.
Keep in mind that you may
not see any milk for a while, and when it starts it may not be more
than a few drops at first. Also, short frequent pumping sessions (5-10
minutes each, 8-12 times a day) will be much more effective than longer
infrequent ones. Your
breasts operate under a supply and demand principle - the more milk
that is removed from the breast, the more the breast will produce to
replace the removed milk. A nursing baby is the most efficient way of
removing the milk, and will increase your supply quicker than a pump
by itself. However, in the meantime, it is important to pump in order
to get production started.
These same procedures will work for relactation, or
helping to bring back a milk supply to a mother whose milk has dried up
for some reason, such as a necessary hospital stay or illness. Using a
good hospital grade electric pump can help to rebuild your supply and
transition your baby back to breastfeeding full time when used along
with a supplemental nursing system. Hopefully with gradual and steady
improvement, your milk supply will return within a few weeks and you can
go back to breastfeeding your baby exclusively. The longer it has been
since you last breastfed, the longer it may take for your milk supply to
return. Depending upon how much milk you still have available, and how
long it takes to rebuild your supply, you may need to supplement with
some formula.
Are induced lactation or relactation worth the
trouble? You bet - the health
benefits for you and your baby alone are worth it. Plus you'll save
time and money, and enjoy the benefits of a close bond with your child.
