BF'ing an adopted baby....?

RingOfFire11

Have you ever heard of this? I was listening to the radio this week and there was a segment about it. The story was about a couple adopting a newborn in August and the mother-to-be (never been pregnant before) has been pumping in order to produce breastmilk for her new adopted baby. The story gets very weird because then the MIL confesses that she has also been pumping to produce milk to breastfeed her new grandbaby. That's obviously a whole other can of crazy...but,  this is the first time I've ever heard the BF'ing an adopted baby part. Anyone know this was possible if never pregnant?

ATMmom324

I had a friend who was looking into adopting and did a lot of research into this.  I guess it can be very difficult but can be done.  Taking certain medications can help.  The MIL doing it as well is just very strange although I guess part of the challenge is producing enough.

Venus04d

It's more common than you think. Adoptive mothers, female same sex partners who didn't carry the baby, and volunteers to third world countries have been known to induce lactation even if never being pregnant. It's been fully embraced by the La Leche League. It is rare to find a woman that has never been pregnant that can produce enough milk to not have to supplement with formula or another mother's milk.

https://www.babyzone.com/baby/breastfeeding/induced-lactation_65503

 

Venus04d

Oh and I think the MIL actually breastfeeding would be too weird for me, but if I made the decision I didn't want supplement with formula, I think I could handle using another woman's pumped milk if I couldn't produce enough supply.

RingOfFire11

Huh, I had really never heard about this before but it's actually really cool. I've been Googling since hearing/posting and you're right, there's a ton of stuff on it. I think the never been pregnant part was what really surprised me - obviuosly, aside from the whole MIL twist (but that's why it was discussed, I'm sure).

mrebecca

If I adopted, I would also want to do this-- but only if it were a newborn or very close to being a newborn.

MNgirl326

justAphase:

Yes, I've heard of that. And if I were to adopt I would probably attempt it myself.

The grandma nursing, though.... I can't get on board with that. No way.  

All of this.

I have a friend who induced lacation for her adoptive child.

But grandma needs to get board  the train to crazytown! Choo Choo!

nanabanana06

I always wondered what pro breastfeeding adopting moms did. I just thought they used formula or donated milk.

LnR70707

Yes...I believe there was a poster on BOTB (before it the board died anyway) that was trying this.   I can't find the website that outlines how to do it, but you suppress your hormones with BCPs and then add in domperidone and titrate that dosage upward after stopping BCPs.  It takes a lot more than just pumping.

madamsmurfette

Like PPs, I've also heard of it. I thought taking horomones was part of the protocol to produce BM. MIL getting involved is definitely weird to me!

Army~Wife

I donated BM to a lady whose baby was carried via surrogate. She did have to take hormones and other supplements. She still struggled to produce enough to EBF. It was amazing to see her commitment towards not only producing the max amount her body would produce but also towards insuring to find enough donated BM to supplement. So, it is possible but still a struggle.

klondikebar

I have heard of it and know that someone on these boards was preparing to try it.

shakes

Yup. It happens often and I think it's truly truly incredible!

shakes

Venus04d:

Oh and I think the MIL actually breastfeeding would be too weird for me, but if I made the decision I didn't want supplement with formula, I think I could handle using another woman's pumped milk if I couldn't produce enough supply.

This.

RingOfFire11

shakes:

Venus04d:

Oh and I think the MIL actually breastfeeding would be too weird for me, but if I made the decision I didn't want supplement with formula, I think I could handle using another woman's pumped milk if I couldn't produce enough supply.

This.

Agreed. I think the main problem was the MIL intended to breastfeed the grandbaby, not pump/donate. The adopting parents never asked her to do this. She just went out and bought a pump.

LnR70707

GhostMonkey:

justAphase:

The grandma nursing, though.... I can't get on board with that. No way.  

That was my thought at first as well, but how would it be different than a friend or anonymous donor? 

 Then again my MIL is over 80, so there is no chance of this ever being an issue.

 

an anonymous donor won't be tossing "but I gave him my milk!" out there when you have a parent/grandparent disagreement about something.    My SIL offered me her frozen stash when DS was in the NICU.  Milk is milk, but I don't trust her to never hold that over me in the future if I'd accepted it.

Littlejen22

As an adoptee, and I am only one person and no two people have the same experience, I find it very weird.  I don't think I would want to grow up and know my biological mother BF'd me and I can promise you it would gross me out to know my Mom did since I did not grow in her...and we are as close as can be and I love her very much.  But as I have gotten older, to each their own, well unless you are a MIL that wants to BF your grandkid, that I would just tell them to their face is creepy.