Nursing An Adopted Baby

Families blossom in ways that are beautiful, engaging and inspirational.  For those families that chose to grow your family through the intense love of adoption, you truly inspire my heart!  Thank you for loving these beautiful little souls in need of warm homes.  And to each and every birth parent who chose adoption as a way to love your son or daughter even more, thank you!  You see, adoption is near and dear to my heart as I have two beautiful littles (a spunky and sweet niece + a soft, gentle nephew) who were welcomed into our family by adoption.  This post is inspired by my dear sister, Hannah, and her husband, Ethan, and their journey to parenthood.  Hannah was kind enough to share a gorgeous snapshot of her nursing her son, courtesy of Simply Radiant Imagery in Boise, ID (http://www.simplyradiantimagery.com).  And shout out to Ethan who happens to serve on our Board of Directors, engaging others in the community by advocating for the work of Pure Milk Mom.  

Many mothers who have adopted or wish to do so are unaware that breastfeeding is an option to feed her baby.  Any family can be a breastfeeding family!  Below are three ways an adoptive family can be well on their way to being a breastfeeding family as well.  

Big thinker:  Adoptive nursing requires education.  Yes, anyone can take the time to educate themselves on the ins-and-outs to adoptive nursing.  However, without proper understanding of induced lactation and realistic expectations, mothers may find themselves feeling discouraged.  I employ you to feel empowered!  Take the time to utilize evidence-based resources to begin the process of understanding what steps to take to reach your goal with adoptive nursing.  One resource I find particularly helpful is LLLI (http://www.llli.org/faq/adopt.html).  Proactive planner:  Beginning a pumping regimen early and often can help a mother who has given birth previously, or not, to induce lactation.  Pumping to achieve a milk supply takes thoughtful planning for any mother.  For those in the adoption process, it may mean beginning the pumping plan even before baby is welcomed into your home.  Although, for those that do not receive advanced notice, pumping can begin once baby is home.  Likely baby will receive supplementation.  An excellent option while adoptive nursing is a supplemental nursing system (SNS).  It can take time and practice, even for those who have utilized these devices prior, so please allow yourself patience and time.  And with more nursing supplies, more relaxed moments may be needed.  What I mean by this is, please be gentle with yourself and allow you and baby to dance that dance together as this can be a challenging time.   Support Seeker:  Breastfeeding of any kind requires a tribe of helpers to encourage and support mama.  Pure Milk Mamas who have goals to induce lactation require a special kind of support.  We're here for you.  Please seek support from an IBCLC you trust.  If you're not sure where to start when building your support tribe, please give is a ring to discuss your situation.  We cannot wait to hear from you!  

Cheers to you Pure Milk Mamas!  Please post your comments below regarding your experience with adoption, whether related to nursing or not!