When adopting a baby, does the adoption agency encourage the adoptive mother to induce lactation?

cantstopLinnyG

As an adoptee and former lactation consultant, my answer would be I most certainly hope not.

It would be best for the child's natural mother to breastfeed the baby until the baby is a year old.

The most beneficial milk from a mother is "colostrum" which is produced just before and after childbirth. Thats where most of the mother's immunities come from. It is IMPOSSIBLE, even with artificial hormonally induced lactation, for a woman to produce this unless she has just given birth.

Breastfeeding an adoptive child is for the benefits of the adoptive mother, NOT the adopted child. Inducing lactation artificially is just that- artificial and full of synthetic hormones. Yuck. A non childbirth giving mother will never be able to produce enough milk for a baby...even with hormones. She would have to supplement her artificially synthetic created milk with formula.

Adoptive mothers want to do this for the bonding aspect...well, that baby KNOWS she is not his or her natural mother. You cannot fool mother nature. There are other ways to bond with an adopted child. This is make-believe gone waaaayyy too far.

I would have been completely disgusted had my adoptive Mother pulled this stunt with me, and an OVERWHELMING majority of adoptees feel the same.

kateiskate

Oh god I hope not. Adoptive mothers breastfeeding their adopted children is disgusting to me and borders on child abuse. I (like a lot of other adopted people) was fed formula only and grew up to be an intelligent, normal, functioning adult. While breastmilk may be better for children because it is natural and healthy for them, there is nothing natural or healthy about inducing lactation in someone who has not been pregnant and to me that sort of defeats the purpose of breastfeeding.

Mom of One

Actually, it is very important that the baby is fed, period. ( by either breastmilk or formula). Babies thrive and are happy on both.

I don't believe they do. I know that there are adoptive mothers that will induce lactation but there are many that won't or don't know that they can. But it doesn't matter what they feed them.

I believe as long as a baby is fed, well taken care of and loved that's what is important.

Not A Supermum!

I'm sure they encourage the mother to love her child and feed him/her as necessary.

Anha S

I would certainly hope not. As an adoptee and a mom who breastfed, I would have been completely repulsed if my amom had even attempted to do that to me.

I breastfed both my daughters, and any literature I read, or any advice from drs or consultants were pretty adamant about not taking anything that could end up in the baby through my milk, whether it be tylenol or natural supplements. Advising someone to artificially induce lactation just seems so very counterproductive. I don't see adoptive breastfeeding as beneficial for anyone but the amom. I don't see pumping ones self full of chemicals to induce lactation as being very beneficial for the baby.

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Are you related to Fajina??

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oooh i was right!

realisticone

I don't know if it is encouraged, but don't see why it would be a harmful thing. The skin contact is important and there doesn't need to be exposure to artificial hormones or medications. Obviously the colostrum wouldn't be made --- but that is hardly the only important part of breastfeeding ( or people would only nurse for one week ! ).

Braydens Callin the Troll Police

NOPE! HAHA. Get over it.

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Actually. It isn't.

Its desirable that they have human milk, but not essential. Baby will grow and thrive on formula milk too.

What is 'so important' is that the baby gets fed.

Do you think its more important for this baby ( http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2004/Dec/Week4/1263869.jpg ) to get human milk, or to be fed?

What adoption agencys are more concerned with is making sure the home they place the child in is loving, safe, and nourishing for them. They would probably mention during the adoption process that induced lactation is possible, but what is more important is that the baby is fed by whatever means necessary.

KENNETH D

No.

kk & kyky's mom

Uh, no. Do you have mental problems? I'm thinking so my dear.

'Insert name here'

It is entirely the mothers choice but the encouragement would come from the Midwives/Doctors. I have heard of surrogacy cases where the surrogate has breast fed for a while and also provided the new parents with milk, but I'm not sure of the benefits from a person who isn't the biological mother lactating.

bee

IT depends on wat adoption center your in i didnt have to to it on mine.

rakrajah

I do not know if they encourage it but I know of a woman who breastfed a baby whom she adopted and she has never been pregnant!

gypsywinter

Another Nipple-Nazi on the loose! LOL!

Thank the Goddesses my daughter's amother never attempted this...and she didn't breastfeed her own bio daughter either, who she gave birth to after she adopted mine.

Linny's answer said it all on adoptive breastfeeding! Thank you!

BTW...while my mom was nursing me in the maternity home in England, immediately after WWII and the food shortage. My mom evidently had a plethora of breast milk...they asked her 'permission' to pump the excess milk to feed the other babies in the home..my mom did. No one asked her to put a 'stranger baby' to her breast! Knowing my mother the way I did...she would have been repulsed!

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