New here and have questions

First of all, congrats on the decision to adopt and to possibly breast feed. I did not BF my first, but I have been reading like crazy and plan to BF my second child (hopefully coming next spring/summer). There is a good amount of information out there, especially on the internet. There is a great website (don't think I can post the link here) that gives a vast amount of info and gives protocals for adoptive breastfeeding. Just type "adoptive breastfeeding" into your search engine and you can find all kinds of info. The protocal I have been reading about is put out by Dr. Lenore.Also, about supplementing... there is a supplemental nutrition system (aka SNS) you can buy so you can supplement, but still help increase the production of your milk. It involves taking a thin tube and placing one end in the baby's mouth and the other in the nipple of the bottle. The baby would still be nursing on you (thus helping with your supply) but actually getting the milk from the bottle. I would recommend reading more about this online, then locating a lactation consultant in your area with some experience with adoptive breastfeeding. Good luck!

supagurlrae ~ CONGRATS!!! I feel like you have the same excitement that I did when I first found out!!! You CAN breastfeed an adopted baby! How wonderful is that?! srusse24 explained alot of stuff...I started out searching on Google...TONS of info...and there IS a supplemental system because most women don't make 100% of a milk supply for their baby, but every bit counts! There are two to choose from...the SNS(supplemental nursing system) and the Lact-aid. Both allow you to nurse your baby and supplement at the same time. I will be doing the same protocol as srusse24, from Lenore Goldfarb and Dr newman...type "Ask Lenore" into google (I think I can say this on here) and it'll take you to the website. You can go to message boards there too to ask ???s. Also try contacting the La Leche League in your area. I actually found a leader in the town next to me who adopted two children and BF them both!!!! The major thing, from the advice I've gotten so far, is to set up a good support system and have a realistic expectation of it ie: you might not have 100% milk supply, but the benefit of milk and bonding that you WILL give your baby will be WELL worth it!!! Where are you in the adoption process right now?? Congrats on your decision...PM me if you have any questions!!!

Looks like there is little for me to add here, but as someone currently doing adoptive breastfeeding, I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Liana ~ I've collected TONS of info, but would LOVE to hear about your personal experience! Did you tell your agency/lawyer about your plan to bf before matching? Did you tell your bmom? When was the first time you were able to bf Zara, who is ADORABLE, btw!!!! Did she take to it easily? Wen did you start the protocol, how long did you take the meds before you started pumping? Did you have a supply before Zara was home with you? Sorry about the 100 questions! I would just LOVE to hear from someone who is successful what their experience was, there aren't many of you out there!! Thanks!!!

I'm so sorry that I didn't see this post sooner. Let me give you my story. Once I found the protocol for adoptive breastfeeding, I decided to do whatever was necessary to make this happen. As a pediatrician I know that breast is best. And, as we planned to use day care for our baby, the more antibodies she has, the better. I started the protocol long before we had gotten into the books. I did the accelerated protocol and took Yasmin and domperidone for about 8-10 weeks. I did let my social worker know that I planned adoptive breastfeeding. She had heard about it, but hadn't known anyone to do it. But by then she was very used to my unique approach to our adoption (our profile was different than what they recommended) I started pumping when we got into the books. It took 8 days before I even saw a drop of milk. I have to say that this experience has been a lesson in patience. We matched 12 days after getting into the book. We met our firstmother a couple of weeks later. I did not mention ABF at the time. Our SW thought that would not be a good idea. I got such a great vibe from our firstmother that instead of remaining on a first name only basis, I gave her my business card with my name and various phone numbers on it. She, in turn, being curious, decided to Google me and found my blog, which she loved. Yet in her reading my blog, she read that I planned ABF. Later on, close to the due date, I asked her if she would mind if I breastfed the baby in the hospital. She said it was OK. Yet when we arrived for the delivery, she had changed her mind about my doing that during her two days in the hospital with the baby. And I was fine with that. With what she was going through with the relinquishment, who was I to push her? We had an entrustment ceremony as she was discharged from the hospital and the baby was discharged to us. It was a very emotional ceremony. She left the hospital afterwards. We then went back upstairs to the hospital's lactation counselor to get some guidance as to how to position the baby for breastfeeding. Zara latched on like a champ. Of course, I didn't have a full supply. Few ABFeeders do, but she was getting some breastmilk. You can tell by looking at her stools. Breastmilk stools look different and don't smell as bad as formula stools. Since then we do breast alone, breast with lact-aid, or bottle and she does fine with each of them. No nipple confusion at all. I'm still on 150 mg of domperidone a day, plus 3 blessed thistle 3x/day and 4 fenugreek 3x/day. Someone mentioned goat's rue recently and I decided to add this to my regimen since it is a galactogogue. I'm waiting for it to arrive from Motherlove. It has been a slow process, but with keeping my goals reasonable, I've gotten to a great place. And even comfort nursing is so wonderful. All in all, it has been very worth it. Let me know if I can answer any other questions!

Liana- HI- I'm glad you shared your story-I had alot of those same questions for you. Well its day 10 for me-and I saw drops on day 8, and now have about 1/2 tsp at each pumping!!! I did NO bc pills and only started the dom one week before I started the pumping. I did not start the fenugreek until I started pumping. It seems like people get a wide range of results. I am someone who really does not like taking medications, I really compromised my thoughts to be successful at this. Do you know of anyone who- once they got started-was able to d/c the dom? I acutally worked for my GYN for the past 3yrs-he convinced me that I would be frustrated without using the dom-so I did. But know I guess I'll never know if it would have worked as well if I hadn't. How long should I decide to stay on it, before trying to back off to see if my supply will maintain? Your thoughts?

Lisa,I am glad my experienced helped you. You are right that it is quite variable how people will respond. One woman on the Yahoogroup I belong to was pumping 12-15 ounces a day on the dom. Needless to say it took a lot not to compare myself to her. But she was hardly typical.The rule of thumb for dom is once you get the supply you are comfortable with, then you wean (not straight discontinue) the dom and see what happens to your supply. I'm still hoping to continue to increase my supply, so I've no thoughts of stopping dom. But as a physician, I'm not as averse to taking medication as many people are, so it doesn't bother me as much.You might want to add the goat's rue, another galactagogue herb to help build your mammary tissue, since you chose not to use BCP. (The BCP/domperidone combination helps build breast tissue so that you can be more successful at lactating when you stop the BCP. Some people avoid the BCP for whatever reason and then end up taking longer to bring in more breast tissue for lactation.)Hope this helps. :)

Liana- Thanks!- I keep hearing new things on here. Heck I was estatic to get my few drops!! That darn pump! I just don't think it functions like a baby does! I really think that when the baby goes to it I'll see an increase. Have you noticed if women who have better luck at the induced breastfeeding have done it naturally before?

Lisa,I loathe my pump as well. Especially since when I travel, as I do frequently on business, the security people always think it is a bomb! I pump a lot less since the baby is here, but I still need to pump during the day while she is in day care.And you ask an interesting question. I thought that women who had breastfeed after pregnancy would have an advantage with adoptive breastfeeding, yet according to the people on the Yahoogroup, that is not the case. In fact, the woman who was getting 12-15 ounces a day has never been successfully pregnant past 9 weeks. So there it is.And you will absolutely see an increase when the baby acts as your "pump." Babies are more gentle and much more efficient.

Liana- I too have learned so much from reading about your experience. I appreciate you sharing. Would you mind sharing what your daily routine was, as far as what meds, how much, how often to pump, etc., before the baby and now that the baby is here? Also, have you tried an oatmeal regimen or mother's milk tea, or goat's rue? If so, what was your result? We have started the homestudy for our second adoption and plan to have our profile out around October. I am still debating whether to start the regular protocal or the accelerlated, since we could be matched quickly. Any suggestions? I have an appointment with my gyno on August 20 to talk about starting BC. Thanks for all the info!

Well lets see. I took 80 to 90 mg of domperidone while taking the pill and after I started pumping. When I started pumping, I added the 3 capsules of fenugreek and blessed thistle 3x/day. I wasn't happy with my supply so I asked Dr. Newman and he told me that I could go to a max of 160 mg/day of domperidone so after a few weeks of pumping, I moved to 5 domperidone 3x/day. I also increased the fenugreek to 4 capsules 3x/day, until my husband told me that I smelled like maple syrup. I've had weeks where I ate oatmeal every day. I can't say it made that much difference. I also drank Mother's Milk tea. Maybe it helped a little bit but not noticeably enough. When summer came I didn't want to drink hot tea any more. Plus the fenugreek and blessed thistle I was taking should have been enough. As I mentioned, I recently heard about the Goat's Rue and have not yet received it from the company, so I cannot speak to it. Instead of just adding the Goat's Rue, I decided to get the Motherlove Special Blend that is Fenugreek, Blessed thistle, nettle and goat's rue. I figured that you can't OD on fenugreek and blessed thistle so adding this to my current regimen would be fine. I'll let you know after I start. My pumping was not as good as it could be since I hate pumping. Before the baby, I would pump 4-5 times a day for 15 to 30 minutes. Since the baby, I pump once a day while she is in day care (should be twice, I know) and I use a lactaid supplementer. When I pump I get about 1/2 ounce per breast per pumping session. It used to be that I only got an ounce per day total, so this is progress. The baby makes a difference. I think that I answered everything. Let me know if you have more questions.

Liana- You're so FAB for answering our questions. Its nice to share with someone with your resources. Things have picked up well for me in the last few days. I would say I have about 1/2 the supply I had with both my girls now-hard to say though-because I get it all out by expressing mostly-hard to measure that!!! I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Just for reference my doses are dom 20mg 4xdaily/fenugreek 2tab 4xdaily ( if I take more than that at a time I get indigestion-weird huh?-with maple flavored burps). Anybody ever try to find a 34D size nursing bra? Guess who actually has them-Walmart!!! I've even tried to special order-platex doesn't even make um. Ce la vie! thanks again.

Is a 34D nursing bra hard to find? I've seen them all over the place. My size 38E is more rare. Try a Pea in the Pod. They have a ton.

It has been around here-in a nursing bra-anyway. I probably have to go to Portland to find a Pea in the Pod- I hate City traffic-as long as Walmart carrys them-I'll be happy.

My issue was not knowing where to look. Then I found my bras at Macy's, JC Penny's and Target, in addition to Pea in the Pod. I won't shop Walmart because of my politics.I'm glad you found some that you are happy with. On another note, I started the Mother's Milk Special Blend with the Goat's Rue. The "girls" are feeling a little different already!