Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Natural Methods to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply nursing, prep to adopt (also on med interv posts)

We are starting the adoption process for a newborn.

I am nursing our 20 month old biological baby. He nurses every 3 or 4 hours around the clock. I noticed a significant decrease in my appetite when he was 18 months. I figure he is taking in less milk even though he nurses the same amount of time. I continue to pump and store (and eventually donate) so I will have frozen milk for supplementing if I need to when the baby arrives. I use an ameda purely yours and get about 2 ounces a day. That is all I've ever gotten (unless I was away from the baby for many hours.) Some days it's hard to get 2 ounces. Other days it's 7 minutes.

I don't know how long until we get the baby and how much my son will still be nursing by then. (I will allow him to self-wean.)

Lenore previously emailed me and said that, as long as my son is nursing 3 times a day, I don't need to do anything until we get closer to the adoption. As I said, I have no idea how long this will take.

I would like to hear from other women who increased their lactation (or didn't) and what they did. Also how long before the baby came that they started other interventions and how old their first babies were, etc. I am feeling nervous I won't be able to fully lactate (though I actually believe I will be able to.)

Any encouragement or ideas?

Thank you

I agree with Lenore. If he should wean back some but you are still producing then maybe herbs alone would help or add Dom. But here is what I would do if I was in your situation. (I believe in self weaning too and for what it's worth my 4 soon to be 5 yo son is still nursing) If your son starts backing off I would pick up that dropped nursing with a pump session. That way you will maintain the supply you have right now and you wouldn't have to do a thing but get baby to your breast.
Heres hoping you get the word soon.

Our bio daughter, bfed for 2 1/2 years, had stopped nursing for 1 1/2 year when we got our baby. I didn't have much milk supply by then, only a drop or two. I didn't have time to prepare before the baby's arrival (we had 2 week notice). The baby was 4 months old when he came home, I took dom and Goat Rue and was able to achieve full supply in 2 1/2 months. I had to supplement for the first 2 months, our baby was big and voracious! He used to take around 40 onces/day at that time.

I think that with a newborn, your supply will have time to adjust to the baby's appetite.

It's a good thing to maintain you supply as much as you can, it will be a good start.

good luck!

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad to hear full supply can be achieved for some. I'd still love to hear from others on their experiences.

Thanks.

My son was 3 years old and still breastfeeding when our adopted daughter came to our family as a newborn. I was very hopeful that I would be able to fully breastfeed her. When I squeezed my nipple at the hospital to proove to the nursury nurse that I was giving my daughter breastmilk, so much sprayed out that it went all over her face and hair.

Well my daughter nursed fine for two days and then started to get fussy like she was hungry. So I started giving her formula using the Lactaid, as I had expected to do in the beginning anyway. After that I met with a lactation consultant and started reading this and other web sites and consulted with Lenore and with Dr. Newman and tried everything possible to increase my supply but my daughter was still drinking almost all of her needs (if you use the 2.5 x bodyweight rule) in formula. I tried pumping around the clock, goat's rue, dom, blessed thistle, fenugreek, lots of water, oatmeal, checking with lactation consultants on the latch, switch nursing....

Now I take blessed thistle, fenugreek and dom and I hand pump (with my hands) every night and get from 1/2 to 1 ounce each time to give to my daughter later in the Lactaid. I am hopeful that my daughter might be getting 1 ounce each feeding directly from my breasts.

I'm disappointed, but I've come to terms with things now and am happy she's getting any breastmilk at all. She's six months old and we have a strong nursing relationship. Also, I've been able to find some breastmilk donors. (On that: I thought it would be like begging, but there are actually people out there with an overstock in their freezer and they are so incredibly happy to be able to give it to a needy baby and not throw out).

There could be several reasons why I haven't been able to produce more milk. First, my breastfeeding son wasn't drinking that much anymore--possible involution of my milk ducts. Second, I had a huge emotional shock in the beginning when birth mom wanted baby back and then changed her mind again and gave us back our baby--could have dried me up. Third, our adoption process pre getting our daughter was very, very stressful. My doc tested me for "adrenal fatigue" and I definately have that--my adrenal glands are shot. I am taking something for it and maybe that will eventually turn things around. Another possible problem is thyroid (I'm basically OK but a little out of balance). If anyone were in my situation I would definately test for that.

If someone can think of anything else I can do to increase my supply, please do suggest!!!

Lisa

Something I've wondered is: What about starting the longer protocol when an adopted baby arrives (assuming you have little or no warning.) If you do this, you could use some sort of lactaid, nurse the baby so they know how to do it, provide donated milk (I've personally donated on milkshare.com) or formula until you have enough milk.

How would this work? It doesn't give the baby much, if any, of YOUR milk to start with, but would you have greater success down the road?


I currently nurse my 20 month old and can still pump 1 to 3 ounces a day extra. By the time we get a baby I don't think I would worry too much about how the estrogen would effect his supply of milk (when I compare it to the newborn's needs.)

Has anyone tried this?

Second I think if your son continues to nurse you could use a lact-aid and nurse the new baby adding herbs and dom to boost your supply. As long as you have milk still then the supply and demand principal will kick in and your supply will catch up to your new babies need.
If for some reason you have completely dried up then yes you could go on the protocol and nurse with a lact-aid. We usually suggest a short duration like 30 days. But again the above mention is the better option for someone in your situation.

Lalle, do you have any ideas for me? Please see the post from Aloemama before "Second's" last post. thanks in advance.

Lalle and others,

Thanks for the info. I've never had a problem with nursing my son and I want it to go smoothly with this next one. I am pumping daily in addition to nursing around the clock and I hope the new baby comes soon enough that I still have an established supply.

Thanks again

Aloemama I think if you can get 1/2 -1 oz with your hands that is great.
Are you nursing without the lact-aid at all? I could usually nurse without it for the first feed of the day. How about trying to nurse first without it and then add it in as needed? How often and how long is she on the breast?
If she is getting an ounce from you each feeding that is terrific. Have you tried pumping with a double pump after feeds?