https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:56:02 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-305510 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:38:32 +0000 brownie 305510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My very good friend did this. She was even successful at lactating. Like others have said, it's an undertaking with pills, tea, and pumping. Her daughter was lip tied and was never able to latch. She is a perfectly healthy adorable 2 year old who definitely knows who her mommy is. The bond is incredible. Whichever path you choose, I hope you all success. Congrats on your new baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-305491 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:28:56 +0000 loveisstrange 305491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@however briefly: Honestly.... yes, breast is best blah, blah, blah BUT the difference in health, etc. between FF and BF babies is SO negligible. I was wracked with guilt because I couldn't breastfeed and I did tons of research into the subject. I think that people make much more of it than it really is. If you have no real personal desire to breastfeed... I would just formula feed and leave it at that.</p> <p>My daughter was formula pretty much from birth due to medical complications on my part. We have still bonded perfectly fine, she's never been sick and she is an extremely healthy, happy, intelligent little girl. You need to make the decision that is best for you and your family but either way you decide, your baby will be just as happy and just as healthy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-305482 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:26:26 +0000 however briefly 305482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@oceanis723: Thank you. I think I needed to hear that. I have so many strongly opinionated pro-breastfeeding friends that it's easy to feel as if I'm not doing enough. I know they mean well but they have me feeling inadequate a lot of times. Thanks again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-305460 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:17:41 +0000 Mrs. Train 305460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@however briefly: I was worried about that too. But I have had three biological children since my son was adopted and they are all just fine. The bonding is still there and my formula feed son is just healthy as can be. I think I was actually able to relax more with my formula feed son than my twins because I was so worried if they were getting enough and panicking all the time. Whatever you decided will be just fine for your baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302565 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:44:50 +0000 however briefly 302565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@livsmama: It's possible. I'm not sure if I understand everything completely so I may be wrong but I thought it was estrogen that inhibited milk production (ie birth control pills) but since the Mirena is progesterone I was hoping it wouldn't? I really need to talk to a doctor, I have no idea.</p> <p>@highwire @mrs. jacks: It's nothing serious. So the first doctor who told me I would never be able to breastfeed (my child or not) said it years ago way before even thinking about TTC in regards to my very large bust (38H). He said it would be a danger to the baby (suffocation I assume) and I was upset but took him at his word and never really gave it much thought after. Now, I just think he was an ass.</p> <p>The second doctor said it in regards to the hormone treatment I was undergoing. But I'm no longer doing that whole thing since getting my Mirena put in so I'm hoping it no longer applies although the Mirena does produce a small amount of progesterone. I just don't know if that will affect it or not.</p> <p>As for the birth mom, she's fine. It's actually a surrogacy situation but since it's not my egg being used it also fits into the adoption category as well since I will have to undergo adoption. I just simplify it to a general adoption scenario if I think all the surrogacy details are unneeded. I didn't even give a thought to different protocols in adoptions though.</p> <p>@zippylef @oceanis723: OUCH. And I mean OUCH. Holy crap. As you can tell, I've only done a preliminary search into the subject. I really don't have any desire to breastfeed other than just wanting to provide the best I can for our future baby and hearing that is making it very difficult for me to really want to do this. Birth mom is willing to try pumping for the first two months of baby's life and maybe I should just leave it at that. OUCH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302336 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:26:18 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 302336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Doing OCPs is part of the stimulation plan for induced lactation. Usually you take them for a couple of months and then stop to mimic pregnancy/delivery. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302329 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:24:21 +0000 Mrs. Train 302329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I opted out after doing the research because to be honest it just sounded like a lot of work and I didn't know when our baby was coming. </p> <p>From the things I looked up you can induce lactation by stimulation. If you have never been pregnant it could take 2-4 weeks of pumping and stimulating the breasts. If that doesn't work there are also hormonal therapies to help bring in your milk. I don't know about the Mirena. It might be because oral bc is one of the things used to trick your body into thinking it was pregnant so maybe the Mirena interferes with whatever hormonal treatment your doctor was thinking </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302321 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:20:28 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 302321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a blog post started about this... The first thing to consider is that this is a very intense subject with birth moms, so you might want to make sure that your birth mom is ok with it before you embark and a costly and time consuming endeavor. There are protocols and I'll look up some links for you.</p> <p>Secondly, you said that your doctor recommended you not do it for medical reasons. What is the medical reason? (because in some cases it might make it a really bad idea, while in some cases such as multiple sclerosis, the evidence has changed over the past 2-3 years, so your doctor may not be up to date).</p> <p>Anyway, I'll dig up some links and work on my blog post :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302315 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:18:10 +0000 loveisstrange 302315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried relactation 6 weeks after stopping BFing my daughter. Honestly? Not worth it. It's tons of pills and supplements and half your life tied to a pump. You have to pump EVERY 2 hours for AT LEAST 20 minutes. Thats 6 hours a day, a full 1/4 of your time. That means all night too. I did it for 4 weeks and it was consuming my life.</p> <p>It can take months to see anything and there is no guarantee it will work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302305 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:12:05 +0000 DillonLion 302305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm curious about what the previous doctor's medical reasons were for not being supportive of this. Did it have to do with your specific medical situation or was it just a blanket stance against it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302299 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:08:20 +0000 Mrsbells 302299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I dont know much about this either. How do you induce lactation? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302231 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:32:45 +0000 LivsMama 302231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I dont have experience, but regarding the Mirena, its probably because hormonal BC can inhibit milk production. You could go wtih paraguard instead (copper IUD, no hormones.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/inducing-lactation-for-adoption#post-302196 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:13:27 +0000 however briefly 302196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Anyone here gone through it? Two doctors over the years have advised me against this for medical reasons so I never gave it a second thought when our adoption situation came about but I recently decided to research it on my own and found many women in my circumstances able to breastfeed without problems so I'm now on the look out for a different doctor to get another opinion. </p> <p>In the meantime, has anyone here gone through it? Any advice? How soon before the baby do you think you should start? </p> <p>My only hesitation now if I get doctor approval is really that I don't want to remove my Mirena and some things I've read say you need to and some say it doesn't matter but I can't figure out the reasoning behind either. </p>