By: Kay Green

I have the wonderful privilege of breastfeeding ( induced lactation ) my adopted daughter Haley. We began this journey when she was 18 hours old. It is a day I will always remember looking into the eyes of this precious angel as her birth mom sat there and watched us. She later told a social worker that it helped her so much to see Haley and I bond at that moment.

When we began that day I was producing 3 or 4 ounces a day. By the time she was 6 months old I had achieved a full supply of breast milk for her. Her doctor told me that even 2 ounces a day would greatly benefit her over formula alone. She would receive my antibodies. Today she is a healthy happy walking nursing 1 year old.

I have so many who wonder about the details of adoptive breastfeeding/induced lactation I thought I would give you all a mini course in it. It has been going on for many centuries. In bible days it was called wet nursing. In 3rd world countries women will induce lactate to care for orphans. Here we do it for adopted children. WHY? Why not? It is better for the babies. They receive antibodies, better nutrients and enzymes, bonding and much more. It is a wonderful way to bond with a newly adopted child. Many have successfully nursed an older adopted child too. I know of several who have gotten 6-9 month old’s to nurse after being adopted.

Pregnancy is not necessary for breastfeeding. Prolactin (a hormone) is. Pregnancy does change the breast tissue so helps but is not necessary. Many adoptive moms who have never been pregnant have produced 30-100% of the breast milk their child needs. Pumping, sucking, herbs and drugs all help raise the prolactin level.

I started by pumping every 3-4 hours with a Hospital grade breast pump (Medela Lactina double pump). http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/pumps.html#lactina The light weight pumps available at most stores will not do the job of Induced Lactation. The Lactina is $700-900 to buy so I rented it for 3 months.

I also started taking herbs: 9 Fenugreek (an Indian spice that makes your sweat smell like maple syrup), 6 Blessed Thistle (NOT Milk Thistle), 6 Marshmallow Root (make the milk thicker and higher in calorie). I also drank Mothers Milk Tea and lots of water. Eating oatmeal. pineapple, and Henry Weinhart’s Rootbeer will also help.

I got milk drops 10 days after starting the pumping/herbs routine. By 4 weeks I was getting enough to freeze an ounce a day. By the time she was born I was freezing 2-3 ounces a day.

When she was born I nursed first, 10 minutes each side, switching sides 4 times (YES 45 minutes of nursing) then I would give her 1-2 OZ of formula or donated breast milk in a Lact-aid supplementer. http://www.lact-aid.com/ The Lactaid allows the formula to go thru a tiny tube at my breast so she got my milk and formula at the same time. This also stimulated me to produce more milk. I chose to nurse first without the supplementer because I wanted her to nurse both with and without the supplementer. She was always willing to nurse 45 minutes without the supplementer so I would often times offer the extra 1-2 OZ in a bottle.

There are two drugs available that many choose to help with milk supply. DOMPERIDONE is one. http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/domperidonewhere.shtml It is not available in the USA. It is available in Mexico $102 a month, Canada $50 a month and New Zealand $25 a month. It is used for stomach/digestion problems with a side effect of increased milk production. You need to take it the whole time you nurse or your supply will probably drop.

RAGLAN is the other drug. It is available very inexpensively from your local doctor. It is also used for stomach issues. You take it for only 4 weeks. I chose not to take either drug since I had nursed 3 bio children before (even if 12 years earlier).

I have many more adoptive nursing links and information on my web page at http://www.preciouskids.org/adopt/adoptnursing.html

I hope this answers your questions and you can tell a friend about the wonders of adoptive breastfeeding! Spread the word! I would also be happy to talk with others interested in adoption and adoptive breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding an adopted child is a great way to give them better nutrition and antibodies but it is an even better way to bond with them. I know I have a special connection with my nursing angel Haley. She loves her mama’s milk.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Kay Green is the founder of www.MyPreciousKid.com Children’s Safety Products and Baby Gear. Kay has a passion for keeping kids safe and giving parents peace of mind. Kay & Russell, her husband of 27 years, live in Oregon with their 4 children. www.KayGreen.com www.PreciousKids.org www.123HomeBusinessGuide.com COPYRIGHT 2000-2007 My Precious Kid®, Kay Green. All rights reserved.

By: Veronica Davis

When I was pregnant, I got the question all the time. “Are you going to breastfeed?” The answer was always no, or probably not. The thought of another little human being attached to me just striked me as odd, and I didn’t want anyone to see me doing something like that. Uncommon, because I am not a bashful person but I felt weird at the thought of it.

So the day came when I had my son, and when they brought him to me and said “let’s nurse” I was uncomfortable. However, once they helped me get him in position and we started, that was it. I knew I wanted to breastfeed my precious little man.

There was tons of support at the hospital. I thought they were making such a big deal out of it. What was so hard about this? He roomed in with me much of the time, except for when I wanted to get a little sleep, or I wanted to go outside for a walk. (I had to have an emergency c-section, so my hospital stay was a little longer). During those times, the nursery ladies would ask me if I wanted them to give him a “supplement” if he woke up and was hungry. Of course I did! I didn’t want him to be hungry, right?

So time passed and soon I was home with my new little man in tow.

And it begins…..I can’t get him positioned correcly all of a sudden. He is always, always hungry. He seems to not want to breastfeed at times. Ok, so I can just give him a “supplement” to sooth him, and we can go back to sleep. Right? Soon, I get badly engorged. Then right behind that, I can’t seem to produce enough milk. We are seeing a lactation consultant constantly. My precious little man has realized he gets his food easier and he gets more of it when he eats from a bottle. And for months to come I am struggling with getting him back to the breast, and trying to increase my milk supply.

Had I not been so closed minded to the thought of breastfeeding I would have known:

-Don’t let the baby have a bottle or pacifier in the first few weeks of life. Let you and your baby get into a steady breastfeeding relationship so you both get the hang of it.

-For every ounce of formula he recieves from a bottle, that is one ounce less of breastmilk you are telling your body to make.

-Baby can begin to prefer the bottle, and make it very difficult to breastfeed.
-Once you lose your milk supply, it is very hard to get back.
It is a very trying time when you get into the situation I was and am in. Your baby seems to “refuse” you, and it can create such agony. In essence, your baby is NOT refusing you. They are simple doing what they know, and what they have accustomed to.

If you do not plan to breastfeed, I urge you to research it some. Learn the basics of it, know how it works. Read, read, read. Go to an LLL meeting. Anything. You never know, you just may decide to breastfeed. And if you do, you do not want land in the spot I did just from a lack of knowledge.

Best wishes to you and your baby!

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Author: Veronica Davis About the author: Owner of “Breastfeeding is the best”, a resource network for all breastfeeding moms. Website: Breastfeeding is the Best www.allnatural.cashhosters.com/breastfeeding Email: fruteloop23@yahoo.com Other websites include: BD’s Profit Pro www.boriginaldesigns.com/

By: Dr. Melanie Beingessner

When babies cry for hours on end, their parents (especially first-time parents) can be driven to distraction. It is quite clear that something is bothering the baby. What is not obvious is how to relieve the baby’s pain. The result is that someone walks with the crying, fretful baby for hours on end hoping to calm him or her, so that the house can be peaceful and that everyone has a hope of getting a decent night’s sleep. The parents are exhausted. The baby is exhausted. Each day blends into the one before, with fussiness and crying as the grand finale to really long days.

There is hope. There is a reason why the baby is fussy. Many times, the reason for the fussiness at night is that a breastfeeding baby is reacting quite negatively to what his or her mother is eating. During the first months of life, a newborn’s digestive system is quite porous, which allows larger particles of foods through the lining of the digestive system into the blood stream. Little bits of food particles normally found in a breastfeeding mom’s breast milk can actually irritate the baby’s digestive system, and can cause pain. Also, the food bits that cross the lining of the digestive system can create slight allergic responses that become either frank food allergies, or food intolerances. Both can result in the baby experiencing gas, pain and/or discomfort.
By eliminating certain foods on a short term basis, many breastfeeding mothers find that their babies’ crying time decreases dramatically. The diet modification process is relatively short, but effective. Many mothers notice that if they cheat and eat the foods of concern, their babies cry and fuss throughout the evening. When they follow the breastfeeding elimination diet, their babies hardly cry at all! By about the fourth month, the lining of the baby’s digestive system matures and many of the foods can be eaten with no ill-effects.

Here is one of the delicious breastfeeding-friendly recipes found in The Calm Baby Cookbook. It is delicious way to use up any leftovers that you may have:
Waldorf Turkey Sandwiches

½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup diced turkey
½ cup diced apple
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
¼ cup raisins
½ cup Lite Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves
Whole wheat rolls

Preheat a non-stick frying pan to medium-low and add the sunflower seeds and walnuts. Stir often until they are toasted evenly. Remove from the burner and let cool.

In a bowl, combine the Lite Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, lemon peel, sea salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to coat. Spoon onto fresh rolls and top with fresh lettuce.

Enjoy!

For more information about the foods that cause a baby’s discomfort, please visit drmelaniebee.org

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counsellor, a certified infant massage instructor & the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook , written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

By: Dr. Melanie Beingessner

While the breastfeeding process exists to nourish a newborn and to provide everything that it needs to grow, breastfeeding is much more than food for a baby. The entire breastfeeding process provides significant benefits for both the baby and the mother.

1. Breast Milk Is A Living Substance

Babies do not have a fully functioning immune system until they are one year old. For the first year of life, a breastfeeding mother actually provides the immune response for a baby who is exposed to a cold or flu. If a baby were to suffer a cold, his mother would immediately start to increase her white blood cell production to counteract the bacteria or virus whether or not she experiences the baby’s symptoms. The baby would get these doses of immunity through breast milk. Breast milk contains many white blood cells (the blood cells that fight bacteria, viruses and parasites) and because of them, breast milk can actually sit on a countertop for 8 hours and be perfectly safe to drink.

2. Breastfeeding Improves Health

The proteins, carbohydrates and fatty acids in breast milk provide everything that a baby needs to grow strong bones, muscles and tissues. All of these components of breast milk exist in perfect proportion to a growing baby’s needs. Breast milk proteins are easily digested and breastfed babies feed often to build up their mother’s milk supply. The fatty acids found in breast milk help to support the growth of the baby’s brain and nervous system. The carbohydrates (or sugars) found in breast milk provide energy for the baby to play and interact with her world.

Breastfeeding provides great health benefits for the mother after birth, it helps to contract the uterus back to its pre-pregnant state. Mothers who breastfeed for longer periods of time experience less breast or uterine cancer later on in life.

3. Breastfeeding Promotes The Bonding and Attachment Process.

The hormone oxytocin stimulates the let down reflex when a baby starts to breastfeed; however, the role of oxytocin is not just for breastfeeding. In fact, oxytocin is called the hormone of love. Our bodies release high doses of oxytocin during the infatuation stage of love which creates the wonderful high that we experience when we first fall for someone. Breastfeeding creates this same feeling of infatuation every time a mother breastfeeds her baby. These continual doses of oxytocin enhance the bonding and attachment process to securely attach the mother/baby pair.
A Critical Period to Establish Breastfeeding

We all know that breast milk is best for babies. However, there is a vulnerable time for both the mother and the baby for the first month after birth as they learn to breastfeed. Some babies learn easily, others take their time. If a baby is continually fussy during this process a new mother can interpret the fussiness to mean that the baby has a specific problem with her, and that can influence her decision whether or not to keep trying.

With a calmer baby, there is a greater chance that the mother will continue to breastfeed, which helps to create a more bonded mother and infant and a relatively peaceful home life. With the reduction of crying and fussiness, the relationship between the mother and father is less strained in the transitional year to becoming a family, and that helps to bond the family unit more easily.

The Reason Behind The Baby’s Crying

When a baby fusses or cries, especially in the evening, the problem is usually that the baby is experiencing an adverse reaction to something that the mother is eating. If a breastfeeding mother can alter her diet on a short-term basis, the baby usually calms down and the breastfeeding process becomes easier for both mother and baby.

The main food source that a breastfeeding mother eats that causes babies discomfort are cow’s milk proteins. Small amounts of cow’s milk proteins end up in breast milk and can cause the baby to experience either food hypersensitivities or food intolerances. The resulting symptoms are gas, bloating, discomfort and crying. (Sound familiar?)

There are other foods that consistently cause a baby to experience discomfort. For more information, please visit Dr. Melanie’s website.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counsellor, a certified infant massage instructor & the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook, written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

My fourth baby was a preemie and I pumped for him for several months and eventually got him nursing, which was wonderful! And then a few months later I was….pregnant again!….and lost my milk supply.

It was very hard to not be able to nurse my preemie any more, and worried about him through RSV season since he did not have all those wonderful breastfeeding health benefits.

I think the best things I did in spite of not being able to nurse were to do all the cuddly things that I would have done even if I had been breastfeeding still. Hold him when he ate, slept next to him, and just made the feeding process as nurturing as possible.

It can be really hard to have breastfeeding be out of reach, but you can still love and nurture your little one no matter what!

I can tell you that my preemie is now 7 years old, and he’s been just as healthy as my other 5 children.